Augusta, Alexander T.
1825-1890 · Contribution: 1863
First African-American physician commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Became the first African-American to be commissioned as a Major in the United States Army, serving as a Civil War surgeon and later becoming Howard University's first Black faculty member.
Life & background
A physician, Augusta was commissioned as a Major and surgeon of the 7th Regiment U.S. Colored Troops in 1863, one of eight African-American physicians to serve as commissioned officers in the Union Army during the Civil War. He went on to become the first Black faculty member at Howard University's medical department and was the first officer-rank African-American buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources
- Howard University College of Medicine History; BlackPast.org
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