Black History Month - Black Scientists and Inventors Part 1 (Animated)

Daniel Hale Williams, Heart Surgery Pioneer
BY Regina Bailey Updated February 01, 2019

American physician Daniel Hale Williams (January 18, 1856—August 4, 1931), a pioneer in the field of medicine, was the first African American to perform successful open heart surgery. Dr. Williams also founded Chicago's Provident Hospital and co-founded the National Medical Association.

Fast Facts: Dr. Daniel Hale Williams

Full Name: Daniel Hale Williams, III

Born: January 18, 1856 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

Died: August 4, 1931 in Idlewild, Michigan

Parents: Daniel Hale Williams, II and Sarah Price Williams

Spouse: Alice Johnson (m. 1898-1924)

Education: M.D. from Chicago Medical College (now Northwestern University Medical School)
Key Accomplishments: First African American to perform successful open heart surgery, founder of Provident Hospital (the first black owned and operated interracial hospital in the U.S.), and co-founder of the National Medical Association.

Early Years

Daniel Hale Williams, III, was born on January 18, 1856 to Daniel Hale and Sarah Price Williams in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. His father was a barber and the family, including Daniel and his six siblings, moved to Annapolis, Maryland, when Daniel was a young boy. Shortly after the move, his father died from tuberculosis and his mother moved the family to Baltimore, Maryland. Daniel became a shoemaker's apprentice for a while and later moved to Wisconsin, where he became a barber. After graduating from high school, Daniel grew interested in medicine and served as an apprentice to a well known local surgeon, Dr. Henry Palmer. This apprenticeship lasted two years, and then Daniel was accepted to the Chicago Medical College, affiliated with Northwestern University. He graduated in 1883 with an M.D. degree.

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