In partnership with KY Humanities Chautauqua, Janet Scott presents the story of Mary Carson Breckinridge: The Forgotten Frontier/Call the Midwife
1881-1965
Script by Janet Scott with Bo List

Mary Carson Breckinridge founded the world-famous Frontier Nursing Service, establishing a team of trained nurse-midwives. Often referred to as “Angels on Horseback,” they risked their lives daily to deliver babies and provide public healthcare in the remote mountains of eastern Kentucky beginning in the 1920s. Mary recognized the need for accessible healthcare for all Americans and through years of training, heartbreak, triumphs, and hardships she was successful in proving that if the needs of children in the most rural regions could be met, entire families could thrive anywhere in the world. An internationalist and visionary in the field of public healthcare, Mary went on to establish the Frontier Nursing University, which currently educates public health practitioners who have built upon Mary’s vision and carried the work of the Frontier Nursing Service around the world. The story of Mary’s courage and triumph over tragedy are an inspiration for empathy and compassion in our world today.

Kentucky Chautauqua is an exclusive presentation of Kentucky Humanities. kyhumanities.org