From Ohio History Central
Ida G. Rollins spent her youth in Cincinnati, Ohio. She eventually enrolled in the University of Michigan, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1890. Upon graduating, Rollins became a dentist. It is believed that she was the first African-American woman dentist in the United States. She eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois, with her husband. She opened a practice in Chicago and remained in this city until her retirement.
Rollins believed that women would flock to a woman dentist. While many of her patients were women, she always was proud of the fact that a majority of her patients were men.