"The Eclectic Medical Institute has educated Black physicians among its graduates."
Racism, Access, and the Practice of Medicine
In the 19th century, American medicine was undergoing rapid and uneven change. Medical education was becoming more formalized, with the rise of professional schools, licensing standards, and institutional authority. Yet access to that education remained profoundly unequal. For Black Americans—living in the long shadow of slavery, segregation, and systemic racism—the path to becoming a physician was deliberately obstructed. Many medical schools barred Black students outright, while others imposed informal quotas, hostile learning environments, or exclusion. Women faced similar barriers, often dismissed as intellectually or morally unfit for medical training.
These exclusions were not incidental. They reflected a broader social order that sought to confine Black Americans to limited roles, denying them professional authority, economic mobility, and social legitimacy. Even those who managed to obtain medical training often faced restricted hospital privileges, segregated patient populations, and professional isolation. The cost of becoming a physician—financial, social, and personal—was far higher for Black students than for their white counterparts.
Against this backdrop, the Eclectic medical movement stood apart.
The Eclectic physicians were known for their reliance on botanical medicine, careful clinical observation, and a belief that healing should serve the whole person rather than rigid doctrine. Just as importantly, many Eclectic institutions held a radical belief for their time: that medicine should be taught to those called to practice it—regardless of gender or race. This principle shaped not only their therapeutic approach, but also who was welcomed into their classrooms. In an era when exclusion was the norm, Eclectic medical colleges made space—however imperfectly—for women and Black students to receive formal medical education and to practice as physicians.
This inclusivity did not erase the realities of racism in American society, but it created openings where few existed. Through Eclectic medicine, Black physicians were able to study, graduate, and build practices at a time when most of the medical establishment denied them entry altogether. Their presence within the Eclectic tradition stands as a quiet but powerful counter-narrative to the dominant history of American medicine.
Black Physicians and The Eclectic Medical Institute
Founded in the 1840s, the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati grew into the leading Eclectic medical school of the 19th century, matriculating more than 7,000 students and awarding medical degrees to thousands of graduates over nearly a century. Known primarily for its emphasis on botanical medicine and clinical independence, EMI also played a quieter but significant role in the education of Black physicians in the United States. Although the Institute did not actively recruit Black students—and at times reflected the paternalistic belief, common to the era, that Black physicians might be “better educated in institutions devoted exclusively to their race”—it nonetheless graduated Black physicians at a time when many medical schools admitted none at all.
For these physicians, graduation was only the beginning: even with medical degrees, Black doctors faced segregated hospitals, exclusion from professional societies, and limited access to clinical appointments. Within the Eclectic tradition, however, they encountered a somewhat different professional landscape. Eclectic colleges trained Black students fully in botanical medicine, diagnosis, and clinical practice, preparing them to work independently within their communities. Botanical medicine allowed for relative autonomy—herbs, tinctures, and whole-plant preparations could be sourced and prescribed outside hospital systems that often excluded Black practitioners. Many Black Eclectic physicians built practices grounded in trust, continuity of care, and plant-based therapeutics, serving Black communities routinely underserved by mainstream medicine, while some also treated white patients, quietly crossing racial boundaries through professional reputation. Though many of their names are absent from popular medical histories, these physicians were fully trained, practicing doctors whose careers appear in catalogs, city directories, medical registers, and local histories. Their presence within the Eclectic tradition reflects a broader truth: that alternative medical movements sometimes allowed pathways of inclusion long when mainstream institutions closed them off.
William R Reynolds MD
Eclectic Medical Institute, Class of 1868
In 1868, William R. Reynolds of Illinois graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, becoming the first documented Black American graduate of an Eclectic medical school. His graduation occurred just six years after the end of the Civil War, during a moment of profound uncertainty and fragile possibility for Black Americans seeking education, professional recognition, and autonomy.
At a time when most medical schools in the United States excluded Black students entirely, Reynolds’ admission and graduation represented more than an individual achievement. It marked the emergence of a trained Black physician within a medical tradition that valued botanical medicine, clinical observation, and independent practice over rigid institutional hierarchy.
According to Eclectic physician John Uri Lloyd, at the time Reynolds was believed to be the first Black physician in the United States—history has now shown that there were in fact some earlier ones, but this statement underscores how early Eclectic medicine created opportunities otherwise unavailable. Even though this distinction has been challenged over time, Reynolds’ graduation remains historically significant in its own right.
