Dr. Malene Grant Irons ‘35 is one of East Carolina Teachers College’s most esteemed graduates. After completing her medical degree and residency in pediatrics at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Dr. Irons and her husband, Dr. Cary Frederick Irons, moved to Greenville in 1946 to practice medicine. It is noteworthy that she then became the first female physician in Greenville, and the first female pediatrician in eastern North Carolina. In 1949 she received the ECTC Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award, the first of a career-long series of awards and honors for her medical work in service to the community. From 1951-1953 and again from 1957-1959, Irons served as chief of pediatrics at Pitt Memorial Hospital (now Vidant).
Irons was an outstanding faculty at East Carolina, contributing decisively to the expansion of health services on campus and to the drive for a medical school. In 1960, she joined her husband, then the campus physician, as an assistant physician in the ECC infirmary. In 1964, she was named the founding director of the ECC’s Developmental Evaluation Clinic which specialized in medical care for children with mental and physical disabilities. A decade later, in 1974, the clinic and the new building housing it, were named in her honor. After retiring from the Malene G. Irons Developmental Evaluation Clinic in 1979, Irons worked as a consultant for the ECU medical school (now Brody School of Medicine).
Along with her husband and a local African-American physician, Dr. Andrew A. Best, Irons contributed decisively to the desegregation of Pitt Memorial Hospital (now Vidant Medical Center). In 1992, the City of Greenville Human Relations Council honored Dr. Best and Dr. Irons with the Community Service Award, recognizing their work toward improving human relations and the lives of residents. Further honoring her work and that of Dr. Best, the City of Greenville established the Best-Irons Humanitarian Award, annually conferred on community members and businesses that have elevated Greenville by promoting social justice, defending human rights, and enhancing the dignity of all people.
Irons was a member of the Pitt County Medical Society, the North Carolina Medical Society, and the American Women’s Medical Association. In 1969, she served as president of the Pitt County Mental Health Association. The same year, she received the Health and Citizenship Award from the North Carolina Joint Council on Health and Citizenship. In 1976, she was named Honorary Membership Chairperson of the Pitt County Association for Retarded Citizens. In 1984, she was elected president of the Pitt County Human Relations Council. From 1984-1985, she served as a leader of the Pitt County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Since 1989, the ECU Brody School of Medicine has given the American Medical Women’s Association Malene G. Irons Award in her honor. The Irons are the parents of Thomas G. Irons, a pediatrician, professor of pediatrics, and ECU vice chancellor for health sciences, Benjamin G. Irons II, an attorney and university attorney from 1988-2005, and C. Frederick Irons III, a psychiatrist.
Sources
- “Clinic Named for Dr. Irons.” Daily Reflector. September 17, 1974.
- “Dr. Malene Irons Is Honored Today.” News and Observer. November 14, 2007.
- “Dr. Malene Irons Named New Clinic Director.” Daily Reflector. October 15, 1964.
- “Dr. Irons Given College Award.” Rocky Mount Evening Telegraph. May 18, 1949.
- “Dr. Irons To Head Drive.” Daily Reflector. March 22, 1976.
- Fred and Malene Irons Papers, Laupus Health Sciences Library Manuscript Collection, LL 02.63, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
- Greenville, North Carolina. HRC Awards. “Best-Irons Humanitarian Award.” https://www.greenvillenc.gov/government/community-development/community-relations/hrc-awards-ceremony-and-reception/hrc-awards.
- Martin, Roy. “ECU Clinic Serves 28 N.C. Counties.” Daily Reflector. October 22, 1967.
- Oral history Drs. Fred and Malene Irons 11/12/98-5/12/99: Greenville, N.C. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University.
- Savage, Stuart. “Dedicate Clinic at ECU.” Daily Reflector. September 18, 1974.
- Threewitts, George A. “ECU Clinic Director Resigns.” Daily Reflector. July 12, 1979.
Additional Related Material
Portrait of Malene Grant
Citation Information
Title: Malene Grant Irons
Author: John A. Tucker, PhD
Date of Publication: 3/23/2018