James Webb Curtis, M.D. (July 29, 1856 – April 12, 1921), also known as J. Webb Curtis, was an American physician, surgeon, civil servant, educator, and postmaster. He served as a volunteer medical officer for the U.S. Army during the Spanish–American War, stationed in Cuba and in the Philippines.[1][2] He was, "the only 'colored' surgeon in the service" during that conflict.[3]

James Webb Curtis
James Webb Curtis in 1900
BornJuly 29, 1856
Marion, Alabama, United States
DiedApril 12, 1921(1921-04-12) (aged 64)
Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States
Other namesJ. Webb Curtis
EducationAlabama State Normal School,
Howard University College of Medicine
Occupation(s)Physician, surgeon, civil servant, educator, postmaster
Title First lieutenant
SpouseAlice May Peyton (m. 1881–1921; his death)
Children2
FatherAlexander H. Curtis

Biography

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James Webb Curtis was born on July 29, 1856, in Marion, Alabama,[1][3] into an African American family. His mother was Princess Curtis, and his father was Alexander H. Curtis who was enslaved before becoming a merchant, and served six years in the Alabama Senate during the Reconstruction era.[4] His brother William P. Curtis was also a prominent physician.[1][5] Curtis served as postmaster in Marion, Alabama (prior to 1921).[3][2]

Curtis attended Lincoln Normal School, and the Alabama State Normal School (now Alabama State University).[3] This was followed by later study at the Howard University College of Medicine, where he graduated in 1888.[1][6]

In May 1881, Curtis married Alice May Peyton from Richmond, Virginia.[3] Together they had two daughters.[7]

Career

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For 6 years he taught school in Alabama, and held a professorship at his alma mater Alabama State Normal School in 1879.[3]

In 1882, Curtis was appointed to a clerkship in the Bureau of Pensions in Washington. D.C..[3] While living in D.C., he started taking an interest in studying medicine. Curtis attended Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM), graduating in 1888.[1] After graduating from HUCM, he served as a special agent in the pension office in Illinois and Nebraska from 1889 to 1891.[3]

In October 1891, Curtis moved to Illinois, and established a medical practice in Chicago, located at 5003 Dearborn Street.[3] He also worked as medical staff at Provident Hospital, Chicago.[3]

In June 1898, Curtis enrolled in the 8th Regiment Illinois Infantry during the Spanish–American War, and he was appointed as first lieutenant (assistant surgeon).[3] He was stationed at Palma Soriana, Cuba from August 22, 1898, to February 13, 1899, where he worked as a medical officer for a detachment (companies E and F).[3] Curtis was hospitalized for malaria with dysentery in February, and left for Chicago by April.[3]

In September 1899, Curtis applied for a new contract, and served in the African American 48th Volunteer Infantry in the Philippines.[3] He was first on duty at Caloocan, with the 3rd Battalion; followed by duty at La Loma Church with the 1st Battalion; and then duty at Alilem, Quimpusa, and Tagudin.[3] He returned to the United States, via San Francisco, on June 30, 1901.[3] His obituaries reads that he returned to the Philippines, staying for three years before returning to practice medicine in Chicago.[7]

Death and legacy

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He died after a brief illness of apoplexy on April 12, 1921, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.[3][7][8]

Booker T. Washington profiled him in the book, A New Negro for a New Century (1900).[4] He is mentioned in the A'Lelia Bundles' book, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (2020, Simon & Schuster), recounting a time when Madam C. J. Walker stayed with Curtis family over a Christmas holiday.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "James Webb Curtis". A Historical, Biographical and Statistical Souvenir. Howard University Medical Department. 1900. p. 161 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b Negro Year Book and Annual Encyclopedia of the Negro. Monroe N. Work. November 18, 1922. p. 375 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Hyson Jr., John M. (June 1999). "Doctors Five: African-American Contract Surgeons in the Spanish-American War. James Webb Curtis: A Chicago Doctor". Military Medicine. 164 (6): 435–441. doi:10.1093/milmed/164.6.435.
  4. ^ a b Bugros Mclean, Polly E. (28 September 2018). Remembering Lucile: A Virginia Family's Rise from Slavery and a Legacy Forged a Mile High. University Press of Colorado. ISBN 9781607328254.
  5. ^ English, Bertis D. (2020). Civil Wars, Civil Beings, and Civil Rights in Alabama's Black Belt: A History of Perry County. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817320690.
  6. ^ "Curtis, JW graduation 1888". The Marion Times-Standard. 1888-03-14. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-04-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c "Death of Dr. J. Webb Curtis At Hot Springs, Ark. Who At One Time Resided in Chicago". The Broad Ax. 1921-04-23. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-04-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Dr. J. Webb Curtis Dead". The Kansas City Sun. 1921-04-23. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-04-23 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Bundles, A'Lelia (24 March 2020). Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker. Simon and Schuster. p. 198. ISBN 9781982126674 – via Google Books.