HELEN (Stoddard) WHALEY, M.D.
• Pediatrics
Inducted: 2011
Deceased: 1971
HELEN (Stoddard) WHALEY, M.D.
Dr. Helen Whaley came to Alaska in l954 – the first woman pediatrician in the state – and a pioneer in championing medical and educational resources for all Alaska children, especially those with physical and developmental disabilities. Known as a brilliant clinician, she was tireless in the treatment and support of “her kids”. Dr. Whaley co-founded the Anchorage Pediatric Group (1956); founded the Alaska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (1965); directed the Alaska Crippled Children’s Treatment Center; founded the Child Study Center in Anchorage, which provided diagnostic services for brain-injured and handicapped children; and provided pediatric consultation services to the Alaska Native Hospital.
Dr. Whaley’s vision and drive changed the lives of hundreds of children and continues to do so today through the organizations she founded and co-founded. Her achievements are even more remarkable when viewed against the tragedies of her early years. Helen’s life story is one of courage and determination. Her prominent father shot himself when she was 9, leaving her family in poverty. Helen, who had a learning disability, and her four younger brothers, were parceled out to relatives. Two years later, when Helen was 11, her mother died of breast cancer. In l944, at age 20 and grimly determined, she was cleaning out tank cars, working her way through medical school at the University of California Berkley. Helen Whaley received her M.D. in l950, served her pediatric residency at UC San Francisco, and was chief pediatric resident at the University of Colorado General Hospital before coming to Alaska. Against all odds, Helen Whaley made it to the top of her field. For the rest of her life she shared her knowledge and energy with Alaska’s children.
Helen Whaley died of breast cancer in l971 at the age of 47. In l973 the Whaley Center in Anchorage, a special education center for children with significant disabilities, was named in her honor.
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