Penrose - Romania Bunnell Pratt
Source: Salt Lake City Utah Deseret News Sat 27 March 1954
Dr. Romania Bunnell Pratt Penrose (1839-1932) was the first Mormon woman to receive a medical degree. As a child underwent terrors of Nauvoo period and attended Crawfordsville Female Seminary when family moved to Ohio (sic – Indiana). After father’s death, family moved to Utah (sic – six years later) where she taught school. Called in 1875 by Brigham Young to study medicine, and spent four years at Women’s Medical College, Philadlphia. Conducted large practice in Utah and was instrumental in creation of Primary Children’s and LDS hospitals. Trained midwives for three decades to serve in outlying Utah communities. Married Parley P. Pratt Jr 1859 and bore 7 children. Married Charles W. Penrose 1886. - kbz
Source: Salt Lake City, Utah Deseret
News Thu 10 Nov 1932 p 9
Dr. Romania Bunnell Pratt Penrose,
widow of President Charles W. Penrose died Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the home of
her son, Mark C. Pratt, 1145 Ninth East Street after a long illness. Dr.
Penrose was the first woman to practice medicine in Utah and had had a long and
prominent career. She was born in Washington Ind Aug 8, 1839 coming to Utah
Sept 2, 1855. Here in her work for the church she saw the advantage sof medical
training and decided to go east to pursue studies in medicine. Graduating from
the Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia PA in 1877 with the degree of
doctor of medicine she returned to Salt Lake and for a number of years was
superintendent of the old Deseret Hospital. During this time she gained wide
prominence as one of the first women in the west to pursue a professional
career. Dr. Penrose retired from active practice in 1912 after practicing her
profession in Salt Lake for 35 years, specializing in eye, ear, nose and throat
work. She had written a number of articles and had herself been the subject of
much writing praising her work.
Surviving her are four sons, children of a former marriage to the late
Parley P. Pratt: Mark C. Pratt, Salt Lake; Parley P. Pratt; Louis L. Pratt and
Irwin E. Pratt, all of Los Angeles; 10 grandchildren and eight great
grandchildren. - kbz