Black History Month: Dr. Douglas Salmon
As one of only four Black students at the University of Toronto’s medical school in 1955, Dr. J Douglas Salmon graduated and would go on to become president of Scarborough Centenary Hospital’s medical staff, and chief of general surgery – the first black person in Canada to hold these positions. He also became one of the first surgeons in Canada to treat people who were morbidly obese with the then life-changing treatment, gastric bypass surgery.
Throughout his life, Dr. Salmon had to work hard for all he achieved. During both his high-school and post-secondary career he worked several jobs to pay for his schooling. Salmon had received a scholarship that helped him afford his time at university, and this rare advantage was never forgotten. With his family, his wife Beverly established the Dr. J. Douglas Salmon Award for Black Medical Students for the University of Toronto in 2006 which provides financial aid to those in medical school at the university.
Not only was Douglas an outstanding physician and surgeon, he was an accomplished pianist and activist. He was a member of the Race Discrimination Committee in 1942 in Toronto and organized protests against policies that forbade Black citizens from entering entertainment venues such as at Toronto’s Palais Royale. His love of music spurred on his desire that access to the jazz greats performing their at the time should be available to all.
Dr. Salmon retired from practice in 1997 and passed away in 2005. For his excellence in the field he was awarded Canadian Black Achievement Award in Medicine.
References
https://www.uhn.ca/corporate/News/Pages/remembering_Dr_Douglas_Salmon.aspx
https://www.sciencerendezvous.ca/news/2021/02/25/black-canadian-scientists-to-know/
https://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20050927/282020437683762
About the Author
Claire Notman (Programming & Communications Coordinator)
Claire holds a Bachelor of Education with a major in History from Queen’s University. Throughout her professional career, Claire has enjoyed working with a number of local and national non-profit agencies developing and delivering educational programming, and supporting outreach and communications efforts. Hiking, biking and singing are the ways she take a break from the hectic day-to-day.