Charlotte, Under the Microscope

We trace Dr. Charlotte Schaefer’s path from standout UTMB student to Texas trailblazer in public health, teaching, and women-led enterprise. A hookworm breakthrough, a sister-run pharmacy, and a fierce respect for detail show how small choices shape big outcomes.

• UTMB’s early years and the barrier for women 
• why “M. Charlotte” matters for historical research 
• the 1901 hookworm identification and public health impact 
• becoming UTMB’s first female faculty and later full professor 
• teaching histology with rigor through storms and pandemics 
• the Schaefer sisters’ sterilized, women-run pharmacy in San Antonio 
• community care, mutual aid, and ethical business practice 
• sudden passing and the legacy of precision, service, and courage

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Chapters

• 0:00 A Doctor Named Charlotte
• 0:44 Tracking a Name Through Archives
• 1:47 UTMB’s Early Years and Barriers
• 2:33 Lab Rigor and the Hookworm Breakthrough
• 3:11 First Female Faculty at UTMB
• 3:35 Teaching Through Storms and Pandemics
• 4:22 Sister-Run Pharmacy and Public Service
• 5:28 Honors, Sudden Loss, and Lasting Legacy

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:03

In May of 1900, 27-year-old Marie Charlotte Schaefer completed her studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, finally earning her title of Doctor. Originally from San Antonio, the unique opportunities of the medical branch drew the young woman to the island, and she was already showing great promise and an extraordinary eye for detail. As we put Dr. Schaefer's curious case under the microscope, our research indicated that she preferred to go by Charlotte instead of her legal name Marie. So, to better honor her, we'll use Charlotte or Dr. Schaefer here. She often appears in newspapers and correspondence as M. Charlotte as well, which helped us piece this research together in the first place. Although it may seem like a minor detail, sometimes the smallest things can make or break a research project. Historians digging through old newspapers, correspondence, and other records can be really limited by these sorts of things. While combing through the digital archives, we didn't find much about Marie Schaefer. But by following the trail of M. Charlotte, we were able to get more information and paint a better picture of her life over a hundred years later. Charlotte Schaefer was born in San Antonio on June 24, 1874, the third of five daughters born to German immigrants, John Henry and Wilhelma Schaefer. She was an excellent student in school and passionate about education, graduating from high school as Salutatorian. After a year spent teaching in the public school system in San Antonio, Charlotte packed her bags and enrolled in the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1895. The medical branch was still very young, drawing male and female students from all over the state. The University of Texas Medical Branch, also known as UTMB, first opened its doors in 1891, and its Romanesque Ashbell Smith building, also known as Old Red, was already an island landmark. The small campus was quickly becoming Texas Center for Formal Medical Training. Though Charlotte wasn't UTMB's first female student, the school was still very much a boys' club. The Texas State Historical Association notes that by 1900, only six women had completed the program and earned the title of doctor, compared to 259 men, and Dr. Charlotte Schaefer was one of those women. After graduation, the newly minted Dr. Schaefer remained on the island, serving as a resident in pathology at John Seely Hospital for a year. John Seely Hospital opened in 1890 and served as the medical branch's primary teaching hospital. It had already treated tens of thousands of patients by 1900, so Schaefer was stepping into a busy clinical and research environment. Even in her early career, she was known for her efficient and strict scientific research practices. For example, in 1901, she published an outstanding contribution to the medical field. After performing a microscopic analysis of samples from a Galveston patient, Dr. Schaefer determined that hookworms were present on the island. With that information, Galveston in the state of Texas could better manage the impacts of the parasite on the population. Hookworm identification was a major public health discovery at the time. Schaefer's microscopic work was exactly the kind of detail-driven lab science that early UTMB was cultivating. And I guess you could say she got really hooked on the work. That same year, 1901, she joined the faculty at UTMB, making her the first female educator at the institution. Dr. Schaefer's specialty was research and instruction, so her first role was a demonstrator of histology, where she taught students the art of studying tissues and cells under a microscope. Across campus, she became known for her high standards for both her own work and that of her students. UTMB's role in epidemic and disaster response goes back to the turn of the century. The school and John Seely staff were tested during the 1900 storm, and later in pandemics, that experience shaped the kind of public health and laboratory training Schaefer taught. In 1903, she added lecturer to her job description, while also continuing her work as a demonstrator. She served in this role until 1910, when she was again promoted, this time to associate professor of histology, biology, and embryology. Dr. Schaefer remained in this position for 15 years, working diligently through pandemics like the 1918 Spanish Flu and the 1920 bubonic plague outbreak. Eventually, she took over as the head of the Department of Histology and Embryology. Over the years, she lived and worked in both Galveston and San Antonio, traveling back and forth between the two. During the semester, Dr. Schaefer was primarily stationed in Galveston, but summers and breaks were often spent back home in San Antonio. In 1911, Dr. Schaefer joined forces with all four of her sisters, Holda, Ida, Laura, and Ellie, to open a revolutionary new drugstore in San Antonio. A San Antonio newspaper highlighting the business venture described the pharmacy as novel in almost every detail and a demonstration of what women can do through education and cooperation. Two of Charlotte's sisters, Laura and Ellie, had also graduated from UTMB, becoming licensed pharmacists, which worked well for their business model. Entirely owned and operated by the five sisters, the newspaper also noted that because of their medical backgrounds, the young ladies have declared war on germs. Each dish, glass, and spoon is thoroughly sterilized every time it is used at the soda fountain. The newspaper also notes that not only did the sisters make the ice cream themselves, but they also baked cakes and other sweets to sell too. On top of all of that, the Schaefer sisters also used their pharmacy to support some of the poor and struggling women in their community. The store featured a showcase to display and sell handcrafted items, with all proceeds going back to the impoverished girls and women who made them. To celebrate a new semester, Dr. Schaefer was selected to speak at UTMB's annual opening ceremonies in 1912. The Texas State Historical Association notes that she used this opportunity not only to inspire the students to a life of learning, dedication, and commitment, but also to pay homage to the struggles of earlier women who had opened the way for female medical, nursing, and pharmacy students. By 1925, Dr. Schaefer was showing no signs of slowing down when she was again promoted, this time becoming the first full-fledged female professor at UTMB, and very unfortunately, tragedy struck. On May 27, 1927, the day before graduation ceremonies were scheduled, that morning, Dr. Schaefer arrived for work and reported feeling ill. By 9.30 a.m., she was pronounced dead at the age of 52, just a month shy of her 53rd birthday. Her cause of death is listed as a coronary occlusion, a blockage in a coronary artery of her heart. Her death was extremely sudden and sent the campus into mourning, just as they were preparing to celebrate the end of the school year. The Texas State Historical Association notes that, as a result of this sudden loss of one of UTMB's oldest and most faithful servants, the final ball scheduled for that evening was canceled as an integral part of both Galveston and San Antonio. Both cities held services for Dr. Schaefer. She was buried alongside her family at the old St. John's Lutheran Cemetery in San Antonio. Throughout her life, Dr. Charlotte Schaefer showed that the smallest of details, from a cell under a microscope, a word in a lecture, a hand extended to her community, can change the course of lives. As UTMB's first female faculty member, she blazed the trail in science and education, and with her sisters, she proved that women could build businesses rooted in service and sisterhood. Dr. Schaefer left a legacy of curiosity, courage, and compassion, a reminder that by looking closely, learning deeply, and working together, we can leave an impact that reaches far beyond our own time.