Black History Month: Dr. James McCune Smith

Dr. James McCune Smith was an American physician, abolitionist, and author in New York City. Unable to attend college in the United States because he was black, he entered Glasgow University in Scotland and earned three academic degrees, including a doctorate in medicine. So, in 1837, he became the first African-American to receive a medical degree. After his return to the United States, he became the first African-American to run a pharmacy in the nation.

He is remembered not only for his successful work as a physician, but for his scholarly writings against slavery.