Margaret Janeway McLanahan (May 3, 1896 – November 17, 1981) was an American physician who served in World War II. The New York Times described her as "the first woman doctor in the United States Army in the North African theatre".
Margaret Janeway | |
|---|---|
 Margaret Janeway in 1938 | |
| Born | May 3, 1896 Trenton, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 1981 (aged 85) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Spouse | John Davidson McLanahan (m. 1949) |
Early life and education
editJaneway was born in Trenton, New Jersey, the daughter of John Howell Janeway and Margaret (Meta) McAllister Janeway. Her father was a mining engineer.[1] Her paternal grandfather was John H. Janeway, a Union Army surgeon in the United States Civil War.[2] Her maternal grandfather was also an army surgeon.[3] She attended Bryn Mawr College and earned her medical degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1927.[2]
Career
editJaneway practiced medicine in New York City. From 1942 to 1943, she held the rank of Lieutenant in the WACs, stationed at Fort Des Moines, Iowa.[2][4] From 1943 to 1947, Janeway was based in Algiers while she served with the United States Army Medical Corps in North Africa, one of the first American women doctors commissioned overseas during World War II. The New York Times described her as "the first woman doctor in the United States Army in the North African theatre".[5] She held the rank of Major, and had charge of an 25-bed hospital.[2][4]
After the war, Janeway was on the staff at Lenox Hill Hospital, was a consultant with the Veterans' Administration on the medical needs of women veterans,[6] and was an appointed medical representative on the New York State Industrial Council.[7]
Personal life
editJaneway married banker John Davidson McLanahan in 1948.[8] He died in 1969;[9] she died in 1981, at the age of 85, at her home in New York City.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Heard on the Street". The Boston Globe. 1914-03-28. p. 5. Retrieved 2023-01-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Woman Doctor from N.Y. Now Major in Africa". Daily News. 1943-07-03. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-01-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Janeway-M'Allister". The New York Times. 1892-11-22. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-01-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Bachman, Gertrude (1944-07-13). "Don't Worry About Your WAC Oversea". The Sun and the Erie County Independent. p. 6. Retrieved 2023-01-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dr. Janeway Joins Army; Ex-Wac Is Made Major". The New York Times. 1943-07-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "Ten Women Doctors Named to VA Posts". The New York Times. 1946-11-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "Dewey Appoints Doctors; Names Margaret Janeway, T. A. McGoldrick to State Council". The New York Times. 1949-01-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ "Doctor and Banker to Wed". Daily News. 1948-12-25. p. 178. Retrieved 2023-01-22 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Retired Banker Dies". Dayton Daily News. 1969-04-22. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-01-23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dr. Margaret McLanahan, 85, Formerly on Lenox Hill Staff". The New York Times. 1981-11-19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
External links
edit- L. McLellan, "First Women Doctors in VA" We Served Too (August 1, 2014), blog post about Janeway and other women doctors who worked with the Veterans Administration after World War II