Alonzo Clifton McClennan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alonzo Clifton McClennan
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | May 1, 1855 |
| Died | April 12, 1912 |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Co-founder of the Charleston Hospital and Training School for Nurses |
Alonzo Clifton McClennan (born May 1, 1855 – died April 14, 1912) was an important African-American doctor. He helped start the Charleston Hospital and Training School for Nurses in Charleston, South Carolina. This hospital opened in 1897. It was created to train black nurses, care for black patients, and give black doctors a place to work.
McClennan went to medical school after being one of the first African Americans chosen to attend the United States Naval Academy. He left the Academy to become a doctor. After earning degrees in medicine and pharmacy, he moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he started his own medical practice.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alonzo McClennan was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on May 1, 1855. When he was young, his mother passed away, and he became an orphan. After the Civil War, his uncle, Edward B. Thompson, who was a free black barber, raised him.
Alonzo started his college education at the Benedict Institute in Columbia. Later, with help from another uncle, Samuel Benjamin Thompson, he became a legislative page. This meant he helped out in the South Carolina state government.
In 1873, McClennan was chosen to go to the United States Naval Academy. This is a special school that trains officers for the U.S. Navy. However, he left after only four months. He then studied at the Wesleyan Academy in Massachusetts and the University of South Carolina.
He later moved to Washington, D.C., to attend the Howard University College of Medicine. This is a famous historically black college. He graduated in 1880 with high honors. He earned degrees in both medicine and pharmacy, which means he could also prepare and sell medicines.
After finishing his studies, he returned to the South. He first started his medical practice in Augusta, Georgia. In 1884, Dr. McClennan moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where he would make a big difference.
Alonzo McClennan became friends with Richard H. Cain, who was a state senator in South Carolina. When Cain was elected to the United States House of Representatives, he wanted to help young people get into special military schools called service academies.
In the summer of 1873, Cain's office held a test. McClennan had always wanted to be a doctor, but his family couldn't afford college. Going to a military college seemed like a good way to start. After studying hard, McClennan came in second on the test. He then accepted a spot at the United States Naval Academy.
McClennan knew that the first black midshipman, James H. Conyers, had faced racism at the Academy. However, McClennan himself had a mixed background and looked mostly European. He had blond hair and blue eyes, so he didn't look "visibly black." Because of this, he didn't experience as much racism as some other African Americans.
After McClennan left, another black student named Henry E. Baker joined the Academy. He also faced unfair treatment. Baker was removed from the Academy but was later allowed back. Still, the unfair treatment continued, and he eventually left for good. For the next 60 years, no other black students were appointed to the Naval Academy. This was because many Southern states made it harder for black people to vote or hold public office.
Medical Career and Community Impact
Four years after finishing medical school, Dr. McClennan moved to Charleston, South Carolina. He quickly became known as an "excellent physician." In 1892, he opened Charleston's first drug store owned by a black person, called the People's Pharmacy. It was very successful.
By 1896, Dr. McClennan and almost all the other black doctors in Charleston wanted a hospital for the city's black population. They also wanted a place where black doctors could work in a hospital, which was hard to do back then. Dr. Lucy Hughes Brown led the effort to train black nurses. They started with lessons in a school building. But they couldn't get permission to do hands-on training at the city's main hospital.
The Hospital and Training School for Nurses was officially approved in July 1897. It opened with 24 beds in a three-story building. The building cost $4,500, which would be a lot of money today. Most of the money to buy the building and equipment came from local donations and charities.
In 2010, a special historical marker was placed near 135 Cannon Street in Charleston. It honors Dr. McClennan and the important hospital he helped create.
Personal Life
Dr. McClennan married Ida Veronica Ridley. She was a schoolteacher from a well-known African-American family in Augusta, Georgia. Their home in Charleston became a popular place for important black families to gather. They often hosted music performances, book clubs, and other social events.
Alonzo and Ida had three children: Maude (born 1885), Harriet (born 1890), and Ridley Ulysses (born 1887).
Dr. McClennan passed away in Charleston on April 14, 1912. He is buried in the Humane and Friendly Society Cemetery in Charleston.
