Marjorie Fowlkes

Marjorie Fowlkes was the first female physician at the Montana State University Student Health Service.  She received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Birmingham Southern College and her M.D. from Vanderbilt University where she was a Justin Potter Scholar.  Fowlkes was one of two women in her class of 60 medical students. When she joined the Student Health Service in 1975, one of the men who interviewed her wanted assurance that she was not "one of those trouble-maker women."  At that time, she was the only female physician in Bozeman practicing full time. She became medical director in 1993.  

During her tenure, she was responsible for initiating the Women's Health Clinic, which provided comprehensive health care for MSU's women students including education, cancer screening, family planning and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.  Through her efforts, the roles of nurses and then nurse practitioners were expanded to provide additional women's health services.  She helped teach physical diagnosis to first year WWAMI medical students and served as the volunteer medical director of family planning of Bozeman which continues today as Bridgercare. 

Marjorie Fowlkes is responsible for initiating MSU’s Women's Health Clinic providing health care to meet the needs of MSU's women students.