Lucy Oxley

*Trigger Warning: This discription uses derogatory terms toward African Americans in some contextaulized quotes.*

In 1936, Lucy Oxley became the first African American woman to earn an MD from UC’s College of Medicine. At this time, the College of Medicine was located here near Holmes Hospital which had opened in 1929. Oxley was among the top fifteen and the only woman or person of color in her class. Throughout her time at UC, Oxley faced constant discrimination from other students and her professors. Her anatomy partner was called a “n****-lover” and her obstetrics professor called Oxley a “n**** woman” regularly. This discrimination continued into her professional career and barred her from multiple professional opportunities. Hospitals and local doctors refused to grant her privileges to practice. For example, Cincinnati General Hospital (now University Hospital) revoked its offer of an internship after other interns protested, with the Dean of the College informing her, "Miss Oxley, you are a negro and we don't want you." This led her to start her own practice in Walnut Hills serving all races, but mostly the Black community. After serving her community for over forty years, Oxley became the first woman and first African American to receive the Physician of the Year award from the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians in 1984. UC established the Lucy Oxley African American Medical Student Scholarship in the College of Medicine to help support minority medical students in 2008 as a way to honor her accomplishments and life’s work.