Florence J. Murray
Florence Jessie Murray (February 16, 1894 – April 14, 1975) was a Canadian medical doctor, missionary, and professor who worked in Korea for over forty years, notable for her pioneering contributions as a woman in the male-dominated field of medicine, dedication to service during World War II and the Korean War, and innovation in improving medical care in Korea, specifically in treating tuberculosis and leprosy.
Recognized with several honorary degrees, she permanently returned to Canada in 1969, where she continued to share her passion for service through domestic projects and her memoirs.
Florence J. Murray was born February 16, 1894, in Pictou Landing, Nova Scotia and grew up in Lawrencetown and Earltown, rural Canadian towns.
[2] While at Dalhousie University, she engaged in religious activities to prepare for mission work, including the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Student Volunteer Movement, and serving as a Bible study group leader.
[1] After medical school, Murray applied for and was accepted to a paid internship at Long Island Hospital in Boston, but left shortly after to return to Halifax to work and train with a surgeon.
[2] Murray's volunteer efforts during the Halifax explosion and Spanish flu gave her practical experience for the demands of missionary work.
After working briefly at the Halifax hospital to earn money for her family, she then turned to the Presbyterian Church of Canada to look for a position abroad.
[2] In assuming Dr. Martin's post, Murray struggled to balance her language studies, hospital administration, and medicine, and often felt like she was losing touch with her medical practice.
[7] Murray requested an exemption and was permitted to keep working, which gave her time to prepare the Jehye Hospital to continue operating in her absence.
[5] Murray also drew up plans for the allocation of empty beds left by evacuated Western staff and for training nurses to lead the tuberculosis ward.
[8] Additionally, during the final months before evacuation, Murray and Beulah Bourns, a Canadian nurse, received a ¥15,000 grant to continue expanding the tuberculosis ward.
[7] Throughout her career, Murray kept her own professional development as a priority, and her time back home in Canada during World War II was no different.
[9] When Dr. Helen Kim, president of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, asked her to take on a teaching position upon her return, Murray traveled around the United States and Canada to visit nine medical colleges in preparation.
[9] However, she did not agree with Dr. Kim's decision to keep the Ewha University medical program separate from the nearby Severance Hospital, instead favoring a co-ed merger.
[11] Murray felt that remaining independent meant limited resources for female trainees, and eventually left her position at Ewha.
[9] Murray began taking on roles at Severance and served on the Cooperation Board for Christian Higher Education, where she represented the hospital for funding requests.
[6] Wanting to offer her support for refugees and injured soldiers, she traveled back to Korea in 1951 and worked with Beulah Bourns in relief efforts.
She revolutionized the medical records system at Severance, aiming to bring attention to the importance of record-keeping, and continued the project intermittently throughout her remaining years in Korea.
Murray also devoted herself to treating leprosy during her time in Wonju, where she founded a program to help patients and their families stay connected with resources and society.
[14] Murray still continued to expand her knowledge as a physician and wrote to notify the Canadian Medical Association Journal of her address change to ensure she would still receive publications.
[1] She shared her own stories and experiences with mission work, but stayed open to newer secular forms of service and even volunteered for organizations like Oxfam.
[6] Dr. Ruth Compton Brouwer has written extensively on Murray's missionary service in the context of feminism, gender, and professional roles for women at the time.
