William Thomas Jefferson facts for kids

William Thomas Jefferson (born August 4, 1864 – died October 26, 1925) was an African American dentist. He made history by becoming the first Black dentist to work in the United States Army. This happened during his time serving in the Spanish–American War.

Early Life and Education

William Thomas Jefferson was born in Washington, D.C. on August 4, 1864. His family soon moved to Derby, Connecticut. William began studying dentistry in 1886.

In 1889, he started dental school at Howard University. However, he soon moved to the American College of Dental Surgery in Chicago. This school is now known as the Northwestern University Dental School. William graduated in 1891 with a special degree called a Doctor of dental surgery. After graduating, he opened his own dental office in Chicago. He was also a member of a group called the Knights of Pythias.

Military Service

In 1895, William Jefferson joined the Illinois National Guard. He was part of Company "D" 9th Battalion, which was a separate unit for Black soldiers. On May 1, he was chosen as a second lieutenant. Later, on November 4, 1895, he was promoted to first lieutenant.

The Spanish–American War was a very important time for William and for dentistry in the military. For the first time, many American soldiers were fighting outside of North America. Soldiers in places like Cuba and the Philippines had many tooth and mouth problems. But there were no dentists in the army to help them.

During this time, a disease called yellow fever was spreading among American troops. It caused many soldiers to get very sick. The United States Department of War sent Black troops to Cuba and the Philippines. They wrongly believed that Black people could not get yellow fever. This idea came from a past event in 1793. People thought Black people were not dying as much from the disease. But in reality, Black people died at the same rate as white people.

On July 21, 1898, William Jefferson became a Captain of D Company. His unit was renamed the 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. In February 1899, his unit went to Cuba. They were stationed in a place called San Luis. By September 21, he was sick with malaria and went to the hospital. But he kept serving with his group in Cuba. While there, he took care of the teeth of soldiers in his own unit and two other Black units. He also did his regular officer duties.

In 1899, William was discharged from his deployment. However, he continued his military career in the Illinois National Guard. He became an inspector for light infantry training. He kept his rank of First lieutenant. At the same time, he continued to work as a dentist in Chicago.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1899, William Jefferson wrote to Senator William E. Mason. He asked for support to create a "Colored Volunteer Regiment" to serve in the Philippines. He received the support and sent his request to the Secretary of State, Elihu Root. However, the request was turned down. The Secretary of State said that such volunteer groups were not needed.

In 1901, President William McKinley signed a new law. This law allowed 30 dental surgeons to work with the Army Medical Department. William Jefferson was the first Black dental surgeon to apply for this job. But he was told that someone from Illinois had already been chosen. The law only allowed one person from each state. In 1905, he was told he could no longer apply. This was because he was over 30 years old. Many Black dentists applied for these jobs between 1901 and 1917. But all of them were rejected. The office of the Surgeon General did not want Black medical officers. This changed in 1917. When the United States entered World War 1, they needed more medical officers.

William Jefferson continued to serve in the Illinois National Guard until 1916. He passed away in Chicago on October 26, 1925. His work helped open doors for future Black dentists in the military.