Call Number:

SC.536

Repository:

Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center

Extent:

3.4 linear feet

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Dr. Sophie Trent papers, 1924-1989. Drexel University College of Medicine, Legacy Center: Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine and Homeopathy

Date:

1924-1987 (inclusive)

Creator:

Trent, Sophie, M.D.

Form:

Correspondence, photographs, Printed materials, School records, and Subject files

Abstract:

Doctor Sophie Trent (b. 1917) was an internist who practiced medicine from 1943 to 1987. She practiced in Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas. During her Caribbean years, Trent worked with patients who were afflicted with elephantiasis, liver fluke disease and other tropical parasites. This collection, which dates from 1924 to 1989, houses records related to Trent's medical education and her research on tropical diseases from the 1940s to 1960s. There are also several examples of short medical texts, published volumes of Trent's poetry, and microscope slides of biological specimens related to Trent's work.

Doctor Sophie Trent (b. 1917) was an internist who practiced medicine for a majority of her career in Connecticut. She graduated from Pembroke College at Brown University in 1939 and Yale Medical School in 1943. The following year, she completed her first medical internship at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. During her subsequent years of medical training, Trent worked at (and, at times, managed) hospitals in Puerto Rico and, later, in Saint Thomas, where her patients were afflicted with elephantiasis, liver fluke disease and other tropical parasites. In 1946, Trent was awarded a research fellowship in the Division of Tropical Diseases, sponsored by the United States Public Health Service at Bethesda, Maryland. In 1947, having just spent time in Puerto Rico, Trent returned to the United States, and became the senior resident of Duval Medical Center at Jacksonville, Florida.

Having completed her formal training in medicine, in 1949, Trent returned to Connecticut and took a job as Associate of Medicine at the University of Connecticut. There she helped manage a sixty-bed infirmary as well as care for injured football players. From 1954 to 1973, Trent worked in private practice, as well as Meridian Hospital, Meridian Wallingford Hospital, and several veterans’ hospitals in Connecticut. From 1960 to 1962, she served as Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Medical Corps Reserve. From 1974 to 1987, Trent worked in various capacities for the Veterans’ Administration.

Among other professional organizations, Trent was involved with the American Medical Women’s Association, serving as State Director of Connecticut from 1960 to 1966. She also served as chairman for several committees and as its First Vice President in 1967. She also held the office of First Vice President for the Pan American Medical Women’s Alliance from 1965 to 1967.

In 1982, Trent received an MS in Art from the State University of Connecticut, New Britain. She was married to Colonel Ronald B. Stevens. She had no children. Her hobbies were painting and writing; in fact, she published several books of poetry.

This collection houses records related to Dr. Sophie Trent's medical career, particularly her education and subsequent research on tropical diseases, and dates from 1924 to 1989. While Trent seems to have led quite a distinguished medical career, this collection focuses on the time just after her graduation from Yale medical school, when she researched and treated patients afflicted with tropical disease. The collection is divided into six series: "I. School records," "II. Research and writing files," "III. Professional Associations," "IV. Personal papers," "V. Microscope slides," and "VI. Medical books and other publications."

The series "I. School records, 1940-1949" houses several medical school notebooks, as well as draft and final copies of Trent's thesis. At the end of the series are three miscellaneous publications related to her time at Pembroke and Yale.

"II. Subject/Research and Writing files, 1944-1963" includes files related to Trent's research and writings on tropical diseases. In particular, researchers will find manuscript and published versions of Trent's writings, general information, case histories and photographs of microscope slides used in Trent's research. The files in this series are organized alphabetically by subject, which is typically the name of a disease or parasite.

"III. Professional Associations, 1948-1985" houses ephemera of various women's medical associations, or which Trent was a member. The files are organized alphabetically by organization name.

"IV. Personal papers, 1939-1987" includes a random assortment of biographical information about Trent, especially related to her appointments at various hospitals and other professional history, and newspaper clippings about her paintings. The files are arranged chronologically.

"V. Microscope slides, undated" includes two boxes of pathology slides from Trent's research on Tropical Diseases.

The last series, "VI. Medical books and other publications, 1924-1983" houses a random sample of publications related to Trent's education, hospital work, as well as three published volumes of Trent's poetry.