DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm just the one holdin' the reins tonight. Now settle in, because this is a story about a woman who looked at every door that Texas slammed in her face and said, real politely, that she'd be staying, thank you very much. The name on the marker is Dr.
Sofie Deligath Herzog, and she was something else entirely. Born in Austria in 1846, Sofie Deligath wed Dr. Moriz Herzog at the age of fourteen.
In 1878, she emigrated with her family to the United States, and the country she landed in had plenty of opinions about what a woman ought to be doing with herself. Sofie had opinions too, and hers turned out to be more durable. In May of 1895, she attended the Eclectic Medical College of the City of New York.
After the death of her husband, she moved to Brazoria — to be with the family of her youngest daughter, Elfriede Marie Herzog Prell — and it was there that Sofie Herzog became one of the most colorful of a new class of professional women to emerge in Texas in the early twentieth century. Now the marker's words there — colorful, eccentric, independent spirit — those aren't insults. Those are the sounds a world makes when it doesn't quite know what to do with someone pushing the boundaries of proper societal behavior and winning.
And win she did. As a skilled surgeon, she gained acceptance into the Texas Medical Association. She joined the South Texas Medical Society — where she became the first female member and later a Vice President.
She was part of the local Brazoria County Medical Association too. But here's where the story really picks up speed. In 1907, Herzog was hired as the surgeon for the local line of the St.
Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. To answer medical emergencies, she rode handcars, locomotives, and whatever form of speedy transportation the moment demanded. She also introduced innovative techniques for bullet extraction — which, this being Texas, was not a trivial specialty.
By 1909, she was the only female railroad surgeon in the world. The only one. On the entire planet.
Now, the railway officials — and bless their hearts — at some point attempted to dismiss her on the premises of gender. You can imagine them drawing themselves up, feeling very official about the whole thing. And Herzog, undaunted, replied that they might do so only if they found her performance unsatisfactory.
They couldn't say that. So she stayed. She had a prosperous eighteen-year career with that company and resigned at the age of seventy-nine.
Sofie Deligath Herzog died in 1925 after suffering a stroke, in the town she had made her own, having done work that no one anywhere else in the world was doing quite like her. The marker stands in Brazoria County, placed in 2011, and it is the least the place could do.
What the marker says
Austrian-born Sofie Deligath (1846-1925) wed Dr. Moriz Herzog at the age of 14 and in 1878 emigrated with her family to the U.S., where she attended the eclectic Medical College of the city of New York in May 1895. After the death of her husband, she moved to Brazoria with the family of her youngest daughter, Elfriede Marie Herzog Prell. one of the most colorful of a new class of professional women to emerge in Texas in the early twentieth century, at a time of limited opportunities, she became a successful local surgeon and civic leader. An eccentric individual with an independent spirit, Herzog pushed the boundaries of proper societal behavior for women at that time. As a skilled surgeon, though, she gained acceptance into several professional organizations, including the Texas Medical Association, the South Texas Medical Society – in which she was the first female member and later a Vice President – and the local Brazoria County Medical Association. Herzog further gained the respect of local citizens and colleagues in 1907 when she was hired as surgeon of the local line of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway. In the course of her earlier work, she utilized handcars, locomotives, and other forms of speedy transportation to answer medical emergencies, and also introduced innovative techniques for bullet extraction. In 1909, she served as the only female railroad surgeon in the world. Railway officials once attempted to dismiss her on the premises of gender, but undaunted, Herzog replied they might do so only if they found her performance unsatisfactory, and so she remained. She had a prosperous 18-year career with the company and resigned at the age of 79. She died in 1925 after suffering a stroke. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011