Winston C. Hackett

Dr. Winston Clifton Hackett (1881–1949) was the first African American physician in Arizona. He was the founder of the Booker T. Washington Memorial Hospital, which was the first hospital in Phoenix which served the African American community.

Early life and education Hackett was born in Tyler, Texas, where he received his primary and secondary education. He became a student of the Tuskegee University, a historically black university (HBCU) in Tuskegee, Alabama.

He continued his medical studies at the Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, where he graduated with a medical degree in obstetrics.

Medical practice in Phoenix Hackett moved to Phoenix in 1916 and established his medical practice in his home which was located at 729 W. Sherman Street. He thus became the first African-American physician in Arizona. In 1925, Hackett, his wife Ayra, and his two children moved to 1334 E. Jefferson Street. This was a time in the history of Phoenix when many African-Americans were often denied medical care because the city was segregated. Hackett also saw to the needs of white patients with socially stigmatized ailments who were denied medical care.

Booker T. Washington Memorial Hospital Three of the six cottages which Dr. Hackett had built for his TB patients Hackett lobbied for the creation of an African-American community hospital but was unsuccessful. In 1921, Hackett purchased the residence of former Territorial Governor Joseph Kibbey which was located next door to his house at 1342 E. Jefferson St. In 1922, he established the Booker T. Washington Memorial Hospital a private medical in that residence. The hospital didn't have many beds at first and each bed was situated in the screened porch of the house. Hackett purchased three adjoining lots and was, therefore, able to expand the hospital. He also had six cottages built for tuberculosis patients. He charged his patients $12.50 to $35.00 per week for a hospital stay. Hackett opened a pharmacy nearby and recruited Southern African-American nurses with college nursing degrees to join his staff. One of the benefits which the African-American doctors and nurses gained from joining him was the opportunity to gain valuable experience in their chosen field. In 1932, Ayra was stricken with pneumonia. On November 13 of that same year she died in her home and was later buried in Phoenix's Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery. Her newspaper, the Arizona Gleam, continued to be published until 1939.

Later years Hackett died on February 19, 1949, at the age of 67, and is buried in Phoenix's Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery