Mary Catherine Raugust Howell (September 2 1932 – February 5 1998) was a physician, psychologist, lawyer, mentor, musician and mother. She was the first woman dean at Harvard Medical School (1972-1975) and led the fight to end quotas and open medical schools to women. Dr. Howell was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota. attended Radcliffe College, and received her M.D. and PhD. in Psychology in 1962 from the University of Minnesota, her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991. She was one of five co-founders in 1975 of the National Women's Health Network, along with Barbara Seaman, Alice Wolfson, Belita Cowan, and Phyllis Chesler, Ph.D., and a contributor to Our Bodies, Ourselves. Her book, "Why Would a Girl Go Into Medicine?" started as a collection of the experience of women medical students - documenting the flagrant discrimination against women - and became instrumental (in synch with the feminist movement and helping to fuel title IX legislation) in increasing the percentage of women medical students from 9% in 1969 to 25% in 1979, to almost 50% at present. Aside from being a physician and a lawyer, Mary loved to play violin and viola as a chamber musician. She participated in the Apgar Quartet (instruments made by Virginia Apgar (under the guidance of Carleen Hutchins) the anesthesiologist who developed the Apgar Score) performance in Dallas, at the American Academy of Pediatrics Convention, in honor a the commemorative stamp of Virginia Apgar., , , , , She died in Watertown, MA. To honor her love of music and children, the Mary Howell memorial scholarship was established at the "Children's Orchestra Society". New York Times, February 6th, 1998 Mary Howell, a Leader in Medicine, Dies at 65, by Wolfgang Saxon Harvard Crimson, 2/19/1998, Harvard Alumnae Fought for Women in Medicine (via Wikipedia)