Frances McKeon Benzecry (c.1878 – 1937) was one of the first female detectives in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

Life

Frances McKeon Benzecry was the daughter of Bernard McKeon and Agnes Harmon. She married her husband Benjamin Benzecry on July 5, 1901, in Manhattan, New York. Benjamin and Frances had two children, Lucille and Etoile. Frances died in 1937 aged 59 shortly after becoming a widow. Her residence six years prior to her death was Los Angeles, California.

Education

Frances Benzecry attended New York Normal College, which is known today as

Hunter College Hunter College is a public university in New York City. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools. It also adm ...

Career

Frances Benzecry served as an investigator for the

New York County Medical Society The New York County Medical Society is a professional membership organization for physicians who live or work in the Borough of Manhattan. As such, it is part of the larger network of medical organizations which includes the American Medical Ass ...

for ten years. Beginning her detective career in 1905, Benzecry patrolled New York City looking for medical malpractices and abortion-performing midwives. Her detective work often placed her in bizarre situations, namely dealing with psychics, naturopaths, and religious healers. In using her feminine attributes, Benzecry was able to pursue her detective work to an extent that was unachievable by a male detective, especially in investigating abortion procedures and midwives. Frances often posed as having a ludicrous ailment or symptom, to which she would seek help from a medical practitioner or healer who was unlicensed to practice. In a sting-like operation, Benzecry would expose the malpractice and be able to prosecute the offender. Benzecry released a detailed chronicle regarding some of her detective work in ''The Ladies' Home Journal'' in an article titled "What I Have Found Out as a Medical Detective". In the exposé style article, she revealed several of the unusual medical treatments and healings she received. In one instance, she was advised to wear only light blue, and if she was to appear in public, carry the brightest red carnations she could find, in an attempt to cure issues within her nervous system. Once no longer working for the New York County Medical Society, Benzecry began private investigation work.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benzecry, Frances Mckeon 1870s births 1937 deaths People from New York City Detectives and criminal investigators Private detectives and investigators 19th-century American women 20th-century American women