Esther Pohl Lovejoy (née Clayson; November 16, 1869 – August 31, 1967) was an American physician and public health pioneer,[1] suffrage activist, congressional candidate, and a central figure in early efforts to organize international medical relief work.

Three years later he brought the rest of his family to America and pursued many jobs, including a lumber merchant, farmer, and hotel manager to support them.

[3] While returning to Skagway by bicycle from Dawson, carrying with him gold within the runners of the sled his companions traveled on, Esther's youngest brother Frederick was murdered, with two other men, on Christmas Day of 1899 in the Klondike.

[2] Lovejoy was attracted to the field of medicine from a young age when she saw Belle Schmeer, a beautiful medical student at Willamette University, pass by her family's hotel every morning.

[3] Lovejoy enrolled in the University of Oregon Medical School in 1890; during her studies, she worked as a cashier in department stores to earn money towards her tuition.

Wall Prize, which highlighted her academic achievements, she officially became the second woman to graduate from the University of Oregon Medical School, and the first to practice medicine.

After the epidemic ended, Esther moved back to Portland in June 1889 while Emil continued to follow the gold rush around Alaska and advertise his expertise as a physician.

Eventually Annie, Esther's mother, moved into her Portland home, allowing her to embark on a journey to Europe and Palestine in 1904; while in Vienna, she performed studies in various clinics.

[9] Annie gave Esther the opportunity to continue to practice medicine, be an advocate for women's suffrage, and a pioneer in the field of public health while also getting to be a mother.

[9] The war also sparked Lovejoy to publish a book and go on several speaking tours after traveling back to the United States; in her work, she advocated for equality between men and women through progressive action.

During her appointment, she focused on goals such as providing pure food and water, improving garbage collection systems, and developing better disease inspections for school-aged children.

She regulated the milk supply in Oregon and paved way for school nurses to receive funding; all of her efforts helped to establish Portland as a city with high sanitation standards.

[3] Before leaving for Europe in 1909, she also established ties with several civic groups such as the Council of Jewish Women, the Consumer's League, and the Portland's Woman's Club.

Among these documents is an annual report that addresses the public health situation in Portland in 1908, including death rates and recommendations for further improvements of sanitation standards.

The first Red Scare was also rampant across the nation, causing the public to accuse Lovejoy of believing in Communism and supporting the Bolsheviks in the Russian Revolution.

At the end of the conference, Lovejoy and the MWNA held a reception dinner for the international medical personnel and the members of the AWH returning from service abroad.

The guests continued to share stories of war and service from around the globe, leading to the formation of the Medical Women's International Association (MWIA).