Edwin Washington Project

Found in the personal archives of Superintendent Oscar Emerick was a newspaper clipping for the Evening Star, 18 October 1902, discussing an annual meeting of the Ladies of the Spanish War Veterans,  who met at the Spanish War Veterans Hall, 612 E. Street NW, Washington, DC.

The article contains much information about the Spanish War Veterans Auxiliary.  An important element of the article as well was a description of the installation of national officers, including Dr. Ida Heiberger, surgeon general. (4 Feb 1858 - 16 June 1938).  Heiberger was one of the fist women physicians to practice in Washington.  Her father was a merchant tailor

Heiberger graduated from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1885, then did post graduate work in Freiberg and Leipzig, Germany, Zurich, Switzerland and Vienna, Austria before returning to Washington, DC.

In 1887, Helberger accepted the invitation of Jeannette Judson Sumner to join the Women’s Dispensary, founded in1883 to serve mostly lower-income women of color.  She later worked at clinic for white women, but there is evidence as well that with her sister Minne, she opened a separate clinic at 1237 T. Street, NW to serve women of color.  Heiberger served as Superintendent.

To see the full artcle, ask the Edwin Washington Project for access to box 15.3 

Project HQ is in the Douglass High School Building, 407 E. Market Street, Suite 106, Leesburg, Va 20176.