Photo of Sam McDonald on the black background with the text "Celebrate Black History Month"

Celebrate Black History Month

February is Black History Month, and an excellent opportunity to explore some of our historical materials.

Listen to an Oral History with the First Black Graduate of Stanford Medicine

Dr. Augustus White III, MD Class of 1961, is the first Black graduate of Stanford Medicine. In 2011 the Medical History Center in Lane Library invited Dr. Iris Gibbs, Associate Dean of MD Admissions and Professor of Radiation Oncology – Radiation Therapy and Neurosurgery, to conduct an oral history with Dr. White about his life and career. The recording has been placed in the Stanford Digital Repository for long-term preservation and can be listened to online or by using the player embedded below:


Upcoming Medical History Center Exhibit

In Fall 2022 the Medical History Center in Lane Library will unveil a new exhibit in Lane Library about one of the earliest Black members of the Stanford Medicine staff. Sam McDonald (1884 – 1957) was born in Louisiana to a mother who had previously been enslaved. He came to California as a young man and supervised the maintenance of Stanford’s athletic buildings and grounds. In 1920 he began to dedicate considerable time and energy to Stanford’s Convalescent Home for Children – which later became the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. The exhibit will examine McDonald’s life and his role in the development of the Convalescent Home.

The exhibit will be available in Lane Library and on the Medical History Center website this fall.


Explore More Events at Stanford

During the month of February, there are many ways to celebrate Black History Month at Stanford. Check out this Stanford Report article for an overview of some of the events on campus. You can also explore the event calendar on the Diversity at Stanford Medicine website to find events like:

Being Black in a White Coat at Stanford Medicine: Past | Present | Future

Monday, February 28, 2022 | 6-7:15PM PT
Sponsored by the Stanford SNMA, the Department of Anesthesiology Diversity Council, the Black Faculty Affinity Meetings, and the Medicine & the Muse Program. | The first fifty students and residents who register will receive DoorDash. 

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