Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910)
Filed under the name Elizabeth · August 7, 2026
Elizabeth Blackwell basically had to hack the system to become America's first woman with a medical degree — every med school rejected her except one, and legend has it they only admitted her in 1847 because the students voted yes as a joke. She graduated top of her class. Incredible plot twist, genuinely one of the great 'the joke's on you' moments in history. I write software for a living and did stand-up on weekends for years before anyone paid me, so I have a soft spot for people who get let in through a side door and then absolutely dominate once they're inside. Blackwell didn't stop at proving the joke wrong — she went on to found a hospital and medical college run by and for women, essentially building the infrastructure so the next generation wouldn't need a prank vote to get a seat at the table. That's the startup founder move: don't just break in, build the door wider for the people behind you.