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University of Chicago, photo by Cszmurlo.

10 Amazing Facts about Leonidas Harris Berry You need to know

Leonidas Harris Berry, MD, was a gastroenterologist and the first black doctor to work at Chicago鈥檚 Michael Reese Hospital in 1946. Dr. Berry was born in Woodsdale, N.C., the son of Llewellyn L. Berry, a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

He was well celebrated in the black community following his achievements and that was why his death on December 4 when he was 93 devastated everyone. Berry committed to providing care to African Americans who previously did not have access to medical services through the Flying Black Medics project alongside other Chicago medical professionals.

Berry was named to the attending staff in 1963 and later became the senior attending physician. In addition, he was the president of the National Medical Association (NMA). The association fought discrimination and encouraged black physicians to be part of the American Medical Association. Here are 10 Amazing Facts about Leonidas Harris Berry You need to know

1.Berry went to more than one university

University of Chicago, photo by Cszmurlo.

Leonidas Harris Berry was initially a student at Wilberforce University and graduated in 1924. After his graduation he finally moved to Chicago where he received a second B.S. degree from the University of Chicago.

After his B.S degree he acquired a M.D. degree from the Rush Medical College of the University. He knew the worth education would be bring especially at the time where racism was still a problem.

He always enjoyed studying hard and its importance. Later, he received a M.S. degree in Pathology from the University of Illinois Medical School in 1933.

2.He was one of the black doctors to be admitted to the American Medical Association

Berry was the firsts of many during his time, and one of them was being the first doctor to be admitted to the American Medical Association. At the time racism was still high and being black was like walking with a target on your back.

He also served as the president of the National Medical Association. The National Medical Association is a mainly black organization, in the mid-1960. Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry qualified for this position because he was a specialist in diseases of the digestive tract and he always dedicated his time to ensure medical care reached the black communities.

3. He served black communities in Illinois and Alabama

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Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry was a specialist in diseases of the digestive tract. He was therefore a qualified physician. He also dedicated himself to charity and helping the black communities that had no medical care.

These black communities were mostly from Illinois and Alabama. The medical care here was barely existent with some not having ever seen a professional doctor. He took the initiative to set up innovative drug treatment clinics in Chicago that made medical care accessible to those in need.

4.He was the First Black physician to work in Michael Reese Hospital

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One of Dr. Berry鈥檚 greatest achievements was when he joined the staff of Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago in 1946. He was the first black physician to work at the hospital. He was also the first black internist at Cook County Hospital there.

This was a huge accomplishment for the black community at the time and an equally big step from the Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Berry eventually retired in 1975 as chief of endoscopy service and senior attending physician at Cook County.

5.He was active in the united front

The United Front was a black civil rights group in Cairo, Ill.  Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry was a strong activist and therefore stood firm with the group as of the 1960’s. As a member, he contributed money for education, legal defense, housing and other needs in Cairo.

They also organized the Flying Black Medics, which flew medical supplies, nurses, doctors, social workers, dietitians and paramedics to Cairo, small town at the southern tip of Illinois, and from Chicago.

On Sunday, February 15, 1970, Berry and a team of nurses, pharmacists, and social workers among other healthcare specialists flew to Cairo, Illinois to see to the medical needs of the community.

6.He wrote an authoritative textbook

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He wrote an authoritative textbook, “Gastrointestinal Pan-Endoscopy” (Charles C. Thomas, 1974). He also contributed to 84 articles in medical journals and 12 other books and monographs.

Berry performed operations involving instruments with which doctors can see inside the digestive tract, at several Chicago hospitals in the 1930’s and 1940’s and with time he devised a gastroscopy instrument.

7.Berry became the president of the National Medical Association (NMA)

He was the president of the National Medical Association (NMA). The association was first established in 1895 with the aim of fighting discrimination in medical societies, medical schools, and hospitals.

He fought to prevent discrimination against black physicians who were excluded from the American Medical Association and he promoted the integration of white doctors. By 1966, one hundred white doctors had joined the organization.

His efforts paid through when the American Medical Association (AMA) eventually agreed to end its racial exclusion practices in 1968. Berry revived a joint NMA-AMA Liaison Committee with the objective ending racial discrimination in hospitals and medicine.

8.Berry received many awards in his lifetime

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Through history, Berry has won several accolades, including the distinguished Service Award from the National Medical Association and the First Annual Clinical Achievement Award from the American College of Gastroenterology.

In addition she received the Distinguished Alumni Award of Rush Medical College and the Freedom Award for Public Service from the Chicago Chapter of the NAACP.

9.He helped form the Chicago Council for Biomedical Careers in 1950

Berry helped found the Chicago Council for Biomedical Careers in 1950 which helped prepare Black American youth for careers in medicine. The council helped to motivate young blacks who aspired to be physicians by providing them with the proper education and necessary resources.

They also funded health care conferences and career counseling sessions. These counseling clinics were established in the Cook County jail and Northwestern hospitals. They were unique because rather than focusing on criminalization they paid particular attention to deal with the psychological and physical needs of the patient.

10.Berry organized the Flying black medics

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He was a member of the Flying Black Medics. The Flying Black Medics is a group of doctors flew from Chicago to Cairo to provide medical care and health education to members of the remote community.

Berry dedicated himself to give African Americans medical services through the Flying Black Medics project alongside more than two dozen Chicago medical professionals.

At the time, Cairo was in the midst of a race riot making the organization of the Flying Black Medics challenging. They flew to Cairo to set up a medical clinic in the basement of Ward Chapel A.M.E.

Topics covered included 鈥淓stablished and Innovated Proposals for Improvement of Health Care in Cairo and Vicinity鈥� and 鈥淗ealth Facilities for the Poor and Disadvantaged in Cairo and Alexander County.鈥�

Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry was well celebrated in the black community following his achievements. Berry has always committed to providing care to African Americans with the help of other Chicago medical professionals. He will always be remembered as a legend.