Mary Powell Lewis, MD, a pioneer for women in orthopedics, died July 15 at age 98, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Aug. 1.
She was one of the first American women to be board certified in orthopedic surgery and was a founding member of the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society, the report said. Dr. Powell was remembered for championing women in the workplace and led a public discussion for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1985 called "Medicine as a career choice for women."
Dr. Powell had residency training in general surgery, orthopedics and radiology from what is now Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and Philadelphia's former Hahnemann Hospital, the report said. She earned her medical degree from what is now the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis.