Daniel Laing Jr. facts for kids

Daniel Laing Jr. (died 1869) was an important doctor in the United States and later in Liberia. He was one of the very first African-American doctors in the United States. He worked hard to help people and overcome challenges.

A Dream to Become a Doctor

Daniel Laing Jr. was born free in Boston. He first tried to make a living as a printer. But he soon decided he wanted to move to Liberia, a country in Africa. The American Colonization Society helped free Black people move to Liberia. They told Daniel that Liberia really needed doctors. So, he decided to study medicine instead of printing.

Daniel and another free Black man, Isaac H. Snowden, began studying with a surgeon named Horace Clarke. He worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1850, Daniel and Isaac applied to Harvard Medical School. They promised to move to Liberia after they finished their studies. Another free Black student, Martin Delany, also applied.

Challenges at Harvard

The teachers at Harvard Medical School voted to let all three students in. Daniel, Isaac, and Martin started classes in the winter of 1850-1851. However, many of the other students at the school protested. They did not want the Black students there. Many students even threatened to leave the school. The teachers eventually gave in to the pressure. So, Daniel and the other Black students were asked to leave the school.

Finishing His Education

After leaving Harvard, Daniel Laing Jr. did not give up. He left the U.S. and went to Paris, France. For two years, he studied with a famous French surgeon named Alfred-Armand-Louis-Marie Velpeau.

He then returned to the U.S. to finish his medical education. He earned his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School in 1854. Daniel became a specialist in treating fevers.

Life and Work in Liberia

After becoming a doctor, Daniel Laing Jr. moved to Liberia with his wife, Anna Bicknell Parker. He spent the next ten years working as a doctor for the American Colonization Society. His son, Joseph, was born in Monrovia, Liberia, in 1860. Daniel also had a daughter named Mary.

In the mid-1860s, Daniel became ill with a fever. He moved his family back to Charleston, South Carolina. He passed away there in 1869.

His Family's Legacy

Daniel's son, Joseph, grew up, got married, and had four children. One of Joseph's daughters, Ada, married Fritz Pollard in 1914. Fritz Pollard later became a very important person in sports history. He was one of the first African-American players in the NFL. He also became the very first African-American head coach in the NFL.