Podcast: Charlotte, Under the Microscope

In May of 1900, 27-year-old Marie Charlotte Schaefer completed her studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, finally earning her title of Doctor. Originally from San Antonio, the unique opportunities of the Medical Branch drew the young woman to the island, and she was already showing great promise and an extraordinary eye for detail.

As we put Dr. Schaefer’s curious case under the microscope, our research indicated that she preferred to go by Charlotte instead of her legal first name, Marie. So, to better honor her, we’ll use Charlotte or Dr. Schaefer here. She often appears in newspapers and correspondence as “M. Charlotte,” which helped us piece this research together in the first place.

Although it may seem like a minor detail, sometimes the smallest things can make or break a research project. Historians digging through old newspapers, correspondence, and other records can be limited by these sorts of clues. While combing through the digital archives, we didn’t find much about “Marie Schaefer.” But by following the trail of “M. Charlotte,” we were able to uncover more information and paint a better picture of her life over a hundred years later.

Charlotte Schaefer was born in San Antonio on June 24, 1874, the third of five daughters born to German immigrants John Henry and Wilhelma Schaefer. She was an excellent student and passionate about education, graduating from high school as salutatorian. After a year spent teaching in the San Antonio public schools, Charlotte packed her bags and enrolled in the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1895.

The Medical Branch was still very young, drawing male and female students from across the state. UTMB first opened its doors in 1891, and its Romanesque Ashbel Smith Building, known locally as “Old Red”, was already a landmark on the island. The small campus was quickly becoming Texas’s center for formal medical training. Though Charlotte wasn’t UTMB’s first female student, the school was still very much a boys’ club. The Texas State Historical Association notes that by 1900, only six women had completed the program and earned the title of “Doctor,” compared to 259 men. Charlotte Schaefer was one of those women.

After graduation, the newly minted Dr. Schaefer remained on the island, serving as a resident in pathology at John Sealy Hospital for a year. John Sealy Hospital had opened in 1890 and served as UTMB’s primary teaching hospital. By 1900, it had already treated tens of thousands of patients, so Schaefer was stepping into a busy clinical and research environment. Even early in her career, she was known for her efficient and meticulous research practices.

In 1901, she published an outstanding contribution to the medical field. After performing a microscopic analysis of samples from a Galveston patient, Dr. Schaefer determined that hookworms were present on the island. With that information, Galveston and the state of Texas could better manage the impacts of the parasite on the population. Hookworm identification was a major public-health discovery at the time, and Schaefer’s microscopic work was exactly the kind of detail-driven laboratory science that early UTMB was cultivating.

That same year, 1901, she joined the faculty at UTMB, becoming the first female educator at the institution. Dr. Schaefer’s specialty was research and instruction, so her first role was as a demonstrator of histology, where she taught students the art of studying tissues and cells under a microscope. Across campus, she became known for her high standards, both for her own work and for her students.

UTMB’s role in epidemic and disaster response goes back to the turn of the century. The school and John Sealy staff were tested during the 1900 storm and later through pandemics. That experience shaped the kind of public-health and laboratory training Schaefer passed on to her students.

In 1903, she added “Lecturer” to her responsibilities while continuing as demonstrator. She served in this role until 1910, when she was promoted to Associate Professor of Histology, Biology, and Embryology. Dr. Schaefer remained in this position for 15 years, working diligently through the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and the 1920 bubonic plague outbreak. Eventually, she took over as Head of the Department of Histology and Embryology.

Over the years, she lived and worked in both Galveston and San Antonio, traveling back and forth between the two. During the semester, Dr. Schaefer was primarily stationed in Galveston, but summers and breaks were often spent back home. In 1911, she joined forces with all four of her sisters, Hulda, Ida, Laura, and Ellie, to open a revolutionary new drugstore in San Antonio. A local newspaper described the pharmacy as “novel in almost every detail” and “a demonstration of what women can do through education and cooperation.”

Two of Charlotte’s sisters, Laura and Ellie, had also graduated from UTMB and were licensed pharmacists, which worked well for their business model. Entirely owned and operated by the five sisters, the pharmacy stood out. Because of their medical training, “the young ladies have declared war on germs,” one article reported. Each dish, glass, and spoon at the soda fountain was sterilized every time it was used. The sisters even made their own ice cream, baked cakes, and sold sweets. On top of all that, they used their pharmacy to support struggling women in their community, offering display space for handmade goods and returning all proceeds to the women who crafted them.

To celebrate a new semester in 1912, Dr. Schaefer was selected to speak at UTMB’s annual opening ceremonies. According to the Texas State Historical Association, she used the opportunity not only to inspire students to a life of learning, dedication, and commitment, but also to honor the struggles of earlier women who had opened the way for female medical, nursing, and pharmacy students.

By 1925, Dr. Schaefer was showing no signs of slowing down when she was promoted once more, becoming the first full professor at UTMB. Tragically, on May 27, 1927, the day before graduation ceremonies, she reported feeling ill after arriving at work. By 9:30 a.m., she was pronounced dead at the age of 52, just a month shy of her 53rd birthday. Her cause of death was listed as coronary occlusion, a blockage in a coronary artery of the heart.

Her sudden death shocked the campus, which had been preparing to celebrate the end of the school year. The Texas State Historical Association notes that, as a result of losing one of UTMB’s “oldest and most faithful servants,” the final ball scheduled for that evening was canceled. Services for Dr. Schaefer were held in both Galveston and San Antonio, and she was buried alongside her family at St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery in San Antonio.

Throughout her life, Dr. Charlotte Schaefer showed that the smallest details, a cell under a microscope, a word in a lecture, a hand extended to her community, could change the course of lives. As UTMB’s first female faculty member, she blazed a trail in science and education. And with her sisters, she proved that women could build businesses rooted in service and sisterhood.

Dr. Schaefer left a legacy of curiosity, courage, and compassion, a reminder that by looking closely, learning deeply, and working together, we can leave an impact that reaches far beyond our own time.