Alice Weld Tallant (July 14, 1875 – May 31, 1958) was an American physician and medical school professor. When her employment as a professor of obstetrics was terminated at the

Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania Founded in 1850, The Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania (WMCP), formally known as The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, was the first American medical college dedicated to teaching women medicine and allowing them to earn the Doctor ...

, it sparked the "Tallant Affair", in which students staged a strike and several colleagues resigned their positions in protest.

Early life and education

Alice "Elsie" Weld Tallant was born in Boston, the daughter of Henry Pinkham Tallant and Mary Gardner Tallant. She graduated from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

in 1897, and earned her medical degree at

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

in 1902, with further training at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...

, in New York and in Berlin.

Career

Tallant was an intern at the

New England Hospital for Women and Children The New England Hospital for Women and Children was founded by Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska, Marie Zakrzewska on July 1, 1862. The hospital's goal was to provide patients with competent female physicians, educate women in the study of medicine, an ...

from 1902 to 1905. She lectured on hygiene at

Bates College Bates College () is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian ...

from 1904 to 1905. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, she went to France as one of the directors of the Smith College Relief Unit, and later worked with Anne Morgan in the American Committee for Devastated France, treating influenza among war refugees; her service earned her a

Croix de Guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...

in 1918. From 1905 to 1923, Tallant was a professor of obstetrics at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, and was a practicing obstetrician at Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia from 1905 until her death in 1958. When her reappointment at the medical college was refused without public explanation in 1923, students went on a strike, alumnae presented a petition in support of Tallant, and several of her colleagues, including Ruth Webster Lathrop, resigned in protest. This controversy is recalled in school history as the "Tallant Affair". Tallant was an obstetrician at Philadelphia General Hospital from 1922 to 1928. From 1928 to 1938, she was a social worker and physician at the Joy Settlement. From 1906 to 1950, she was a physician on staff at the Girls' House of Refuge. She served on the executive committee of the American Child Hygiene Association. She was the author of ''A Text-book of Obstetrical Nursing'' (1922).

Publications

* "Some Observations on the Occurrence of Broadbent's Sign" (1904) * "An Obstetric Anomaly" (1908) * "The Question of Scholarships" (1911) * "A Study of

Ophthalmia Ophthalmia (; also called ophthalmitis, and archaically obtalmy) is inflammation of the eye. It results in congestion of the eyeball, often eye-watering, redness and swelling, itching and burning, and a general feeling of irritation under the ey ...

in the New-born: With Nine Charts" (1912) * "'Pre-natal Care' as Conducted in the College Hospital" (1916) * "The Pros and Cons of Accouchement Forcé in

Placenta Previa Placenta praevia or placenta previa is when the placenta attaches inside the uterus but in a position near or over the cervical opening. Symptoms include antepartum bleeding, vaginal bleeding in the second half of pregnancy. The bleeding is bright ...

" (1917) * ''A Text-book of Obstetrical Nursing'' (1922) * "A Study of the Results in Face Presentations" (1923)

Personal life

Tallant died in 1958. There is a small collection of her papers in the Smith College Archives.Alice Weld Tallant papers
Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History, Smith College Libraries. The papers of the Smith College Relief Unit include materials related to Tallant's World War I experiences.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallant, Alice Weld 1875 births 1958 deaths American physicians Women physicians American obstetricians American women in World War I Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania faculty Bates College faculty Johns Hopkins University alumni Smith College alumni