First African-American to formally practice medicine in the U.S. was James Derham, who did not hold a medical degree. Born in 1757 as an enslaved African-American in Philadelphia, he eventually purchased his freedom by working as a nurse. He subsequently opened a medical practice, and by the age of 20 his annual earnings exceeded $3,000.
Alexander Twilight
Alexander Twilight was the first African-American to receive a degree from an American college. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in 1823.
