Ulysses Simpson Wiggins

Ulysses Simpson Wiggins (1896 – April 8, 1966) was an American doctor, civil rights activist, president of the Camden County branch of the NAACP, and president of the New Jersey Conference of Branches of the NAACP. Wiggins was a proponent of desegregating Camden's schools during his time as president of the Camden NAACP, and he was a well-respected leader in his community.

Early life and education Ulysses Wiggins was born in Americus, Georgia in 1896 to parents Randall and Hannah Wiggins, and he was one of 10 children. After spending his childhood and teenage years in Americus, he attended Lincoln University, where he received his A.B. He then went on to earn his M.D. at the University of Michigan in 1924. Wiggins served his internship in Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia, and later worked at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, before coming to Camden in 1928 to practice medicine. In 1933, he married Alice Turner, and together, the couple moved to 1025 South 4th St. in Camden. They were regular and active members of the Saint Augustine Episcopal Church nearby.

Career and civil service When Ulysses Wiggins moved to Camden in 1928, he began working for Cooper Hospital, setting up a private practice which was affiliated with the hospital. He also became very involved as a member of the community in Camden fighting for civil rights. In 1941, he co-founded and revivified the Camden chapter of the NAACP, along with Walter K. Gordon, Marvel Dansbury, and Edward Grayson. He served as president of the Camden NAACP from 1941 until his death in 1966.

As well as his medical practice, Wiggins served in other roles, such as being a physician and medical examiner for the Camden Highway Department, the Camden school system, and the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. Wiggins was a professional member of medical societies at the local and national level, including the South Jersey, Camden County, New Jersey, and American Medical Societies.

In the early 1970s, the Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers University-Camden created the Ulysses S. Wiggins Collection with books, journals, and newspapers focusing on African Americans and Africa. Wiggins Waterfront Park located in Camden at Riverside Drive and Martin Luther King Boulevard is named for Ulysses Wiggins.