Charlotte unveils statue of Dr. Annie Alexander, the first female physician to practice in NC
Dr. Annie Alexander, the first licensed female physician to practice in North Carolina, was honored with a statue in Charlotte on Saturday morning for her “impactful legacy.”
Alexander’s statue will be along Little Sugar Creek Greenway as part of the Trail of History, a collection of funded sculptures memorializing the men and women who shaped and defined the history of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
Born in Mecklenburg County in 1864, Alexander was encouraged by her father, Dr. John Brevard Alexander, to go into the medical field, according to a release about the statue unveiling. After learning about the death of a female patient who refused to be treated by a male doctor, her professional journey officially began, the release said.
Alexander graduated from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1884 and returned to Charlotte in 1887. She worked out of her home office at 410 North Tryon St. She also traveled around Mecklenburg County by horse and buggy and provided health care to residents — primarily to women and children.
Throughout the years, Alexander became known as “Dr. Annie.”
“We’re honored to be a part of the impactful legacy that Dr. Annie made ...,” Jesse Cureton, executive vice president and chief consumer officer for Novant Health, said in the release about the unveiling. “[Alexander’s] statute will be a constant reminder of the humanitarian she was and her dedication to providing remarkable care to everyone, no matter their identity.”
Alexander was a founding member of the Mecklenburg County Medical Society, served as a physician at the Presbyterian College for Women, now Queens University of Charlotte, and had medical privileges at Presbyterian Hospital and St. Peter’s Hospital.
She practiced medicine for decades until she died from pneumonia in 1929, according to NCpedia.
“Statues of women in Dr. Annie’s era have often been depicted as floating on their skirts, but I wanted Dr. Annie grounded with her foot forward to symbolize the importance of female leadership and future progress,” Colorado-based sculptor Jane Dedecker said in the release.
Alexander’s statue is the second by Dedecker in Charlotte-area; the other is the Thompson Orphanage “On the Banks of Little Sugar Creek” statue.
The “Dr. Annie Alexander statue” is northwest of the Captain Jack statue on the Little Sugar Creek Greenway close to the intersection of Elizabeth and Kings Drive.
“Dr. Annie will be our 10th project along the urban section of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway,” Tony Zeiss, chairman of the Trail of History, said in the release. “She was a pioneer in medicine and the community loved her.”
This story was originally published June 4, 2022 at 5:44 PM.
