Dr. Alida Cornelia Avery

A graduate of the New England Female Medical College of Boston in 1862, Dr. Alida Cornelia Avery was a professor of Human Physiology and Hygiene as well as a Resident Physician at the newly founded Vassar College from 1866-1874. In 1874 she moved to Denver, Colorado and is credited with being Colorado’s first woman to practice medicine while also serving as the Superintendent of Hygiene for the state.

In 1876 she was elected the first president of the newly founded Colorado Woman Suffrage Association and was a dedicated and inspirational leader in the effort to achieve the right to vote for Colorado women. Upon her death, Avery’s accomplishments in the Suffrage movement were still being recognized as a significant part of her legacy for women in Colorado.