On Wednesday’s each month Mobile’s history museum presents free hour-long historical talks by individuals and authors on a wide range of subjects.
March 14-Daryn Glassbrook, Ph.D. -People’s Drug Store
Daryn Glassbrook, PhD., Executive Director of the Mobile Medical Museum presented a brief history of People’s Drug Store as well as an overview of the history that the medical profession has played in Mobile.
People’s Drug established between 1900 and 1906 by Thomas N. Harris, M.D. and was the first drug store in Mobile for African Americans and was located at 500 Dauphin Street Thomas Derrick was the African American druggist from 1903-1906. A.N. Johnson, a black businessman, bought People’s from Harris and sold it in 1907.
Glassbrook detailed the history of several of the important African American physicians and businessmen who have been important to the practice of medicine in Mobile. Robert A. Boyd was the first African American doctor to practice in Mobile. Many of the black physicians in the era attended Howard University or Meharry College for their medical training.
The Medical College of Alabama was founded in 1859 by Dr. Josiah Clark in Mobile at 500 St. Anthony Street. The college was for whites only and also had a pharmacy school.
In 1895, twelve African American physicians formed the American Medical Association of Colored Physicians which became the National Medical Association. Robert Fulton Boyd was the first president of the NMA. While the American Medical Association initially tried to exclude NMA members, it later discouraged racial discrimination but it was not until the height of the civil rights movement that the AMA would take issue with its policy racial exclusion
The Mobile Medical Museum provides the community with the rich history of the medicine in Mobile. Tours of the museum are available on request.
https://www.mobilemedicalmuseum.org/
March 28-Julie Williams, Ph.D. and a Rare Titanic Family
Dr. Williams delighted her audience with a thrilling family story of her great uncle, Albert Caldwell, his wife, Sylvia and infant son, Alden, all who survived the sinking of the Titanic.
Dressed as Sylvia Caldwell and through her elaborate retelling of Albert and Sylvia’s treasured story, Julie recounts their journeys to Bangkok, throughout Europe and their epic encounter with the “unsinkable” Titanic.
Be sure and check out her future speaking engagements or find her book on Amazon. It’s an intriguing read about a stunning moment in history.
