Almost 62 years later, doctor gets apology from medical school that denied his admittance

ATLANTA — Emory University School of medicine offers an apology to a man denied admission 62 years ago.

The prospective student was a Clark College graduate named Marion Gerald Hood. Hood had ambitions of becoming a physician but first needed to complete medical school.

Hood applied to Emory in 1959.

“I am sorry I must write you that we are not authorized to consider for admission a member of the Negro race,” said director of admissions, L.L. Clegg.

Along with the letter the school returned Hood’s $5 application fee.

“I don’t even know if they looked at my credentials,” said Hood.

Hood did not let this setback defer his dream. He went on to medical school at Loyola University in Chicago.

He was able to have a successful career in gynecology and obstetrics in the Atlanta metro area.

In 1962, Emory officially desegregated and admitted its first Black medical student, Hamilton E. Holmes, in 1963.

On June 17, almost 62 years after the rejection of his application, The School of Medicine formally apologized to Hood.

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“Advancing the School of Medicine’s lens to a climate and culture of inclusion and belonging cannot be done without restorative justice. As a university, acknowledging our past is a necessary step toward an empowered future,” said Carolyn Meltzer, the School of Medicine’s executive associate dean for faculty academic advancement, leadership and Inclusion.

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