McLeod, Mary Margaret, 1910-

Mary Margaret McLeod was a pediatrician, who in 1946 started the first pediatric medical practice in Sanford, N.C. After practicing for 50 years, McLeod retired in 1987 and began serious study of her family's history.

From the description of Mary Margaret McLeod papers, 1842-1994. WorldCat record id: 41209192

Mary Margaret McLeod was born 13 September 1910 in Lee County, N.C. She expressed an interest very early in life in becoming a baby doctor. McLeod graduated from Sanford High School in 1928 as valedictorian and graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1932 with a B.S. in medicine. She received an M.D. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1935. McLeod interned at Passavant Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa., 1935-1936, and at the Children's Hospital at the University of Iowa, 1936-1937. She did her residency at the California Babies' and Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, Cal., 1937-1938.

McLeod practiced as an industrial pediatrician at Riegel Hospital in Trion, Ga., and then as assistant to Dr. Mercer Blanchard in private practice in Columbus, Ga., 1941-1942. After this, she served as Chief of Pediatrics at Little Traverse Hospital in Petoskey, Mich., 1942-1946, at a time when very few hospitals would hire female doctors.

When her father died in 1946, McLeod returned to Sanford, N.C., and started the first pediatric practice in Sanford. This was the only pediatric practice between Raleigh and Wilmington. At its peak, her practice served 21,290 children. The Sanford Herald named McLeod Citizen of the Year in 1979 for her devoted service to the community. After 50 years of practicing medicine, McLeod retired in 1987.

During her retirement, McLeod pursued her interest in genealogy. She researched many branches of her family tree, particularly focusing on her Scottish ancestry. She compiled much of her research into a monograph, Duncan McLeod and Barbara Kelly and Their Descendants, which contains charts, pictures, reproductions of documents, and explanatory notes.

From the guide to the Mary Margaret McLeod Papers (#4908), 1842-1994, (Southern Historical Collection)