Roman, Charles Victor

Impact on the world

As NMA president in 1904 and the founding editor of its journal in 1909, Roman articulated the organization's enduring credo that it was 'conceived in no spirit of racial exclusiveness' but born of necessity, helping stabilize the fledgling NMA during a critical early period.

Life & background

An ophthalmologist and Meharry Medical College graduate who completed postgraduate training in Chicago and London, Roman founded and led Meharry's Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, served as NMA president in 1904, and became the founding editor of the Journal of the National Medical Association in 1909, helping define the organization's mission and stabilize it in its early years.

Sources

1. PMC (Outstanding Black Physicians and Other Health Professionals in American History); BlackPast.org; Texas State Historical Association; American Journal of Public Health / PMC (2010)