Born: September 7, 1867 (Rockford, Illinois)
Died: November 21, 1939
Biography:
Cora Eliza Smith Eaton King (September 7, 1867 – November 21, 1939) was an American suffragist, physician, and mountaineer. She holds the distinction of being the first woman in North Dakota to be licensed to practice medicine. Cora was born on September 7, 1867, in Rockford, Illinois to Colonel Eliphaz Smith and Sara Barnes. Her family moved to the Dakota Territory and settled in Grand Forks.
Cora’s passion for women’s suffrage began during her time at the National School of Elocution and Oratory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was there that she became actively involved in the suffrage movement. After her graduation in 1886, Cora returned to the Dakota Territory to further her studies at the University of North Dakota. She not only pursued her education but also taught subjects like arithmetic, geography, spelling, and handwriting. Notably, she became the first woman to teach physical education at the university and offered a course on girl’s calisthenics. In 1889, Cora graduated with a Bachelor of Science, marking her as a member of the university’s inaugural graduating class.
While completing her degree, Cora delved deeper into suffrage work. Alongside her mother, she helped establish the Grand Forks Woman Suffrage Association in 1888 and was elected as its first secretary. During the Constitutional Convention for North Dakota in 1889, Cora was asked by Henry Blackwell to speak on his behalf, advocating for women’s suffrage in the state constitution. The following year, she and her mother, as pioneering women, became among the first to vote in Grand Forks, as North Dakota granted women suffrage in special school elections.
Cora went on to study at the Boston University School of Medicine, where she obtained her M.D. degree in 1892. Upon returning to Grand Forks, she achieved another groundbreaking feat by becoming the first licensed female physician in the state. In addition to her medical practice, which she embarked on after marrying attorney Robert A. Eaton in 1893, Cora assumed leadership roles within the suffrage movement. She served as the president of both the Grand Forks Woman Suffrage Association and the North Dakota Equal Suffrage Association. Furthermore, she represented the state at the annual National American Woman Suffrage Association meeting in 1896, later serving as the organization’s second auditor twice.
In 1902, Cora and her husband relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota. There, she joined the American Association of Orificial Surgeons, an organization that permitted women and practiced homeopathic medicine. Under the guidance of Edwin Hartley Pratt, Cora underwent training and specialized in performing female circumcisions to alleviate chronic conditions like headaches and epilepsy.
In 1906, Cora divorced her first husband and moved to King County, Washington. Settling in Seattle, she established her medical practice once again. It was during her time in Seattle that Cora discovered her passion for mountain climbing. She became a founding member and the first secretary of The Mountaineers, an organization dedicated to promoting outdoor activities and conservation. Cora continued to make strides in her medical career, demonstrating her unwavering determination and pursuit of excellence.