Georgia Women of Achievement Announces 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees
94-year-old pediatrician Dr. Leila Denmark on the front porch of her office in Forsyth County. Dr. Denmark is a graduate of the UGA medical school (now Medical College of Georgia). Denmark enrolled in the Medical College of the University of Georgia, now the Medical College of Georgia, receiving her M.D. degree there in 1928.
Two women who made significant contributions to Georgia’s history were inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame on March 7, 2019, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.
The Georgia Women of Achievement Induction Ceremony is an annual event held during Women’s History Month. This year’s event was held at 11:00am in Pierce Chapel on the Wesleyan Campus and will be followed by a reception and seated luncheon in the stately Anderson Dining Hall, Wesleyan.
Georgia Women of Achievement recognized the contributions of two women whose contributions were extremely noteworthy, courageous, and impactful.
Dr. Leila Alice Daughtry Denmark (1898 -2012) of Atlanta and Athens was a pioneer in pediatric medicine, research and an advocate for the pediatric community. She was a co-developer of the pertussis vaccine. Until her retirement in 2011, she was the world’s oldest practicing pediatrician.
Mary Dorothy Lyndon (1877-1924) of Newnan was the first woman to receive a degree from the University of Georgia in 1914, four years before women were admitted to the University as regular students. She helped organize the first sorority at UGA and made significant contributions to the Athens community.
Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Executives meeting with alumna Dr. Leila Denmark
Cathy Cox, Dean and Professor of Law at Mercer University, was the keynote speaker for this year’s Induction Ceremony. Cathy began making her impact on Georgia’s political landscape in 1993 as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. She went on to have a successful tenure as the first woman to serve as Georgia’s Secretary of State. After her time in office, she became president of Young Harris College where she oversaw the College’s transition from a two-year college to a four-year institution. Since 2017, she has served as dean of Mercer University’s School of Law. Her contributions to the state are evident from her involvement in numerous philanthropic and civic organizations.
Georgia Women of Achievement was created in 1990 to honor women of Georgia’s history who contributed extensively to the community through their professional and personal lives. Honorees must have exceptional accomplishments, be a continuous inspiration, and deceased for a minimum of five years. The two 2019 inductees will be among the almost ninety other women previously honored by Georgia Women of Achievement.
