The Life and Work of Dr. Mabel E. Elliott – A Biography by G.L. Pedersen
Bravery. Dedication. Perseverance.
COMING FALL 2025
Dr. Mabel E. Elliott’s story is one of courage, resilience, and heroism—yet history nearly forgot her name.
She arrived in West Palm Beach, Florida, in 1894, just in time to attend the very first school class ever held in the town. From those humble beginnings, she carved out an extraordinary path. After earning her medical degree in 1904, she spent 13 years healing the sick in Benton Harbor, Michigan. But her greatest challenges and triumphs were yet to come.
In 1919, Dr. Elliott answered a call for help that would define her legacy. She joined the Near East Relief organization and took charge of a hospital in Marash, Turkey, treating Armenian orphans and refugees. When Turkish forces stormed the city in the Battle of Marash, she led her staff and thousands of desperate refugees on a perilous escape through the snow-covered mountains, braving a relentless blizzard to reach safety.
Her mission didn’t stop there. She established hospitals in Ismid, Turkey, before heading to the Armenian Republic, where she built life-saving medical centers in Yerevan and Gyumri. There, she became the chief doctor for the world’s largest orphanage, battling trachoma, a devastating eye disease that threatened to blind thousands of children.
“By some vagary of chance, she was fated to be always in the center of great events.” – Marie Leeds, Press of Atlantic City
While on leave, Dr. Mabel E. Elliott saw the devastating headlines—Smyrna was in flames, set ablaze by Turkish forces. Without hesitation, she rushed straight into the chaos, determined to help. As thousands of desperate refugees poured in from the countryside, she sprang into action, launching urgent relief efforts to save lives.
With disease spreading as fast as the fear, she set up hospitals in Rodosto, Mitylene, and the quarantine island of Macronissi, working with the Greek government to halt deadly outbreaks of smallpox and typhus. In a time of crisis, when others fled, Dr. Elliott ran toward the danger—bringing hope, healing, and survival to those who needed it most.
“Dr. Elliott is one of the most capable women I have ever met.” – J.J. Hansacker, Near East Relief
After four years of tireless service in the Near East, Dr. Mabel E. Elliott returned to the United States, where she captured her extraordinary experiences in her acclaimed biography, Beginning Again at Ararat. Her expertise was in high demand, but instead of resting, she took on a new challenge—leading the pediatrics department at St. Luke’s International Hospital in Tokyo. For 16 years, she dedicated herself to the health of Japan’s children, only forced to leave as war clouds gathered between the U.S. and Japan.
Even in retirement, Dr. Elliott never truly stopped healing. Back in West Palm Beach, she continued practicing medicine, offering care to her community and at Penney Farms Retirement Community near Jacksonville.
The last survivor of 14 siblings, Dr. Elliott lived a life of service, resilience, and boundless compassion. She passed away in 1968 at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy that deserves to be remembered.
Palmango Press is also republishing Dr. Mabel Elliott’s 1924 memoir Beginning Again at Ararat. Both books will be released on the same day.
