Lillian H. South
Encyclopedia
Lillian Herald South Tye (January, 31, 1879 - September 13, 1966) was an American
physician from Bowling Green, Kentucky
, who specialized in public health
. South was a pioneer in her work as a bacteriologist, and she was a trailblazer as a female medical professional who broke prevalent gender barriers for women of her time.
South was the Director of the Kentucky State Bacteriology Laboratory for thirty-nine years. She is credited with eliminating several contagious diseases from Kentucky, including hookworm
. South was involved with containing a severe epidemic of typhoid following the widespread flooding in 1937.
Her work brought her national prominence, and she frequently did presentations to medical associations and the public across the country. In 1922 South established the first lab technician training program in the United States; the graduates of the program worked in medical laboratories around the world. She was heavily involved with medical organizations, and was the first woman to hold the position of vice president of the American Medical Association
.
South attended local public schools in Warren County
and after graduation from high school she went to Potter College, a local college. She completed a B.A. degree at the age 18. South then left the state to attend a nurses training program in New Jersey
. In 1896, she graduated from the Nurses Training School of the Central Hospital at Patterson, New Jersey. She furthered her schooling by studying medicine at the Woman's Medical College at Philadelphia. After graduating in 1903, she interned to study bacteriology
. When she completed her internship, for a short period of time, she joined a medical practice in Bowling Green with her father who was a physician. Then South joined the medical practice of Dr. J. N. McCormack and Dr. A.T. McCormack.
s, rabies
, and leprosy
that lowered of the incidence of the diseases in Kentucky. She spearheaded a public campaign to eliminate hookworm, and is credited for virtually eradicating the once widely prevalent disease from the state. She lobbied the Kentucky State Legislature to ban the use of the public drinking cup.
. She was the first women to hold the position of vice president with the American Medical Association
. She was president of the Association of Southern Medical Women, and councilor of the American Association of Medical Women. And she was an active member of the Kentucky Medical Association, the Jefferson County Medical Society, and the Tri-County Medical Society.
Thorough out her life, South continued to study the newest medical scientific advances and traveled extensively to learn as much as she could. She studied at Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, the Pasteur Lab in Paris, and the Madame Curie Radium Institute. She was a delegate to the International Hygiene Congress in Dresden, Germany, and to the Public Health Division of the League of Nations
in Geneva, Switzerland.
. Tye had a law practice, Tye & Siler, that was the local attorneys for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad; the Southern Railway; the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway; the Western Union Telegraph Company, and other prominent coal-mining related corporations.
South kept a separate residence from her husband during the week in order to continue her medical career. On weekends and holidays she traveled to stay at their shared house in Williamsburg, Kentucky
. Judge Tye had been married previously. He died on July 3, 1948.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician from Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, who specialized in public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
. South was a pioneer in her work as a bacteriologist, and she was a trailblazer as a female medical professional who broke prevalent gender barriers for women of her time.
South was the Director of the Kentucky State Bacteriology Laboratory for thirty-nine years. She is credited with eliminating several contagious diseases from Kentucky, including hookworm
Hookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
. South was involved with containing a severe epidemic of typhoid following the widespread flooding in 1937.
Her work brought her national prominence, and she frequently did presentations to medical associations and the public across the country. In 1922 South established the first lab technician training program in the United States; the graduates of the program worked in medical laboratories around the world. She was heavily involved with medical organizations, and was the first woman to hold the position of vice president of the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
.
Family and early life
Lillian Herald South, the daughter of Dr. John F. and Martha (Moore) South, was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky on January, 31, 1879.South attended local public schools in Warren County
Warren County, Kentucky
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky, specifically the Pennyroyal Plateau and Western Coal Fields regions. It is included in the Bowling Green, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 113,792 in the 2010 Census. The county seat is Bowling Green...
and after graduation from high school she went to Potter College, a local college. She completed a B.A. degree at the age 18. South then left the state to attend a nurses training program in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. In 1896, she graduated from the Nurses Training School of the Central Hospital at Patterson, New Jersey. She furthered her schooling by studying medicine at the Woman's Medical College at Philadelphia. After graduating in 1903, she interned to study bacteriology
Bacteriology
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classification, and characterization of bacterial species...
. When she completed her internship, for a short period of time, she joined a medical practice in Bowling Green with her father who was a physician. Then South joined the medical practice of Dr. J. N. McCormack and Dr. A.T. McCormack.
St Joseph Hospital
In 1906, South and her medical partners opened a health care facility in order to make local hospital care available to the people of Warren County. She remodeled and enlarged her house in Bowling Green to establish St. Joseph's Hospital. The hospital, with 42 beds, allowed the local physicians to offer around the clock local medical and nursing care to their own patients, and provide care to the young people that temporarily relocated to Bowling Green for their education.Kentucky State Board of Health
In 1910, South was employed by the State Board of Health as the State Bacteriologist. From this position South became a major influence on public health in the United States through her medical research and training programs. She also had a large positive impact on the health and well-being of Kentucky's people through the medical services she provided thorough the State Laboratory.Disease eradication
Through her work at the State Board of Health South did research into hookwormHookworm
The hookworm is a parasitic nematode that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human. Two species of hookworms commonly infect humans, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. A. duodenale predominates in the Middle East, North Africa, India...
s, rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
, and leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
that lowered of the incidence of the diseases in Kentucky. She spearheaded a public campaign to eliminate hookworm, and is credited for virtually eradicating the once widely prevalent disease from the state. She lobbied the Kentucky State Legislature to ban the use of the public drinking cup.
Medical Associations
South was heavily involved with local and national medial organizations, and had leadership roles in prominent medical associations. She was an active member of the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
. She was the first women to hold the position of vice president with the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
. She was president of the Association of Southern Medical Women, and councilor of the American Association of Medical Women. And she was an active member of the Kentucky Medical Association, the Jefferson County Medical Society, and the Tri-County Medical Society.
Thorough out her life, South continued to study the newest medical scientific advances and traveled extensively to learn as much as she could. She studied at Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, the Pasteur Lab in Paris, and the Madame Curie Radium Institute. She was a delegate to the International Hygiene Congress in Dresden, Germany, and to the Public Health Division of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Geneva, Switzerland.
Later family life
On July 8, 1926, South married Judge Hiram H. Tye, a well known attorney and judge from Whitley County, KentuckyWhitley County, Kentucky
Whitley County is a county located in the state of Kentucky. 2005 census projections list its population at 38,029 . The county seat is at Williamsburg, though the largest city is Corbin, and the county's District Court sits in both cities...
. Tye had a law practice, Tye & Siler, that was the local attorneys for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad; the Southern Railway; the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway; the Western Union Telegraph Company, and other prominent coal-mining related corporations.
South kept a separate residence from her husband during the week in order to continue her medical career. On weekends and holidays she traveled to stay at their shared house in Williamsburg, Kentucky
Williamsburg, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,928 households, and 1,127 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,102.5 people per square mile . There were 2,118 housing units at an average density of 454.0 per square mile...
. Judge Tye had been married previously. He died on July 3, 1948.