Ulysses Grant Dailey facts for kids
Ulysses Grant Dailey (born 1885, died 1961) was an amazing American doctor, writer, and teacher. He was one of the first African Americans to become well-known in medicine in the United States. In 1949, he received a special award called the Distinguished Service Award from the National Medical Association.
Early Life and Education
Ulysses Grant Dailey was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on August 3, 1885. His father, S. Toney Hanna Dailey, was a bartender, and his mother, Missouri Dailey, was a teacher.
He went to school at Straight College's special academy in New Orleans. This school later became Dillard University. He also attended Fort Worth High School in Texas.
In 1902, Dailey started studying at Northwestern University Medical School. He was the youngest student in his class of 150 people. He earned his medical degree in 1906, graduating as one of the top students.
A Career in Medicine
Even though Dr. Dailey faced challenges early in his career because of prejudice, he worked as an assistant anatomy teacher at Northwestern from 1906 to 1908.
In 1908, a famous Black surgeon named Daniel Hale Williams hired Dr. Dailey. He became Dr. Williams's assistant at Provident Hospital. Dr. Dailey helped with surgeries and also gave lectures. He wrote many articles about surgery during this time.
In the same year, he joined the National Medical Association. This group was for Black doctors, as the American Medical Association did not welcome them. Dr. Dailey was an active member of this association for 53 years.
From 1915 to 1916, he was a special member of the International College of Surgeons. He led the Surgical Section in 1914. He also became the president of the National Medical Association from 1915 to 1916. He was the youngest president they had ever had and the first from Chicago.
Dr. Dailey became an associate surgeon at Provident Hospital in 1909. He stayed in that role until 1917. He felt there were unfair barriers at Provident Hospital. So, in 1926, he opened his own place called the Dailey Hospital and Sanitarium in Chicago.
During the Great Depression, his hospital faced money problems. Dr. Dailey had to close it in 1932.
He later returned to Provident Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He worked there as a senior attending surgeon from 1933 to 1952.
From 1952 to 1953, he received special assignments from the Department of State. He traveled to India, Sri Lanka, and Africa to help with medical work.
Personal Life
In 1916, Dr. Dailey married Eleanor Jane Curtis. Her brother, Dr. Austin M. Curtis, was also a well-known surgeon and president of the National Medical Association. In 1924, the couple adopted five-year-old twins. They named them Eleanor Jane and Ulysses Grant, Jr.
Later Years and Legacy
Dr. Dailey retired from his main surgical role at Provident Hospital in 1952. He stopped practicing medicine completely in 1956.
He and Eleanor moved to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Dr. Dailey had been Haiti's honorary representative in Chicago for several years.
When his health got worse, they moved back to Chicago. He passed away there on April 22, 1961, at the age of 76.
Dr. Dailey received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Medical Association in 1949.
He also wrote and edited many articles about medical topics. He was an editor for the Journal of the National Medical Association. He wrote for many other medical journals too, sharing his knowledge with other doctors.
