Cornelius Nathaniel Dorsette

Cornelius Nathaniel Dorsette was an American physician who is often called the first African American doctor licensed in the state of Alabama. He was also the founder of Hale Infirmary, the first hospital in Montgomery for African American patients, staffed by African American doctors and nurses.

Biography Childhood and early education Dorsette may have been born in Eden, North Carolina in 1851 or 1852, Dorsette, after visiting the city and liking his prospects, moved. He had to get certified by the state board; at the time, it was a six-day exam, and the board was all-white. Dorsette apparently was "judged harshly", according to historian A. J. Wright, but passed. Local whites soon respected him as a doctor but it took him a while to win over the Black citizens, given the lack of training Black doctors sometimes received. Those who could afford a doctor usually went to white doctors, but Dorsette was willing to drive far for his patients, taking care of patients and delivering babies. ), he lost the building. Dorsette himself is named on a historical marker for Centennial Hill, the historic neighborhood where he lived.