Emma Estelle Martin papers

Emma Estelle Martin was born on July, 25, 1870, in Otterbein, Indiana, which is located in Benton County. She was born to her father, Munson Martin, who immigrated from Sweden, and her mother Ellen Taylor, who immigrated from England. She was raised on a farm in Otterbein and attended local schools in Indiana before attending both DePauw University’s Preparatory School and DePauw University for college.

Martin had an older sister who died when Emma was seven years old. Following this, Emma was the oldest of six younger brothers and sisters.

Emma Martin graduated from DePauw’s Preparatory School in 1892 and returned in the fall of the same year to attend DePauw for college, receiving a scholarship for the Women’s Medical School at the same time. Martin attended DePauw in hopes to become a doctor. Before attending medical school, she went to missionary training school in Chicago, where she also attended the World’s Fair.

After the start of the First World War, Dr. Martin received the official paperwork to travel to China for means of medical practice in 1915. She traveled to China for medical missionary purposes, on behalf of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which were her direct intentions during her time at DePauw. In China she provided medical care to those in need and helped to build and increase access to medical infrastructure. She spent her time in Tientsin, now named Tianjin, China, for eleven months before returning to the United States.

In 1930 she was listed to have still been working as a physician, at age fifty-nine, which at the time was surprising for women of her age to still be working.

Dr. Martin did not marry and was listed in the 1930 U.S. Census as single, head-of-household, still residing in Otterbein, Indiana. She passed away in Otterbein, Indiana, at age seventy-four, on September 3, 1944.

Sources:

Elizabeth Meeker Martin, “Education for Emma”, Indianapolis Woman’s Club, 17 October 1986. DePauw University Archives and Special Collections, Greencastle, Indiana.

“Martin Family History” College Diary of Dr. Emma Martin, 1889-1892. DePauw University Archives and Special Collections, Greencastle, Indiana.

Ancestry.com. U.S., Consular Registration Certificates, 1907-1918 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Otterbein, Benton, Indiana; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0001; FHL microfilm: 2340312.

This biographical note was created by Meredith Buti and Margaret Walsh as part of the HIST278: Women's History from 1890-Present course during the fall 2024 semester. It was revised by Professor Sarah Rowley and the Coordinator of Archives and Special Collections Bethany Fiechter.