Clara M. Schell
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June 27, 1872
Clara M. Schell | |
|---|---|
| Born | Clara M. Kaub June 27, 1872 |
| Died | April 24, 1955 (aged 82) |
| Alma mater | Northern Illinois College of Ophthalmology and Optometry, 1902 |
| Occupation | Optometrist |
| Years active | 1902-1946 |
| Children | 2 |
Clara Schell (June 27, 1872 – April 24, 1955) was the first female optometrist in Arizona and an activist. She was active in the woman's suffrage, women's rights, and animal rights movements in Tucson, Arizona.
Clara Kaub was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 27, 1872, to Charles and Catherine Kellar Kaub.[1][2] She earned a degree from the University of Chicago.[2] On February 20, 1891, she married Henry A. Schell in Kenosha, Wisconsin.[1][3] In 1898, she and her husband moved to Morenci, Arizona, where Henry practiced optometry.[1] Due to Henry's asthma, the Schells moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1990.[1][4] That year, Clara enrolled in the Northern Illinois College of Ophthalmology and Optometry, graduating in September 1902.[1][3]
Optometry career
After graduating in 1902, Schell returned to Arizona to join her husband in the Tucson firm Schell and Schell.[5] She was the first female optometrist in Arizona and one of the first female optometrist in the country.[1] They traveled widely through southern Arizona and Sonora, providing medical care in rural areas.[1]
Henry was the board president of Arizona's Territorial Board of Optometry, which standardized the state's license examinations and optometry practice. In 1907, the Schells were issued Licenses No. 1 and No. 2.[1] In 1909, the Schells were charter members of the Arizona Optical Society. They were later charter members of the Arizona Optometric Association and Clara was elected as the first female State President in 1926.[5]
After divorcing Henry Schell, Clara practiced with her son and in solo practice. She retired in 1946.[1]