Louise Blanche Linn, DO*

We have so many talented, creative, artistic and educated people in our family, making it difficult to select just a few for my “52 ancestors in 52 weeks” adventure. But when I found a female ancestor who was called “doctor” in the early 1900’s, I wanted to know more.

Louise Blanche Linn was born on November 6, 1860, to John Linn and his second wife, Sarah Swensdotter. On May 17, 1887, Louise married John Anderson in Boone County. They settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where John was involved in sales and later was a superintendent for the Water Works.

When I found the following, I became curious about what Louise’s studies involved and what she would have been qualified to do after graduation.

I contacted the College of Osteopathy historian and received the following email dated 6 April 2017:

“Hello Diane, I’m the historian for the University so I can answer your questions. The Central College of Osteopathy was founded in Kansas City in 1903. Your ancestor must have been one of the first classes to graduate as it was a three-year course then.

As for your ancestor’s studies: in the last years of the 1800s and first years of the 1900s, it was difficult for women to gain acceptance to allopathic medical schools. In contrast, the first school of osteopathy, founded in Kirksville, MO in 1892, welcomed women and later osteopathic schools followed suit. In the early years there were many practicing female osteopaths…. Many of our early faculty members were female DOs.

Was your ancestor’s maiden or married name Anderson? I have a picture from a CCO catalog for a Louise B. Anderson from the Class of 1906.”

At left is the graduation photograph of our ancestor, Louise B. (Linn) Anderson. Louise's picture is in the center below "Class '06".

Many doctors at that time practiced medicine out of their own homes. While I don’t know how long she practiced medicine, Louise is listed in the 1910 Federal census, working as an osteopath from her home. She is also seen below in a list of the 1910 faculty for Children's Diseases at the Osteopathy College in Kansas City.

Louise is my first cousin, three times removed, an early pioneer in females graduating from medical school and practicing medicine.

John and Louise’s only surviving child, Orpha Anderson, married twice. First to Harrington Embree Drake, with whom she had two children; and after his death, she married Wellington Powell, with whom she also had two children. Wellington Powell was a manager for A T & T and upon his retirement from A T & T in 1969 served as a consultant to the World Bank on telephone-related matters in Thailand, India, and Jordan.

Louise’s husband John Anderson died in 1930; Louise died in 1940 at age 79 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

* Doctor of Osteopathy