Born: 1908 (Tuskegee, Alabama)
Died: January 13, 1977
Biography:
Myra Adele Logan (1908 – January 13, 1977) is known as the first African American female physician, surgeon, and anatomist to perform a successful open-heart surgery. Following this remarkable accomplishment, Logan focused her work on children’s heart surgery and played a significant role in the development of the antibiotic Aureomycin, which treated bacterial, viral, and rickettsial diseases. She primarily practiced medicine at the prestigious Harlem Hospital in New York. Logan’s journey towards becoming a physician took place during the challenging pre–Civil Rights era. This period posed significant obstacles for black female physicians, who were often forced to attend segregated institutions. Earning a medical degree as an African American woman in those times was an extraordinary feat. Logan’s contributions extended beyond her medical career, as she actively dedicated her time to various organizations, including the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, and the New York State Commission on Discrimination.
Personal Life:
Myra Adele Logan was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1908, to Warren and Adella Hunt Logan. She was the youngest of eight children and had a brother named Arthur R. Logan. Her mother played an influential role in her life, being both college-educated and actively involved in the suffrage and healthcare movements. Meanwhile, her father, as the treasurer and trustee of Tuskegee Institute, was the first staff member selected by Booker T. Washington.
Logan began her education in Tuskegee, attending the Children’s House at the Tuskegee Institute Laboratory for primary school. After graduating with honors from Tuskegee High School, she went on to pursue higher education at Atlanta University, a historically black college, where she emerged as the valedictorian of her class in 1927. Seeking further intellectual growth, Logan moved to New York City and enrolled at Columbia University, earning an M.S. degree in psychology. Her work with the YWCA in Connecticut followed, but her passion for medicine led her to ultimately switch career paths.
In a groundbreaking move, Logan became the recipient of the four-year $10,000 Walter Gray Crump Scholarship, exclusively given to support African American medical students in attending New York Medical College. She successfully completed her medical degree in 1933, becoming an exceptional pioneer in her field. As the second female African American intern at Harlem Hospital, she later completed her surgery residency there, further solidifying her groundbreaking role in medicine.
While practicing at Harlem Hospital, Logan met and married renowned painter Charles Alston on April 8, 1944. Alston happened to be working on a mural project at the hospital during this time. Intriguingly, he chose Logan as his muse for one of his works titled Modern Medicine. Within the oil canvas painting, Logan is depicted as a nurse tenderly holding a baby. Alston’s aim with this project was to highlight the scarcity of African American physicians at the time, as well as to challenge gender norms by portraying women in maternal roles. In this piece, Logan’s image was positioned alongside Dr. Louis Wright, the first African American physician at Harlem Hospital, and Louis Pasteur, symbolizing the collaboration between African American and Caucasian healthcare professionals in advancing Western medicine.
Myra Adele Logan left a tremendous impact during her lifetime, not only by breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations of African American women in medicine but also by actively engaging in social organizations that fought for equality and justice. Her legacy continues to inspire and remains an important part of women’s history.