1954 – African American Psychiatrist Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Dies

On May 16, 1954, Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, the first African American psychiatrist and a pioneer in Alzheimer’s research, passed away. Born in Liberia and educated in the U.S., Fuller worked alongside Alois Alzheimer in Germany and was among the first to publish research on the disease that now bears Alzheimer’s name. As a professor at Boston University, Fuller challenged racial barriers in medicine and academia. Despite discrimination that often denied him titles and full recognition, his work was foundational in understanding neurological disorders. Fuller’s career also focused on the mental health of African Americans, then a neglected field. His contributions were largely forgotten until decades later, but today, he is hailed as a trailblazer who helped lay the groundwork for neuropsychiatry and opened the door for generations of Black mental health professionals.

Did you know? In 1974, the American Psychiatric Association established the Solomon Carter Fuller Award to honor his legacy and recognize African Americans who have made significant contributions to the field of psychiatry.