Frequently Asked Questions About the History of the College

Q: Who was the founder of the College?

A: Although many were responsible for its founding, Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, is generally regarded as the person who conceived and brought to reality the journal Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics (SG&O ) in 1905, The Clinical Congress of Surgeons of North America in 1910, and the plans for the founding of the American College of Surgeons in 1913.

Q: Who was the first African-American member of the College?

A: Daniel Hale Williams, MD, FACS, St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, was the first African-American surgeon. He was admitted to Fellowship in 1913.

Q: Who was the first woman member of the College?

A: Florence West Duckering, MD, FACS, an attending surgeon, New England Hospital for Women and Children, Boston, MA, was one of the first women surgeons admitted to the College in 1913. However, the 1913 American College of Surgeons Yearbook lists at least five other women as members of the College.

Revised October 20, 2011