David K. McDonogh facts for kids

David Kearny McDonogh (born August 10, 1821 – died January 15, 1893) was an amazing American doctor. He was an eye specialist, also known as an ophthalmologist. What makes his story truly special is that he was one of the first people born into slavery to earn a college degree. He also became the first African-American eye doctor.

David McDonogh's Early Life and Education

David McDonogh was born into slavery in 1821. This happened on a large farm in New Orleans, Louisiana. The farm belonged to a man named John McDonogh. John McDonogh supported a group called the American Colonization Society. This group believed that formerly enslaved people should move to Africa, specifically to a country called Liberia.

John McDonogh saw something special in David and another enslaved person named Washington. He thought they could become "divine" leaders. He hoped they would become missionaries in Liberia. In 1838, John McDonogh used his connections to send both David and Washington to Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He asked Senator Walter Lowrie to look after them.

Even though they were not the first Black students at Lafayette, David and Washington faced challenges. They had to eat, study, and live separately from the white students. By 1842, Washington left college and went to Liberia without finishing his degree. David stayed behind to continue his studies.

David's Dream to Become a Doctor

David decided he wanted to study theology and medicine. He started learning from a doctor named Hugh H. Abernathy in Easton. However, John McDonogh did not like this decision. He thought David was avoiding his promise to go to Africa.

David wanted to stay in America and become a doctor. John McDonogh tried to make him stick to their original agreement to be a missionary in Liberia. The disagreement became very serious. In April 1844, David wrote to his master. He said he was "decidedly, utterly, and radically" against going to Africa.

John McDonogh replied, calling David "ungrateful" and "unprincipled." He even thought about stopping David's funding. He also considered forcing David back into slavery. In the end, he left the decision to Senator Lowrie. Lowrie continued to support David financially. David completed his degree in 1844. With this, Lafayette College became the first college in America to give a degree to someone who was enslaved.

Becoming an Eye Specialist

By 1845, John McDonogh had stopped helping David. David continued to rely on Senator Lowrie for support. Lowrie helped David study with Dr. John Kearny Rodgers. This was at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

David was not officially listed as a student there, and he did not receive a diploma. However, he finished his medical studies in 1847. The school never denied that he got his medical education there. When Dr. Rodgers died in 1850, David took Kearny as his middle name to honor him.

After his studies, David McDonogh worked at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary in Manhattan. Later, he opened his own private practice. He worked as an eye doctor for over 40 years. He was the first African-American eye specialist.

David McDonogh's Family Life

David McDonogh married Elizabeth Van Wagoner in the 1850s. They had three children together. Sadly, only one of their children lived to adulthood.

He passed away in Newark, New Jersey in 1893. He was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.

David McDonogh's Lasting Impact

David McDonogh left an important legacy.

• The first hospital in Harlem that welcomed both Black and white patients was named in his honor. It was called McDonough Memorial Hospital. It operated from 1898 to 1904.
• In 2008, a statue honoring McDonogh was put up at Lafayette College. This was his old college. The statue is 16 feet tall and weighs five tons. It is called Transcendence. The artist, Mel Edwards, created it to show McDonogh's freedom from slavery.
• In 2018, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons gave McDonogh a medical degree. This was given to him after his death, recognizing his achievements.
• In 2016, a scholarship was created in McDonogh's name. It helps students studying Ophthalmology (eye care) and ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat). This scholarship is part of National Medical Fellowships. This group helps more doctors from underrepresented backgrounds.