Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895) became the first black American woman to earn a medical degree. In the post-Civil War period, she cared for freed slaves who did not have access to medical care. She was also one of the first African-Americans to publish a medical book, Book of Medical Discourses.

Crumpler was one of the first Black women to graduate from the New England Female Medical College before it merged with Boston University School of Medicine in 1873. Dr. Crumpler was also one of the first Black Americans and one of the first women to publish a medical book titled, Book of Medical Discourses based on her medical knowledge and experience treating women and young children.  Her book was dedicated to mothers and nurses.  

Crumpler's legacy remains poignant today.  One of the first medical societies for African-American women was named The Rebecca Lee Society, in Crumpler's honor.  Her home on Joy Street is a stop on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.  At Syracuse University, there is a club named "The Rebecca Lee Pre-Health Society," which encourages people of diverse backgrounds to pursue health professions by offering mentors, workshops, and other resources.

In 2019, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared March 30, already known as National Doctors Day, as the Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler Day.  On the 190th anniversary of Crumpler's birth, February 8, 2021, Boston recognized Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler Day.