Dr. Ruth Tunnicliff
1876-1946
Ruth Tunnicliff was the youngest of three remarkable sisters born in Macomb. Like her sisters, Ruth was tutored at their home, probably by her mother, and then attended Vassar College and received her A.B. degree with Phi Beta Kappa honors at the age of 19, as did her sisters. In 1901, after her father's death, she moved to Chicago with her mother and sister Ruth.
Ruth took pre-med courses at the University Chicago in the late 1890's, followed by medical study at the Women's Medical College at Northwestern University and then Rush Medical College. She received her M.D. from Rush in 1903 in the first class to graduate women (nine women and 250 men). Her intention was to become a clinical doctor, but "she was apparently influenced by Chicago's world famous, female-operated humanitarian institution, Hull House... she lived (while a student) at Hull House, the innovative center for social service founded by Jane Adams. It may have been the concern of those social activists about sanitation and public health that made Tunnicliff abandon clinical medicine for bacteriology." (quote from The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science, 2000)
The article in "American National Biography" l999, states, "She did pioneering research on various types of streptococci. " Major work included the discovery of the diplococcus present in the secretions (eyes, nose, mouth) of measles patients in 1917. "Tunnicliff produced measles in animals and then worked out a serum..." Ruth was the first to develop a prevention to this devastating yet common disease. If given within 1-2 days after exposure it could prevent measles. It was not until much later, 1963, that the first successful measles vaccine was introduced following the isolation of the causative virus in 1954.
John Hallwas states in his column, "She produced over a hundred papers on the causes of common diseases like scarlet fever, influenza, diptheria, and meningitis. But perhaps her greatest achievement was in the prevention of measles, which in the early 20th century attacked some three to four million Americans every year."
Her achievements were remarkable, but she always struggled against gender bias. Despite being a distinguished research bacteriologist at the renowned McCormick Institute, she was never accepted as a teaching faculty member because of her gender.
Ruth was not a McDonough County resident at the time, however the impact of her serum and valuable research greatly benefited our local community. Born and raised in Macomb, Ruth is buried alongside other family members in Oakwood Cemetery.
Photo and information courtesy of Malpass Library Archives and John Hallwas.
Ruth took pre-med courses at the University Chicago in the late 1890's, followed by medical study at the Women's Medical College at Northwestern University and then Rush Medical College. She received her M.D. from Rush in 1903 in the first class to graduate women (nine women and 250 men). Her intention was to become a clinical doctor, but "she was apparently influenced by Chicago's world famous, female-operated humanitarian institution, Hull House... she lived (while a student) at Hull House, the innovative center for social service founded by Jane Adams. It may have been the concern of those social activists about sanitation and public health that made Tunnicliff abandon clinical medicine for bacteriology." (quote from The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science, 2000)
The article in "American National Biography" l999, states, "She did pioneering research on various types of streptococci. " Major work included the discovery of the diplococcus present in the secretions (eyes, nose, mouth) of measles patients in 1917. "Tunnicliff produced measles in animals and then worked out a serum..." Ruth was the first to develop a prevention to this devastating yet common disease. If given within 1-2 days after exposure it could prevent measles. It was not until much later, 1963, that the first successful measles vaccine was introduced following the isolation of the causative virus in 1954.
John Hallwas states in his column, "She produced over a hundred papers on the causes of common diseases like scarlet fever, influenza, diptheria, and meningitis. But perhaps her greatest achievement was in the prevention of measles, which in the early 20th century attacked some three to four million Americans every year."
Her achievements were remarkable, but she always struggled against gender bias. Despite being a distinguished research bacteriologist at the renowned McCormick Institute, she was never accepted as a teaching faculty member because of her gender.
Ruth was not a McDonough County resident at the time, however the impact of her serum and valuable research greatly benefited our local community. Born and raised in Macomb, Ruth is buried alongside other family members in Oakwood Cemetery.
Photo and information courtesy of Malpass Library Archives and John Hallwas.
