Daniel Hale Williams

Profession: Heart Surgeon

Biography: Daniel Hale Williams was an American surgeon best remembered for performing one of the world's first successful open-heart surgeries. He pursued a career in medicine at a time when opportunities were limited for African Americans and earned his medical degree from Chicago Medical College in 1883.

Recognizing the lack of hospital access for African American residents in Chicago, Williams founded Provident Hospital and Training School in 1891, the first non-segregated hospital in the United States, which also provided nursing opportunities for African American women.

In 1893, Williams gained recognition when he successfully performed one of the first documented pericardium surgeries to repair a wound, which marked a milestone in the evolution of open-heart surgery. The patient, James Cornish, had been stabbed in the chest and was treated by Williams, who opened his chest and repaired the wounded heart muscle. Remarkably, Cornish recovered completely within fifty-one days.

Williams also co-founded the National Medical Association in 1895, a professional organization for African American medical practitioners, as the American Medical Association did not admit African American members at the time. Throughout his career, Williams was an advocate for the presence and recognition of African Americans within the medical field.

Born: January 18, 1858
Birthplace: Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Star Sign: Capricorn

Died: August 4, 1931 (aged 73)
Cause of Death: Stroke