Barbara Bartlett Stimson (1898–1986) was the first woman to be certified by the American Board of Surgery in 1940. She was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War II. She is recognized for eliminating obstacles for women pursuing medical careers, particularly in surgery.
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Early life
Barbara Stimson was born in New York on February 14th, 1898, to Henry and Alice Stimson. The youngest of seven children, she was raised in a socially prominent household with a strong tradition of public service. Her uncle, Lewis A. Stimson, was a distinguished late-19th-century surgeon who performed the first public operation in the United States using Joseph Lister's antiseptic technique. Lewis's son, and Barbara's first cousin, Henry L. Stimson, was a respected American statesman who served as Secretary of State (1929–1933) and Secretary of War (1941–1945) under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As Secretary of War, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942, signing the legislation that created the organization and appointing Oveta Culp Hobby as its first director. Barbara's sister, Julia Stimson, also made significant contributions as the Director of Nursing Services for the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I.