David Bernard Todd Jr. (March 22, 1931 – October 21, 1980)[1] was an American surgeon. He was a professor of surgery at Meharry Medical College, and the first African-American cardiovascular surgeon in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the namesake of Dr DB Todd Jr. Boulevard in North Nashville.
David B. Todd Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Bernard Todd Jr. March 22, 1931 |
| Died | October 21, 1980 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery |
| Education | Morehouse College Meharry Medical College University of Minnesota |
| Occupation | Surgeon |
| Employer | Meharry Medical College |
| Spouse | Loraine LeShore |
| Children | 1 son, 3 daughters |
Early life
editTodd was born in 1931 in Jefferson County, Alabama.[2][3] He graduated from Morehouse College, where he earned a bachelor's degree, followed by an MD from Meharry Medical College in 1956.[3] He attended the University of Minnesota, where he earned a PhD in 1966.[4]
Career
editTodd began his career as an assistant professor of surgery at Meharry Medical College in 1966.[3] He was also the director of the thoracic and cardiovascular divisions at Meharry.[5] He became associate professor of surgery in 1969, and full professor in 1979.[3]
Todd was a physician at Hubbard Hospital on the Meharry campus, now known as Nashville General Hospital.[6] According to The Tennessean, he was the "first black cardiovascular surgeon in Nashville," and he "headed the team that performed the first open heart surgery at Meharry in 1972."[2][4]
Todd was a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Geriatrics Society, and the American College of Surgeons.[4] He served as the chair of the surgical division of the National Medical Association.[3]
Personal life, death and legacy
editWith his wife, née Loraine LeShore, Todd had a son and three daughters.[4] They resided in Bordeaux, a neighborhood of Nashville.[7]
Todd died on October 21, 1980, at the Riverside Hospital in Nashville, at age 48.[2][4] His funeral was held at First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, and he was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.[4] Dr DB Todd Jr. Boulevard, between Charlotte Avenue and Clarksville Pike, was named in his honor in 1982.[3]
References
edit- ^ "David Bernard Todd Jr MD 22 March 1931 - 21 October 1980 in BillionGraves GPS Headstones". BillionGraves. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Dr. Todd's Death Saddening". The Tennessean. October 24, 1980. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f Walter, Jeff (August 19, 2003). "Meharry's Dr. David B. Todd Jr. was pioneer in heart surgery". The Tennessean. p. 50. Retrieved December 28, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f "Dr. David Todd Services Set On Saturday". The Tennessean. October 23, 1980. p. 80. Retrieved December 28, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Meharry Plans Post-Grad Dental, Medical Courses". The Tennessean. June 8, 1969. p. 34. Retrieved December 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gallagher, Kathleen (August 31, 1973). "Police Brutality Case Studied". The Tennessean. p. 7. Retrieved December 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Absolute Auction: The Home of the Late Dr. David B. Todd Jr". The Tennessean. July 31, 1984. p. 30. Retrieved December 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.