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Janet Travell, First Woman White House Physician, Dies At 95

On August 1, 1997, Janet Travell passed away at the age of 95. Dr. Travell was the first woman to hold the White House post of physician, caring for President John F. Kennedy and his family. Her appointment caused controversy among Washington elites since she was the first non-military personnel to hold the position since the 1920’s.

Dr. Travell graduated from Wellesley College and Cornell University’s medical school. She specialized in pain treatment, which helped her to develop innovative techniques to treat John F. Kennedy’s back pain. President Kennedy described Dr. Travell as a “medical genius,” and others described her as a woman with “a patrician dignity and a fey sense of humor.” In addition to serving on President Kennedy’s staff, Dr. Travell was a professor at George Washington University, and was the author of “Office Hours Day and Night,” and “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual.”

Dr. Travell died in Northampton, Massachusetts of congestive heart failure. Her survivors include two daughters, Virginia B. Wilson of Northampton and Janet Powell Pinci of Milan; six grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.

Sources:

Feminist Majority Press Release - August 2, 1997

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