Dr. H. Jack Geiger Oral History Interview

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

The oral history consists of ten digital files: 2011.174.76.1a, 2011.174.76.1b, 2011.174.76.1c, 2011.174.76.1d, 2011.174.76.1e, 2011.174.76.1f, 2011.174.76.1g, and 2011.174.76.1h, 2011.174.76.1i, and 2011.174.76.1j. Dr. Jack Geiger, (MD, MSciHyg) discusses his early life experiences and how he came to be a leading figure in the Medical Committee for Human Rights. He describes his childhood in New York City, where he found a mentor in actor Canada Lee, his college experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his time as a U.S. Merchant Marine. He discusses his involvement in the Congress of Racial Equality and the American Veterans Committee in Chicago during the late 1940s. While attending medical school at Case Western Reserve University, Geiger's interest in community-centered health grew, especially after a trip to South Africa. He eventually volunteered as a medical professional in Mississippi, where he helped to establish the Tufts-Delta Health Center in 1965.

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