Medical Pioneer. Born Lucy Hobbs in Constable, New York, she was a schoolteacher when she applied to the Ohio College of Dentistry in 1861, but she was refused admittance because of her gender. In 1862, she moved to Iowa, where she opened a new dentistry practice in despite not having received a diploma. She quickly gained acceptance as a dentist, becoming a member of the Iowa State Dental Society and serving as one of this group's delegates to the American Dental Association Convention in 1865. The Ohio College of Dentistry agreed to waive its policy prohibiting women from attending the institution, allowing Hobbs to enroll as a senior student because of her years of dentistry experience. In 1866, received her diploma as the first female in the world to receive a doctorate in dentistry. She became the first woman dentist in the United States to establish a dental practice when she opened in Chicago, Illinois, in 1867. She married James Myrtle Taylor, taught her husband dentistry and moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where they established a joint practice. She also was a supporter of women's rights and an active member in the Republican Party.

Medical Pioneer. Born Lucy Hobbs in Constable, New York, she was a schoolteacher when she applied to the Ohio College of Dentistry in 1861, but she was refused admittance because of her gender. In 1862, she moved to Iowa, where she opened a new dentistry practice in despite not having received a diploma. She quickly gained acceptance as a dentist, becoming a member of the Iowa State Dental Society and serving as one of this group's delegates to the American Dental Association Convention in 1865. The Ohio College of Dentistry agreed to waive its policy prohibiting women from attending the institution, allowing Hobbs to enroll as a senior student because of her years of dentistry experience. In 1866, received her diploma as the first female in the world to receive a doctorate in dentistry. She became the first woman dentist in the United States to establish a dental practice when she opened in Chicago, Illinois, in 1867. She married James Myrtle Taylor, taught her husband dentistry and moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where they established a joint practice. She also was a supporter of women's rights and an active member in the Republican Party.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith