Alfred Schmitz Shadd

Alfred Schmitz Shadd ( – March 9, 1915) was a Canadian educator, doctor, journalist, and politician. Born into a family of black abolitionists and activists, he is best known for being the first black doctor in the Prairies. He was the owner and editor of The Carrot River Journal, a weekly newspaper in Melfort, Saskatchewan, which he ran from 1908 to 1912. He died in 1915 of appendicitis.

Early life Alfred Schmitz Shadd was born in Raleigh Township, Ontario to his mother Harriet Poindexter Shadd in 1869 or 1870. His father, Garrison William Shadd, was a farmer. While at the University of Toronto, he was a member of Trinity College. He made his way back to the University of Toronto medical school to complete his degree after a year spent teaching. In 1898, he graduated with honors in his medical degree. He returned to Carrot River Settlement after graduating in 1898, becoming the first black doctor in the Prairies. In 1908, he purchased a newspaper in Prince Albert and moved it to Melfort, renaming it to The Carrot River Journal. Shadd served as the owner and editor until selling it in 1912.

Family On December 13, 1907 he married Jeanette Simpson, with whom he had two children, named Garrison and Louena.

Legacy Shadd Drive and Shadd Street in Melfort are named for him.