In
Alice Hamilton: Pioneer Doctor in Industrial Medicine, Madeleine P. Grant, who is also a scientist, presents a
detailed account of the development of a physician, researcher, and concerned individual. The book is both a biographical account and a statement of Hamilton’s social and philosophical beliefs. Written in chronological order, the book describes Hamilton’s early family life, her
education, and her medical research through the course of sixteen chapters.
Throughout the book, Grant intersperses factual accounts of major events in Hamilton’s life with quotations from her family and her well-known friends, such as Jane Addams and Julia Lathrop. These events are also illustrated with interesting, clearly labeled photographs. The reader is able to follow the evolution of a curious young girl, supported and encouraged in her education by her parents, into a crusading woman whose interest in the world, especially in the underprivileged, continued well into her ninth decade. Hamilton’s early curiosity toward science and her unusual education—she was mostly taught at home by her parents—fostered her lifelong interest in medicine and in the sciences. Her sensitivity for the human condition, as well as her keen intellectualism, made her the perfect candidate for scientific discovery and social change.
As Hamilton’s life unfolds in this biography, the young adult reader is carried through major political events and improvements in medicine and
industrial health. The outbreak of World War I, the Sacco-Vanzetti case, and the beginnings of World War II are described as the backdrop to Hamilton’s activities or as the impetus to the formation of her philosophies. She was always well informed and often a major player in historic events—such as her involvement with Hull-House in Chicago, administered by the innovative Jane Addams, and her attendance at the International Congress of Women with Addams in 1919. Hamilton was an indomitable fighter for her beliefs.
Grant draws on many sources to create a portrait of both the times and the woman herself. In addition to having conversations with Hamilton, Grant explored documents at Hull-House and at the University of Michigan, as well as in women’s libraries at Radcliffe and Smith Colleges. The Swarthmore Peace Foundation was also helpful to the author. Hamilton’s contributions to the safety and health of the industrial worker, both in the United States and abroad, are vividly described through these sources. The inclusion of portraits, photographs, and sketches adds to the detailed account.