Louise Schnaufer

The Louise Schnaufer, M.D. Oral History Project

Conducted by the Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine, the Louise Schnaufer Oral History Project pays tribute to a pioneering pediatric surgeon whose career spans the latter half of the 20th century. In a field dominated by men, and at a time when surgeons were only beginning to awaken to the needs for a specialty in pediatric surgery, Dr. Louise Schnaufer opened the eyes and hearts of the international medical community to the necessities of compassion in the healing processes, and she did so without compromising her skills as a scientist, as a surgeon, as a teacher, or as a friend. Because of her age and infirmity, Dr. Schnaufer was unable to be interviewed. Instead, twelve of her mentors, associates, and students were interviewed extensively, reflecting on a range of themes in their interactions with her as a professional, in her social life, with her personality, spirituality, and in her surgical specialty.

The oral history of Dr. Louise Schnaufer, founding Trustee of FHWIM, and beloved pediatric surgeon at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is also archived at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and was made possible with funding provided by Drs. John R. Templeton, Jar and Josephine Templeton.

Adapted from the Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine website, here, and from materials of the Louise Schnaufer, M. D. Oral History Project.