Historic Marker Honors Dr. Emma Wakefield-Paillet

IAAHS Board of Directors (pictured with New Orleans chef and supporter, Carolyn Shelton, yellow jacket) in front of the newly installed state marker honoring Dr. Wakefield-Paillet. (Photo credit: Lee Ball)

The Iberia African American Historical Society erected a state historical marker in honor of New Iberia native, Dr. Emma Wakefield-Paillet, the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in Louisiana (1897) and to practice medicine in the state. The marker was installed November 3, 2018 in the heart of the historical district of New Iberia, LA on Main Street in its public square, Bouligny Plaza. In addition, she is the first Black woman to practice medicine in New Orleans (by 1898).

The Celebration Montage