Hilary Aquino, Ph.D.

From the Iago Galdston Lecture | Dr. Leona Baumgartner, New York City's first female Commissioner of Health, 1954-62, was a fascinating individual for a number of reasons. Her story lies at the nexus of several types of history: women's, public health and urban. At a time when the image of the American woman was at its pinnacle in terms of a re-embrace of domesticity, this hatted, gloved, pearl-wearing woman commanded the largest and most prestigious department of health in the nation. My talk will explore the evolution of Leona Baumgartner's career: as a woman, as a doctor and as a politician. She was an expert negotiator, fundraiser, and press icon, all while subtly crossing traditional gender boundaries. Dr. Leona Baumgartner helped bridge the transference of care for poor mothers and children from the purview of wealthy urban women engaged in philanthropic endeavors, to the realm of municipal government responsibility and health care as a fundamental right. She also became a media expert, skillfully utilizing its various forms to promote health education. Finally, I will discuss the ways in which Dr. Baumgartner used her considerable politics skills and public persona to balance traditional health education and promotion within the Department of Health with an emphasis on scientific research.