Women of Golden Gate

Dr. Margaret “Mom” Chung was the first Chinese American woman to become a physician. She founded one of the first Western medical clinics in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 1920s. During World War II, she and her widespread network of “adopted sons,” most of them American soldiers, sailors, and airmen who called her “Mom,” became famous. Although she faced prejudice because of her race, gender, and sexuality, Dr. Chung forged a distinctive path throughout her life.

Marie Equi was born in 1872 in New Bedford. A homesteader in Oregon, Marie became a physician and activist. Equi was placed in charge of obstetrics at the United States Army General Hospital in the Presidio of San Francisco. She was subsequently decorated by the U.S. Army for her humanitarian efforts.

Martha Alexander Gerbode (1909-1971) is remembered as an environmental patron, grassroots politician, humanitarian, conservationist, and philanthropist. She established the Walter Alexander Gerbode Foundation and helped fund conservation efforts, including the creation of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, so that all generations, present and future, could experience the wilderness.

Dr. Kazue Togasaki was one of the first Japanese American women to become a doctor in the United States. She was born and raised in San Francisco and delivered over 10,000 babies in her long career serving the community and Japanese Americans. A survivor of Japanese internment in WWII, she was strong willed, serving as a physician to fellow internees at the assembly centers from 1942 until her release in Fall 1943.

Tye Leung was a civil rights and community activist born in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1887. Like many in the neighborhood, her family was not rich and the house was crowded. She lived with her parents, 7 siblings, and her elderly aunt and uncle. Growing up, she and her siblings experienced segregation at an early age: local law forced Chinese Americans into separate schools. After elementary school, there were few options for a girl like Leung.

Alice Eastwood was a successful botanist and conservationist. She fought to preserve Muir Woods National Monument and Mt. Tamalpais State Park as well as many other redwood groves in California. She worked at the California Academy of Science for over 50 years, collected over 300,000 specimens and incorporated them into their collection. Alice Eastwood was a model for having courage and perseverance to achieve your goals.

Ynes Mexia was a botanist, conservationist, and early pioneer in fighting to preserve the redwood forest of Northern California. Even after starting her career at 55, Ynes Mexia became one of the most successful female botanists of her time. She was a part of the evolving environmental movement in the Bay Area and was an early member of Save the Redwood League. Ynes Mexia helped pave the way for future women of color in the fields of science and conservation.

Suffragist. Feminist. Pacifist. Activist. These were just a few of the identities held by Alice Locke Park. She was heavily involved in the suffrage movement in California and nationally. Mrs. Park strongly opposed the American involvement in WWI and advocated for the release of conscientious objectors held Alcatraz Island.

Wife of Hermann Engel, the First Assistant Keeper of the Point Bonita Light-Station, and mother to three children: Ray Engel, El Engel, and Norma Engel. Norma would go on to write a book detailing her parents’ adventurous lives titled Three Beams of Light.

Nurse Corps Dora E. Thompson joined the Presidio’s Army Nurse Corps in 1902 as one of the first women to officially serve in the US Army. She played an important role in the 1906 earthquake relief efforts. Thompson was appointed superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps in 1914 and later served as Chief Nurse at Letterman General Hospital.