Rachel Nicol (physician)
Doctor Rachel Jane Nicol | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1845 Edgington, Illinois, USA |
| Died | 1881 Zurich, Switzerland |
| Resting place | Cedar Creek Presbyterian Church near Little York, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Rachel "Jennie" Nicol |
| Alma mater | Monmouth College, B.A., Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, M.D. |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Cofounder of the first national (American) women’s fraternity (aka sorority) |
Rachel Jane "Jennie" Nicol (1845–1881) was a founder of Pi Beta Phi and a physician. In 1867, she cofounded I.C. Sorosis at Monmouth College in Illinois, the first secret collegiate society for women patterned after men's fraternities, which later adopted the Greek name Pi Beta Phi (ΠΒΦ).
Pi Beta Phi is now an international organization with over 300,000 members. At a time when there were only a few hundred women physicians in the United States she received her M.D. degree in 1879.