{"id":1212,"date":"2022-10-15T19:29:20","date_gmt":"2022-10-15T19:29:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/?p=1212"},"modified":"2023-04-23T16:15:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-23T16:15:01","slug":"william-h-coleman-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"William H Coleman, Alabama Doctor &#8211; Cyclopedia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>This short biography was adapted and modernized from <\/em><em>\u201c<\/em><em>The National Cyclopedia of The Colored Race\u201d, published in 1919.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>William Henry Coleman was one of the early generations of African American doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1877. He attended school in Montgomery before moving to Selma to go to college at Payne University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He qualified as a doctor in 1900 when he completed his studies at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/William-Henry-Cole.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/William-Henry-Cole.jpg 400w, https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/William-Henry-Cole-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/#Working_through_college\" title=\"Working through college\">Working through college<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/#First_Medical_Practice\" title=\"First Medical Practice\">First Medical Practice<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/#Colemans_working_philosophy\" title=\"Coleman\u2019s working philosophy\">Coleman\u2019s working philosophy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/#Family_Life\" title=\"Family Life\">Family Life<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/#Other_Early_Doctors\" title=\"Other Early Doctors\">Other Early Doctors<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Working_through_college\"><\/span>Working through college<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>William Coleman had to work many jobs to put himself through his undergraduate studies and medical college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He started off by working as a schoolteacher. But this income was inadequate to meet his expenses so he gave it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His next employment was that of Bell boy in a hotel. While this was not so dignified a position as teaching school, it added to his income and served his purposes better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From Hotel bellman he became a Pullman Porter. These were men hired by railway companies to work as porters in sleeping cars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coleman\u2019s work took him through the greater part of the United States and further into Canada and Mexico. This enabled him to save sufficient money to return to college and finish his medical studies. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But even when he was back at college, he had to scrimp and scrape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The young man added to his fund by working as janitor of the college and filling other posts that would yield him a penny to carry forward his education.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/meharry-medical-college.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/meharry-medical-college.jpg 600w, https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/meharry-medical-college-300x250.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_Medical_Practice\"><\/span>First Medical Practice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When Coleman graduated from Meharry in 1900, he first began practice in Crawfordsville. Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;While the life of a country physician brought a rich reward in health and strength, he felt the call of a larger field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, after one year\u2019s residence in Crawfordsville he removed to Bessemer, Alabama, where he opened an office in 1901.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the Cyclopedia was published in 1919, it noted that Coleman\u2019s practice had grown wonderfully during his eighteen years residence in Bessemer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also noted that he was as popular both as a physician and as a man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>He is inured to hard work and notwithstanding his large practice he finds time to devote to his social, civic, and religious duties.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He was an active churchman and made his personality felt in the Allen Temple A. M. K. Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coleman was also a member of several black orders of Freemasons, including the Knights of Pythias and the Mosaic Templers.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Cyclopedia-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Cyclopedia-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Cyclopedia-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Cyclopedia-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Cyclopedia.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Colemans_working_philosophy\"><\/span>Coleman\u2019s working philosophy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>He made it a rule to consider the problems of life with calmness and wisdom and never to yield to the suggestions of worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He realized that all action is followed by equal reaction and so he fortified himself against all depressive influences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason why he is enabled to accomplish so much is that he carefully plans his work and works to a definite point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of his theories is, that the margin between success and failure is very small and that success is not so much due to great ability as the use you make of the ability you have, whether it be great or small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While giving close attention to his patients and not neglecting the manifold duties crowding into the life of busy men, he continued his studies. Often the product of his pen finds its way to the medical journals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Family_Life\"><\/span>Family Life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1919, Coleman\u2019s household also included his elderly mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was married in 1914 to Miss Mattie Kirkpatrick of Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They lived in a modern home worth about $5000.00 (1919 valuation) and have investments in both residence and business property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Early_Doctors\"><\/span>Other Early Doctors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>William H Coleman was one of a pioneering group of early African American doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/arthur-willis-davis-alabama-doctor\/\">Arthur Willis Davis <\/a>also graduated from Meharry Medical College and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This short biography was adapted and modernized from \u201cThe National Cyclopedia of The Colored Race\u201d, published in 1919. William Henry Coleman was one of the early generations of African American doctors. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1877. He attended school in Montgomery before moving to Selma to go to college at Payne University. &#8230; <a title=\"William H Coleman, Alabama Doctor &#8211; Cyclopedia\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/william-h-coleman-doctor\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about William H Coleman, Alabama Doctor &#8211; Cyclopedia\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1040,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1212"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1212"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1571,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1212\/revisions\/1571"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploreblackheritage.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}