In honor of Women’s History Month & all the incredible Rosies we’re continuing to celebrate, we want to celebrate you too, dear listener. So while you may not feel like a grand leader who will grace the herstory books some day, we encourage you to start with this amazing TED Talk & reflect on the power of every women to lead in their own lives: TEDxToronto – Drew Dudley “Leading with Lollipops”

Ida Cannon

Ida Maud Cannon was a remarkable woman who made an incredible impact on the field of social work, particularly in the medical context. Born on June 29th, 1877, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she was the daughter of a railroad worker and a school teacher who tragically passed away from tuberculosis when Ida was just four years old. Her father had aspirations of becoming a physician, which eventually inspired Ida and her brother, Walter, to pursue medical careers.

During her childhood, Ida and her family mostly resided in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she eventually trained to become a nurse at the City and County Hospital Training School. She briefly worked at the state school for the feeble-minded and St. Paul Associated Charities as a nurse. However, her interest in social work led her to go back to school at the University of Minnesota.

Around this time, there was a significant social work movement taking place, and Ida was greatly inspired by a lecture given by Jane Addams while pursuing her sociology studies. Her experience with St. Paul Associated Charities helped her understand the relationship between health, disease, occupation, and more. She then dove further into social work studies at the Boston School for Social Work (which eventually became Simmons College).

During her time in school, Ida and her sister Bernice moved in with her now-physician brother and his family in Cambridge, where she would live for the rest of her life. Upon completing her education in social work, Richard Clark Cabot, a Harvard physician, hired Ida to be a social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1907.

Ida’s major focus was to make medical care more effective and “cure consumption,” also known as tuberculosis. She was named “Head Worker” in 1907, eventually becoming Chief of Social Service in 1914, where she would remain for 31 years. Ida focused on patients with tuberculosis, psychiatric disorders, sexually transmitted infections, unwed pregnant women, and pediatric orthopedic patients.

She frequently traveled throughout the United States to educate other hospitals on how to incorporate social work into their own clinical practices and how to educate other medical social workers. She collaborated with her alma mater to teach a medical social work course from 1912-1925.

During her career, Ida recognized the tremendous need and effort required to truly improve disease. She would go on to hire her department’s first educational director named Harriet Bartlett to help train social workers and clarify the function and duties of their work. This greatly contributed to the establishment of the modern-day medical social work field.

Ida co-founded the American Association of Hospital Social Workers in 1918, serving as their vice president and then president for two terms. She went on to become president of the Massachusetts Conference of Social Work in 1932 and was very active in annual conferences, state, and community advocacy.

Ida retired from social work in 1945 and then went on to write on the social frontier of medicine, pioneering and medical social service, as well as some highlights of 50 years: Massachusetts Conference of Social Work, 1903-1953.

In 1957, Ida moved into a nursing home and lived there for three years until her death in 1960. She was 83 years old. Some of her honors include honorary doctorates from Boston University and the University of New Hampshire, the Lemuel Shattuck Award from the Massachusetts Public Health Association, and more.

Ida’s contributions to the field of social work, particularly in the medical context, were remarkable. She recognized the importance of treating the whole person and not just their illness, paving the way for modern medical social work. Her pioneering work and advocacy have helped shape the modern-day medical social work field, and her contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and honors.

One of the most important things that we can learn from Ida’s life and work is the importance of understanding the relationship between health, disease, and social factors. Ida’s experiences working with patients with tuberculosis, psychiatric disorders, sexually transmitted infections, unwed pregnant women, and pediatric orthopedic patients showed her how these issues were often intertwined with social factors such as poverty, education, and access to health care.

Today, medical social workers continue to play a critical role in helping patients navigate these complex social and healthcare systems, providing emotional and practical support, advocating for patients’ rights, and helping to improve the overall quality of care.

In conclusion, Ida Maud Cannon was a remarkable woman who devoted her life to improving the lives of others through social work and medical service. Her contributions to the field of medical social work have been immeasurable, and her legacy continues to inspire and inform the work of medical social workers today.

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Merle Oberon

Merle Oberon was a trailblazer in the entertainment industry, becoming the first Asian actress to be nominated for an Academy Award. However, despite her achievements, few people today know about her remarkable life story. Born in Bombay, India in 1911, Merle was raised by her mother’s parents, Arthur Thompson and Charlotte Selby. Her mother, Constance, had been raped by an Anglo-Irish foreman, and Merle’s mixed heritage was a frequent source of racism and bullying growing up. Despite receiving a scholarship to one of the best private schools for girls in Calcutta, Merle was still relentlessly bullied.

In an attempt to escape her difficult upbringing, Merle began using lightening products on her skin and developing a posh British accent to try and become someone else. This coincided with her introduction to films and nightlife, which allowed her to embody the role of someone besides herself. Merle began making connections with various male suitors, some of whom helped her move from India to Europe, where she spent time in France and England and worked as a club hostess named Queenie O’Brien.

Her romantic involvement with director Alexander Korda shot Merle’s career into stardom. Her breakout role came in the form of Anne Boleyn in the 1933 film, The Private Life of Henry VIII. However, her heritage had to be quickly and quietly addressed, so it was fed to the press that “Merle Oberon” was born in Tasmania and whose birth records had been burned in a fire. Her dark-skinned, biological grandmother was passed off as her maid. Merle had to continue hiding her heritage, especially as she made the transition to Hollywood, where the Hays Code was enacted, making interracial relationships especially taboo and encouraging the use of yellowface and blackface rather than hiring the appropriate actors.

Despite these challenges, Merle continued to make a name for herself in Hollywood, working alongside big stars and becoming a recurring star in Samuel Goldwyn’s productions. In 1935, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the drama Dark Angel, in which she plays a member of British aristocracy. Although she didn’t win, her nomination was a significant achievement at a time when Hollywood was overwhelmingly dominated by white actors and actresses.

Unfortunately, Merle’s use of lightening creams had damaged her skin, and she had scars from a car accident and an allergy to sulfa drugs. These factors may have contributed to a potential decline in her career. Her husband, cinematographer Lucien Ballard, even developed a special camera light to help obscure her scars, now known as the “Obie” light. Merle would go on to marry two more times and occasionally appeared on screen, mostly as a presenter on award shows or as a cameo on a game show.

However, the fact that Merle had to keep her heritage a secret likely held back her career. She threatened to sue her own nephew, who wanted to write a biography about her, stating she would cut him out of her will if he used real details. Additionally, a visit to Hobart, Tasmania, for a Lord Mayoral reception at a theater named after her got super awkward after she quickly dipped when officials said they had been unable to find any evidence that she was born in Tasmania.

Despite the challenges and obstacles she faced, Merle Oberon left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. Her legacy as a pioneering actress of color and a trailblazer for Asian representation in Hollywood will continue to inspire future generations. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a testament to her achievements and a reminder of the need for greater diversity and inclusivity in the entertainment industry.

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