Inspired by James McCune Smith

James McCune Smith (April 18, 1813 – November 17, 1865) was an African American physician, apothecary, abolitionist, and author. He is the first African American to hold a medical degree and graduated at the top in his class at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He was also the first African American to run a pharmacy in the United States. In addition to practicing as a doctor for nearly 20 years at the Colored Orphan Asylum in Manhattan, Smith contributed articles to medical journals, participated in learned societies, and wrote many essays and articles drawing from his medical and statistical training. In 1854, he was elected as a member of the American Geographic Society. But, he was never accepted to the American Medical Association or local medical associations.