Aaron Manasses McMillan facts for kids

Aaron Manasses McMillan (November 3, 1895 – June 1, 1980) was an important doctor, community leader, and politician. He was a medical missionary who helped many people in Angola, a country in Africa. He also served as a lawmaker in Nebraska, a state in the United States.

In 1928, he was elected to the Nebraska House of Representatives as a Republican. After serving one term, he was asked to become a medical missionary. He worked in Galangue, which was then called Portuguese West Africa, from 1931 to 1948. When he returned to Omaha, Nebraska, he continued to be a medical doctor. He also joined the NAACP, an organization that works for civil rights. He also served on the board of the Omaha Housing Authority, which helps with housing in the city.

Early Life and Education

Aaron McMillan was born in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, on November 3, 1895. His parents were Reverend Henry R. McMillan and Sarah. He had two brothers, William and Samuel. In 1910, he married Willena Cooper from Fort Worth, Texas.

His family had a unique history. His ancestors came to the United States from Haiti in 1870. They were descendants of people brought from Africa to Haiti a long time ago.

Aaron graduated from Cotton Plant Academy in 1915. He then went to Bishop College in Dallas and graduated in 1919. In 1923, he earned his medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. His wife, Willena, also graduated from Bishop College. She became a teacher at Houston College and Texas A&M College.

Aaron and Willena had two sons, Aaron and Robert, before they moved to Africa. Their daughter, Helen, was born while they were living in Angola. Aaron moved to Omaha in 1922 to be closer to his father, who was a Baptist minister there.

Political Service in Nebraska

Aaron McMillan decided to run for a political office in 1928. He was a last-minute candidate for the ninth district of the Nebraska House of Representatives. He won the primary election against another candidate, John Andrew Singleton.

In the general election in November, he won the seat against Albert Kaplan. Before he left for Africa, he was also involved with the Republican Committee in Douglas County. He also served as a delegate at the state Republican convention.

Medical Missionary Work in Africa

In 1928, an organization called the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions invited Dr. McMillan to be a medical supervisor. They wanted him to work at a mission in Portuguese West Africa, which is now the country of Angola.

To work as a doctor in a Portuguese colony, Dr. McMillan needed special medical training from Portugal. So, in 1929, he sailed to Portugal. He spent 18 months studying at the School of Tropical Medicine in Lisbon. After his studies, he traveled to Galangue, where the mission was located.

Dr. McMillan and his wife, Willena, arrived in 1931. They were the first American medical missionaries to work in Portuguese West Africa. When they got there, the hospital was very basic. It was just a mud hut with no beds, nurses, or modern supplies.

On his very first day, Dr. McMillan immediately started helping people. He performed surgeries like removing a goiter (a swelling in the neck) and fixing cataracts (a problem with the eye). He also treated a serious infection called gangrene. He often worked in a suit and traveled long distances to see patients. Supplies were hard to get. His first sterilizer, used to clean medical tools, was made from an old oil drum and a tire-pressure gauge. Patients often paid for their care with things like chickens, eggs, corn, or vegetables.

Willena, his wife, also worked at the hospital. Even though she didn't have formal medical training, she helped a lot. She especially supervised a clinic for babies. The couple learned to speak Portuguese and the local language, Umbundu. They were very well-liked and respected by the communities they served.

The McMillans stayed in Angola for 17 years. They only returned to the United States for a short visit in 1935. During that visit, they met a doctor who promised a large donation for the hospital. This money helped build a new, two-story brick hospital building, which was finished in 1938. More donations helped build a surgery unit.

Over the years, the hospital grew a lot. It expanded to cover four acres and had 45 buildings. This included the brick hospital with 130 beds and modern equipment. There was also a chapel named after Aaron's father, Reverend Henry R. McMillan. The mission also had training facilities for medical and business staff. Dr. McMillan left Angola in 1948.

Life Back in Omaha

After returning to Omaha, Dr. McMillan built a hospital called "People's Hospital." He wanted it to be a place where people from all backgrounds could get medical care. The hospital closed after five years, but Dr. McMillan continued to work as a doctor in an office he built at the same location.

He was very active in the NAACP. He served as the chairman of the NAACP life membership committee in 1959. He also served on the Omaha Housing Authority Board from 1956 to 1967, and was its chairman in 1964.

Dr. McMillan was highly respected. He was often asked to speak about his experiences as a missionary and doctor in Africa. He also spoke about important topics like democracy, black history, and the importance of universal education, especially in Africa.

Willena, his wife, was also active in community affairs. She served on the board of Uta Halee Girls Village and led the American Leprosy Mission for the Nebraska Council of Women. Willena died in Omaha in 1970. Aaron McMillan passed away on June 1, 1980, in Inglewood, California.