Dana Olden Baldwin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dana Olden Baldwin
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| Born | March 20th, 1881 |
| Died | November 9, 1972 (aged 91) |
| Resting place | Baldwin Family Cemetery, Apex Wake County, North Carolina, US |
| Education | Leonard Medical School (1910) |
| Occupation | physician |
| Title |  First Lieutenant |
| Spouse(s) | Vina A. Flood |
| Children | Mae and Rosa (adopted) three boys and one girl (foster) |
Dana Olden Baldwin, M.D. (born March 20, 1881 – died November 9, 1972) was an important African-American doctor in Martinsville, Virginia. He served as a medical officer in World War I and was honorably discharged in 1918.
Dr. Baldwin is famous for helping to build a strong economy for African Americans. He did this by creating places like the Baldwin Business Center, St. Mary's Hospital, and Sandy Beach Resort. These places helped African Americans get services they were often denied due to unfair Jim Crow laws. A park, Baldwin Memorial Park, was later named in his honor.
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Growing Up: Dana Baldwin's Early Life
Baldwin was born on March 20, 1881, in Belvoir, North Carolina. He was the oldest child of Reverend James Hayes and Mary Crutchfield Baldwin. His father was a Methodist minister.
Both of Baldwin's grandfathers had been enslaved. From a young age, Baldwin worked on a farm. He was very smart and graduated from the Apex Normal and Industrial Institute at age 16 in 1897. After that, he went to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Before World War I, Baldwin found it hard to keep his medical practice going. However, it grew as more African Americans moved to the area. In 1911, Baldwin married Vina. They lived on Fayette Street, which was the main business area for African Americans in Martinsville. When World War I began, Baldwin was 36 years old and volunteered to serve.
Serving His Country: Military Service
When Baldwin joined the military, he became part of the Medical Reserve Corps. Like many other African-American soldiers, he went for training at Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School. He was given the rank of First Lieutenant.
Fort Des Moines was opened to train African-American men because many had volunteered. Students from Howard University had even asked for such a training center. However, some soldiers felt they were treated unfairly because they were Black. This might have been why Baldwin resigned from his first assignment with the 368th Ambulance Company.
Life as a Doctor in France
Once he arrived in France, Baldwin was in charge of keeping things clean, performing surgeries, and treating illnesses in the hospital. His unit, the 92nd Infantry Division, was involved in trench warfare. They helped the French army push back German forces, who often used gas attacks.
However, Baldwin mostly dealt with a serious flu outbreak in September 1918. Many of his patients were sick with this illness. The war ended in 1919, and Baldwin was honorably discharged on April 2.
Making a Difference: Dr. Baldwin's Career
After the war, Baldwin returned to Martinsville and continued his medical practice. It was after his military service that he truly began to work hard to improve life for the African-American community.
Dr. Baldwin believed that for the African-American community to succeed, people needed to work for "better schools, better churches." He also thought children should learn about their civic duties and the importance of voting.
Opening St. Mary's Hospital
Many hospitals for white people in the area did not allow African Americans to enter or denied them proper care. In 1929, Dr. Baldwin opened a 27-bed hospital called St. Mary's. It was meant for poor African Americans who could not afford or enter other hospitals. He named it after his mother, who had encouraged him to become a doctor.
He worked with his younger brother, who owned a pharmacy nearby. This area became known as "Baldwin Block."
Building a Community: Other Businesses
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Baldwin opened many other businesses. These included the Sandy Beach Resort, Baldwin Miniature Golf Course, Baldwin's Gymntorium, and the Baldwin Business Center. All these places were open to the African-American community. This was important because many white-owned businesses were closed to them due to Jim Crow laws.
Dr. Baldwin also gave a lot of support to churches and groups like the Masons, Old Fellows, Magic City Medical Society, and The National Medical Association. He even got media attention once for treating an African-American man with a broken leg and making the police pay the bill for the injury. Baldwin continued his medical practice for 60 years and never retired.
His Lasting Impact: Death and Legacy
Dr. Baldwin passed away from a stroke on November 9, 1972. He was buried in Wake County, North Carolina, in the Baldwin Burial site, where many of his family members are also buried.
People in Martinsville remember Dr. Baldwin as a selfless person. He worked tirelessly to create a better future for his community. The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities created the Dr. Dana O. Baldwin Memorial Park in Baldwin Block to honor him. Several streets in the area are also named after him. St. Mary's Hospital stayed open until 1952 and was remembered in an exhibit by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
Family Life: Personal Details
On December 24, 1911, Baldwin married Vina S. Flood. Vina had studied at Hatshorn College and was a teacher in local public schools. The couple did not have their own biological children. However, they adopted two girls, Mae and Rosa Baldwin. They also raised three boys and one girl as foster children.
Images for kids
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Insignia for a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
