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Katharine Boucot Sturgis was the first woman President of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia County Medical Society, and the American College of Preventive Medicine.
Dr. Sturgis graduated from the Woman’s Medical College in 1942 and entered the specialty of pulmonary medicine. The large number of patients first diagnosed in the advanced stages of tuberculosis convinced her of the need for improved early detection. She directed chest X-ray surveys for the Philadelphia Tuberculosis and Health Association, and for the Philadelphia Department of Health. Her research in lung disease added to the evidence relating cigarette smoking and air pollution to pulmonary disease.
Dr. Sturgis’ role as a pioneer in the early detection of pulmonary disease led to her appointment in 1952 as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine, and as Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Sturgis was named Professor Emerita of Preventive Medicine in 1968.