J. Morris (Josiah Morris) Slemons

Born in 1876 and died in 1948, J. Morris Slemons—also listed as Josiah Morris Slemons—was an American physician and medical writer. Sources identify him as an obstetrician and gynecologist, and contemporary references style him with medical credentials including M.D. and F.A.C.S.

He is most closely associated with The Prospective Mother, published in 1912. The book was written as a handbook for women during pregnancy and was designed to explain common questions in clear, accessible language rather than in specialist medical terms.

Although he is not widely remembered as a literary figure, his writing remains of interest because it sits at the crossroads of medicine, public education, and women’s health in the early 1900s. For listeners today, his work offers both practical historical advice and a glimpse into how pregnancy and childbirth were discussed in that era.