In 1894, a 15-year-old girl walked through the doors of the University of Texas Medical Department in Galveston, stepping into a space very few women had ever entered, and one where many believed she didn't belong.

Her name was Marie Phelomène Delalondre, and she would become the first female student, and ultimately, the first woman to graduate from what is now UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine.

This story is part of Pioneers in Medicine, an ongoing series honoring the individuals who shaped UTMB's path through courage, innovation, and quiet determination.

Born in 1878 in New Orleans, Marie was the daughter of Josephine and Jules Delalondre. After her father passed away, Marie and her mother moved to Galveston around 1891 in search of new opportunities.

Josephine supported the two of them as a seamstress and dressmaker. Marie, meanwhile, set her sights on a path few young women, especially in Texas, dared to pursue at the time: a career in medicine.

In 1894, at just 15 years old, she enrolled in the University of Texas Medical Department. She was one of only two women in that entering class. Her presence was notable, so much so that a faculty member acknowledged "lady students" in a welcome speech, suggesting their presence might improve the manners of their male peers.

But behind the courtesy were real doubts. Some university leaders, including the interim president, openly questioned whether women should be admitted to medical training at all.

Marie chose not to argue. She chose to excel.

By 1897, Marie had completed her coursework and clinical training, becoming the first woman to graduate from the institution. But there was one final hurdle: she was still under the legal age to receive a diploma.

She didn't let that stop her. That same year, she officially registered as a physician in Texas. She was only 18.

By 1898, Galveston city directories listed: “Delalondre, Marie P., physician, res. 1506 Market St.”

Her home doubled as her medical office, a common practice at the time. She lived there with her mother and cared for patients in the community as a general physician.

While records of her specific patient work are scarce, her role was clear: she was a trained, licensed physician in a city still adjusting to the idea that women could, and should, practice medicine.

Marie's impact reached beyond patient care. She served as a medical examiner for fraternal benefit societies, including Royal Achates and the Ladies' Modern Maccabees. She was an active member of the Galveston County Medical Society and the Texas State Medical Association, contributing to the broader medical community.>

During World War I, she helped lead the women's division of Galveston's Victory Loan Program, raising over $52,000 in support of the war effort. In today's terms, that $52,000 would be worth over $1.6 million, a testament to the scale of her impact and determination.

In 1906, she married Arthur Dietzel, a coffee industry salesman. While census records after marriage don't list a profession for her, city directories continued to identify her as a physician well into the 1920s. Her career may have shifted in later years, but her identity as a doctor remained.

In 1957, fifty years after her graduation, UTMB welcomed Marie Delalondre back to campus, honoring her with a 50-year recognition award at commencement. She was 78 years old. One year later, she passed away at John Sealy Hospital. She was buried in Galveston's Calvary Catholic Cemetery, just miles from where she first made history.

Marie Delalondre didn't set out to be a symbol. She wasn't trying to make headlines or break barriers. She simply wanted to study medicine. And she did.

Her story reminds us that change doesn't always arrive with fanfare. Sometimes, it walks quietly into a lecture hall, takes notes, passes exams, and graduates, even when the world isn't quite ready.

Today, more than half of medical students at UTMB are women. That journey began with her.

Image: Medical school diploma of Marie Delalondre Dietzel; source “Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections and University Archives, Moody Medical Library, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston”

Image: Yearbook photo of Marie Delalondre Dietzel; source “Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections and University Archives, Moody Medical Library, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston”