“Aunt Ida has been inspiring me since I was a young girl and she does today.”

Those were the words of Renee Scudder at “A Century and Beyond, honoring the mission legacy of Dr. Ida S. Scudder” in New York City on November 6.

“Ida has infused our lives with inspiration in so many ways,” said Renee.  “My sisters and I grew up hearing stories about Aunt Ida.”

Renee, Aunt Ida’s great-grandniece, recounted how Dr. Ida rode her “no-speed bicycle” the ninety miles from Philadelphia to New York City to be part of the first class at Cornell Medical School to admit women to the MD program.  Renee also spoke of Ida’s lifelong fundraising work to support the mission in India and how doctors around India would send their most difficult cases to her.

 A special focus of the evening at the Interfaith Center in upper Manhattan was the presentation of a children’s book entitled Ida, and the Three Visitors, the true story of missionary Ida Scudder. The authors, Reverends Eric and Meredith Schrotenboer, gave a reading of the new book, which is designed to encourage children to seek out their own personal mission focused on helping others, just as Ida did in India.

SAF Board and Executive Committee Member Jack Gilmar, who traveled from his home in Honolulu, Hawaii, to attend the event, commented afterward, “Of course, it’s not always possible to do the amazing work Ida did.  (But) the book is clear that we all need to seek out our own mission of ways to help others, however seemingly insignificant that effort may appear.  With each step we learn to enlarge our vision.”

Dr. Ida started out her medical service in India delivering medication and healing to people in rural areas via horse cart before founding the globally-renowned Christian Medical Center and College in Vellore, India.  It is today one of India’s largest and most respected medical institutions.