Isabel Cobb
Isabel Cobb (1858–1947), physician and educator
Isabel "Belle" Cobb (October 25, 1858 – August 11, 1947) was a Cherokee physician and educator best known for being the first woman physician in Indian Territory.
Early life and education
Cobb was born near Morgantown, Tennessee, the oldest of seven children of Joseph Benson and Evaline Clingan Cobb. She attended school in Cleveland, Tennessee until 1870, when at the age of 12, her family moved to Cooweescoowee District of the Cherokee Nation (near modern-day Wagoner, Oklahoma). Cobb was a good student, winning awards while attending school in Tennessee.
Shortly after arriving in the Cherokee Nation, Cobb's mother gave birth to her youngest sister. It was a very difficult delivery, and the family had to call for a midwife because there were no doctors in the area at the time. Although her mother survived the delivery, it left a lasting impression on Cobb and motivated her to pursue a career in medicine.
Cobb enrolled in the Cherokee Female Seminary in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and graduated in 1879. She continued her education at Glendale Female College in Glendale, Ohio where she graduated in 1881. At this point in her life, Cobb had received more education than most women of her day.
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This entry incorporates text from “Isabel Cobb” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.