Friday, February 11, 2011

Dr. Waudell Hunter

 
Waudell William Hunter was born on September 26, 1907 in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He was one of ten children born to Joseph C. and Ellen (Johnson) Hunter. According to the History of Greene County, Ohio, edited by M.A. Broadstone, Joseph C. Hunter was the son of a slave named Dorcas Hunter and a Cherokee Indian father named Jerome Lilly. In 1934, Waudell W. Hunter graduated from Ohio State University’s School of Medicine. After serving his internship in Provident Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Hunter started practicing medicine in Sandusky in 1935. His office was at 618 West Monroe Street. An article in the August 29, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that Dr. Hunter was the first person of color to register his license to practice medicine in Sandusky during Probate Judge John Tanney’s six years in office. In an online publication from the U.S. Navy Public Affairs Library, a Navy doctor told of stories he heard about Dr. Hunter accepting farm produce as payment for his services, when his patients did not have the cash to pay for medical services.

On March 28, 1975, Dr. Waudell W. Hunter died at his home on West Monroe Street in Sandusky, after a lengthy illness. Dr. Hunter was survived by his wife, the former Esther Nickens, a daughter, Mrs. Charles Bryant, a son, Waudell W. Hunter, Jr., three grandchildren, and four brothers; Robert Hunter, Joseph Hunter. Judge Clay E. Hunter, and Dr. Lester L. Hunter. Dr. Hunter had been widely respected as a physician and surgeon. He had been a member of the Erie County, State, and National Medical Societies during his forty year medical career. Funeral services for Dr. Waudell W. Hunter were held at the Second Baptist Church in Sandusky, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

February 19, 2018

Dear Sandusky Historian,

Thanks for preserving the history of Dr. Waudell William Hunter who is a Hero of mine. I'm the Navy physician referred to within linked article. The Curator at The OSU Health Sciences Library was able to locate a Class and individual photograph of Dr. Hunter. Please contact me if you like to include those photographs from the 1934 period within the message above. Happy Black History Month!

Sincerely,

Leon

Leon McDougle, MD, MPH
Chief Diversity Officer
Professor of Family Medicine
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Leon.McDougle@osumc.edu
614-685-9264

Anonymous said...

Dear Sandusky Historian,

Readers may be interested in learning more about Dr. Waudell William Hunter's parents and siblings. Please see excerpt below:

Joseph C. and Ellen Hunter, Parents of Waudell W. Hunter, MD.

From History of Greene County, Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions
By Michael A. Broadstone 1918

Joseph C. Hunter, proprietor of a farm of nearly two hundred acres in Bath township, this county, residing on rural mail route No 2 out of Yellow Springs, is a native of Tennessee, born in Williamson county, that state, October 10, 1860, son of Jerome Lilly, a Cherokee Indian, and Dorcas Hunter, a slave of Henry Hunter. The mother died in 1897 and the father is now living in Toronto, Canada. Reared on a farm in Tennessee, Joseph Hunter was schooled in the district schools and upon reaching manhood’s estate began farming. He married in 1883 and for twenty-one years thereafter continued farming in Tennessee, sixteen years of that period also being engaged in the threshing business during seasons. In 1904 he came to Ohio and settled in Greene county, the next year buying the farm on which he now lives, and on which he has since been engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is a Republican and he and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Yellow Springs.

On December 27, 1883, at Union City, Tennessee, Joseph Hunter was united in marriage to Ellen Johnson, of that place, daughter of Lee Eddings and Sarah N. Johnson, both of whom are still living, and to this union have been born ten children, namely: Savannah, who married William Edwards, now farming in Miami township, this county; Robert, who is assisting his father in the management of the home farm and who married Winnie Pettiford; Queen Ester, who married Clayton G. Mills, now living at Clifton; Herman, who was pursuing his studies with the design of entering the medical profession at Nashville, Tennessee, and is now connected with the medical corps of the United States army; Clay Evans, who was graduated from Wilberforce University in 1917 and is now (1918) a second lieutenant in the National Army of the United States, stationed at Camp Funston; Joseph, who is assisting on the farm; Cecil, who is now a student in Wilberforce University; Ruby, a student in high school at Fairfield, and Lester and Waudell, also in school. Joseph Hunter has one hundred and ninety-seven and six-tenths acres in his farm, makes a specialty of raising Holstein cattle and has a fine herd of thirty head on his place.

Sincerely,

Leon

Leon McDougle, MD, MPH
Chief Diversity Officer
Professor of Family Medicine
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
Leon.McDougle@osumc.edu
614-685-9264