Like many Black physicians of the 19th century, Reynolds’ later career is only lightly documented in surviving records. This absence reflects the broader reality of historical erasure rather than a lack of professional impact. What is clear is that Reynolds held a medical degree at a time when doing so required navigating entrenched racism, economic barriers, and social hostility.
Reynolds’ graduation stands as a foundation upon which later Black Eclectic physicians would build.
Charles E. Horner, M.D.
Eclectic Medical Institute class of 1907
Born in 1882, Charles E. Horner represents a later generation of Black physicians trained within the Eclectic tradition—one whose career unfolded as American medicine became increasingly regulated, professionalized, and exclusionary. Horner graduated from the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati in 1907, entered practice in northern Kentucky, and passed the Kentucky State Medical Board examination in 1910, a credential that affirmed his standing as a licensed physician during a period of tightening standards.
Horner established his practice in Newport, Kentucky, where historical accounts note that many of his patients were white. This detail, recorded in Wendell Dabney’s Cincinnati’s Colored Citizens (1926), is significant. In the early 20th century, Black physicians were often restricted to serving segregated Black communities and denied access to white patients, hospitals, and professional networks. Horner’s ability to build a successful practice across racial lines speaks to both his professional reputation and the relative independence afforded by Eclectic medical practice.
Dabney noted that Horner was making a “significant living” as a physician—an observation that underscores his status as a talented and respected medical professional. In 1910, he became the first Black physician to practice in Newport, Kentucky, marking a local milestone in medical and civic history.
Horner’s career illustrates how Eclectic medicine could function as a practical pathway into licensed, sustained medical practice for Black physicians well into the 20th century. Trained in botanical medicine and clinical observation, Eclectic graduates like Horner were able to practice outside hospital systems that often excluded Black doctors, while still meeting state requirements for licensure.
Joseph Edward Ghouri, M.D.
Eclectic Medical Institute, 1936
Joseph Edward Ghori, born Joseph Edward Ghouri in 1915, began his medical journey when he was admitted to the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati in 1936. His acceptance came during the final years of formal Eclectic medical education in the United States, at a time when access to medical training for Black students remained deeply limited. That admission alone placed Ghori within a small and significant group of physicians shaped by a tradition that valued knowledge, calling, and care over exclusion.
Ghori studied at the Eclectic Medical Institute for two years before completing his college education at Ohio State University. According to records preserved by the Lloyd Library, a defining influence on his path to medicine was a personal experience with polio. Living through serious childhood illness gave Ghori an early understanding of vulnerability and healing, inspiring him to become a physician and to dedicate his work—particularly—to the care of children.
Ghori went on to establish his own private medical practice, building long-term relationships with patients and families in Cincinnati. In 1960, he founded the Cincinnati Allergy & Asthma Center, focusing on conditions that profoundly affect daily life, especially for children. That same year, he was also working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, further reflecting a career oriented toward pediatric and family-centered care.
Later in life, Ghori simplified the spelling of his surname from Ghouri to Ghori, a change reflected in institutional and professional records. His legacy extended beyond his own lifetime. His daughters, Patricia K. Ghori and Ann C. Ghori, later assumed leadership of the practice, and today the family’s work continues through their sons, Gordon E. Myers and David E. Tapke, carrying forward a multigenerational commitment to patient care.
Clifford J. Hickman MD and Benjamin Hickman Jr. MD
Eclectic Medical Institute, 1889 & 1891
Clifford J. Hickman graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute in 1889, followed by his brother Benjamin Hickman Jr. around 1891. Their father, Benjamin Hickman Sr., worked as the school’s janitor for approximately 30 years and was much loved in his time.
Newspaper accounts from the period reflect both recognition and confusion surrounding Black achievement. In June 1890, the Cleveland Gazette referred to Clifford Hickman as the first Afro-American graduate of the Institute, while subsequent reports clarified that other Black graduates followed closely. These discrepancies underscore how Black professional accomplishments were often poorly tracked, inconsistently reported, or debated rather than clearly recorded.
Horace W. Conrad MD and William A. B. Kerr MD
Eclectic Medical Institute, c 1890
In 1890, Horace W. Conrad of Louisville graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute, with contemporary newspapers identifying him as one of the earliest Black graduates. A Cincinnati Commercial Gazette report confirmed his graduation alongside other Black physicians that same year.
