6th Grade Culture Project

Antonia Novello:  U.S. Surgeon General (b. 1944) Antonia Coella Novella was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.  When Antonia was young, she lived in constant pain because her colon was too large.  At the hospital, Antonia admired her doctors’ skill and decided to also help people in pain.  While earning a biology and medical degree at he University of Puerto Rico, Antonia got better with several surgeries.  She married Dr. Joseph Novello, and they studied medicine at the University of Michigan.  Teaching pediatrics at Georgetown University, Antonia observed inefficiencies in the medical field, such as long waiting periods for transplant organs.  She began working at the National Institutes of Health, earned a master’s degree in public health from John Hopkins University, and helped  draft health legislation in the U.S. Senate.  In 1989, Dr. Antonia C. Novello was appointed the first Hispanic and the first woman to serve  as Surgeon General of the United States!  She adv9ised America about health issues and led a team of 6,000 public health officers.  After her term ended, she worked for UNICEF to improve global health.  In 1994, Antonia was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame. Marsh, Carole, The Best Book of Hispanic Biographies.,Galopade Interational:  2003 p.19.    

Helpful sites:

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/nov0bio-1

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/bionovello.htm

http://www.theglassceiling.com/biographies/bio23.htm

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/womenenc/novello.htm