John McIntire Library Celebrates Women’s History Month

John Mcintire library hosted a very special event Saturday, to celebrate the last weekend in Women’s History Month.

The AAUW Zanesville chapter partnered with the county library system to present a free program about the life of one of Ohio’s first women Physicians, Doctor Jane Payne. Guest speaker Dr. Lorle Porter said her story is one of courage in the face of hardship and disability.

"To become a doctor she had to have a practicing physician who would sponsor her and give her a two year apprenticeship and you can imagine the resistance in the medical community. So it’s who helps you along the way, whoever your are I think that it’s important," said Dr. Porter.

Doctor Porter said as a former history professor she has always been interested in telling the stories of women that has made a major difference in other peoples lives. That may not receive the recognition that they deserve.

"History has an unfair reputation of being dual and boring and it’s the last thing in the world that it is. What I try to do in my classes or any lectures or speeches that I give, was to make people say hey I didn’t know that. I wish I had known those things," said Porter.

Copies of a book based on the life of Dr. Jane Payne will be available to check out at John Mcintire library next week.