Later historian Wendell Dabney wrote that “Doctors Ben and Cliff Hickman were the first graduates of the Eclectic Medical College,” followed by a third physician identified as Dr. Kerr, likely William A. B. Kerr. Kerr died in 1927 and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. His inclusion reflects the challenges historians face when reconstructing early Black medical history from partial and sometimes conflicting sources.
James T. Broadnax (Class of 1904)
James T. Broadnax of Augusta, Georgia represents a generation of Black physicians whose medical education required both perseverance and strategic navigation of limited opportunities. In 1892, at the age of twenty-five, Broadnax began his medical training at Meharry Medical College, one of the few institutions in the United States established specifically to educate African-American physicians.
Meharry had been founded to meet an urgent need: to provide medical education to Black students barred from most white institutions. For students like Broadnax, it offered quality instruction through professional faculty members, and legitimacy at a time when professional doors were otherwise closed. For unknown reasons, Broadnax ultimately transferred to the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati later in the decade.
At EMI, Broadnax continued his studies under difficult circumstances. He supported his education by working as a janitor’s assistant at the college, a reminder of the economic barriers that accompanied racial exclusion in medical training. Despite these challenges, he completed the curriculum and graduated in 1904, earning the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
Though little documentation survives regarding Broadnax’s later medical practice, his graduation stands as evidence of determination, adaptability, and presence. Like many Black physicians of his era, Broadnax’s life is known primarily through institutional records rather than personal archives. Yet his journey remains a vital part of the Eclectic tradition’s history.
Charles W. Beaman (Class of 1903)
Charles W. Beaman graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati in 1903, after transferring from Howard University Medical School in 1898 to pursue his medical studies within the Eclectic tradition.
Beaman’s journey reflects the interconnected world of Black medical education at the turn of the 20th century, when students often moved between institutions in search of opportunity and access. Howard University and Meharry Medical College served as foundational spaces for African-American medical training. Beaman’s subsequent enrollment at EMI suggests his determination to complete a medical education even as the broader medical landscape was shifting toward standardization and exclusion.
After years in private practice, Beaman’s professional life came full circle when he returned to the Institute that had trained him. He served EMI in several key roles: as treasurer, faculty mentor, and secretary to the Board of Trustees, contributing to the school’s administration and the education of future physicians.
John R. Moore (Class of 1906)
John R. Moore of Philadelphia graduated from the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati in 1906, during a period when opportunities for Black physicians were increasingly constrained by institutional consolidation and racial exclusion within American medicine. His graduation marks the continued presence of Black students within the Eclectic tradition into the early 20th century.
Little survives in the public record beyond Moore’s name, place of origin, and year of graduation. No detailed biography, professional notice, or obituary has yet been identified. This absence reflects a broader historical pattern rather than an individual anomaly: Black physicians educated outside elite biomedical institutions were often documented unevenly, with their careers preserved primarily through institutional records rather than narrative histories.
Moore is identified as a Black physician through registrar annotations at the Eclectic Medical Institute, where the word “colored” appears beside his name. Such marginal notations—rather than standardized demographic fields—are among the few explicit racial identifiers preserved in EMI’s records. Their presence provides critical evidence while also underscoring the limits of how Black professional lives were recorded.
Though Moore’s later practice and personal life remain largely unknown, his name endures in the archive as part of a cohort of Black physicians trained within the Eclectic tradition. To acknowledge Moore is to recognize both the individuals we can partially document and the many whose contributions shaped medical care despite leaving only faint traces in the historical record.
Remembering the Black Physicians We Cannot Name
In telling these stories, it is equally important to acknowledge those whose names we cannot yet recover. Many Black physicians educated within the Eclectic tradition remain unidentified in the historical record, not because they were absent, but because race was often unrecorded, obscured, or deliberately omitted from official documents. Graduation lists, catalogs, and directories preserved credentials, not identity; skill, not circumstance. As a result, countless Black Eclectic physicians can only be glimpsed indirectly—through annotations, correspondence, census fragments, or institutional memory—rather than through complete biographies.
To remember them is not to invent what the record does not show, but to recognize what the record fails to capture. Their presence is felt in the margins of archives, in practices built and sustained, in patients treated, and in communities served. By naming the limits of documentation, we resist the erasure that silence can create. The history of Eclectic medicine—and of American medicine more broadly—is larger than the names we can list. It includes those whose lives were lived fully, whose work mattered deeply, and whose stories remain waiting, patiently, to be rediscovered.
