Dr. Virginia Apgar was born on June 7, 1909, in Westfield, New Jersey. She was a pioneer in the field of neonatology, the area of medicine that specializes in premature and ill newborns. Her work is credited with drastically reducing infant mortality worldwide. The youngest of three children, Apgar knew from an early age that she wanted to be a doctor. She attended Mount Holyoke College, where she studied zoology and minored in physiology and chemistry. After graduating in 1929, she went on to attend Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She graduated fourth in her class from that university in 1933 and completed her residency in 1937.