Dr. Sumner Alexander Furniss: First Black Staff Doctor at Indianapolis City Hospital in Indiana
Dr. Sumner Alexander Furniss was the first African American to become a member of the staff at Indianapolis City Hospital in Indiana.
After competing in a rigorous exam given to fourteen selected candidates from across the country, Furniss served as an intern at the Indianapolis City Hospital and became the first African American professional to serve at the hospital.
In 1909 Furniss founded the first African American hospital in Indianapolis, Lincoln Hospital, where he served as chief surgeon until its closing in 1915.
Rare for black physicians at the time, Furniss held memberships in American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Society, and the Indianapolis Medical Society.
Furniss was also a lifetime member of the Flanner House, an Indianapolis settlement house, and was a charter member of the Senate Avenue YMCA, serving as its first president.