David Kearny McDonogh MD (abt. 1819 - abt. 1893)

Born about 1819 in Louisiana, United States

Died about 1893 at about age 74 in New York City, New York, United States

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Biography

David McDonogh MD is Notable.

David K McDonogh, MD was the first Black attending physician at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, and the first Black ophthalmologist in America.

David was born a slave in Louisiana and was the property of John McDonogh, a wealthy landowner who owned thousands of acres and hundreds of slaves in Orleans Parish. David likely grew up on the home plantation of McDonoghville across the river from Jackson Square in New Orleans. In the 1820s John McDonogh initiated a program that allowed his slaves to purchase their freedom after 15 years by working extra hours and from proceeds of produce they produced on plots of land he allotted them. He did not believe in manumission but arranged for those slaves to emigrate to Liberia. Recognizing the intellect and potential of two of his slaves, David and Washington, he arranged for them to receive a formal education so that they could assume positions of leadership in Liberia.

On May 2, 1838, David and Washington, slaves of John McDonogh, were shipped from Louisiana to New York on the ship Orleans. David was described as 5 feet 5 inches, black and age 20. Washington was described as 5 feet 6 inches, black and age 18.^[1]

Their eventual destination was Pennsylvania to attend Lafayette College. Although Pennsylvania was a free state, the duo were under contract with John McDonogh to emigrate to Liberia after graduation. Both were under the guardianship of Senator Walter Lowrie. Although Washington would emigrate to Liberia in 1842 with his family, David was determined to become a physician. After initially threatening to return him to slavery, John McDonogh removed all financial support. Apparently Lowrie would continue in his support and in 1844, David McDonogh graduated from Lafayette.^[2] He had to attend classes separately from his white peers and is acknowledged as the first person of color to graduate from a Pennsylvania college.The Mcdonogh Legacy, Lafayette University website accessed 06-23-2022 Link to Article

David would move to New York and with the support of John Rodger Kearny, obtained admission to Columbia University. Although allowed to attend classes, Columbia University would not grant him a degree upon graduation in 1847.

Rodgers provided him a staff position at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he practiced ophthalmology for 11 years. It was said: “he did excellent work and was frequently in demand as a consultant.” When John Kearny Rodgers died in 1850, David took Kearny as his middle name.

During this time, McDonogh began a private practice on Sullivan Street in Greenwich Village^[3][4] and joined with Frederick Douglass in abolitionist and worker’s rights causes.

He married Elizabeth Van Wagner, had three children, and settled in Newark, New Jersey.^[5] Of the three children, only daughter Alice would reach adulthood.

In 1875, he was awarded a medical degree from the Eclectic Medical College of New York, where he also became a faculty member.^[6]

In 1893, at age 72, McDonogh died in his Newark home and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York.

David McDonogh signed his will in New York City on June 8, 1881. It was proved on February 24, 1893.^[7]

Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons agreed to confer David with a posthumous medical degree, presented to his great, great, granddaughter at a graduation ceremony in 2018.^[8]

Slave Owners

1. John McDonogh

Research Notes

No details on David's early life or family have been located. Date of birth, as with most enslaved individuals is a guess at best. He was about 19 or 20 when he went to Pennsylvania to attend Lafayette.

David took the last name of his owner, as did Washington, who travelled with him to Pennsylvania. There is no known relationship between the two.

The above biography was created after researching numerous articles on his life. Where collaborating information was located, those are cited above.

Sources

1. ↑ Slave Manifest: "New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., Slave Manifests, 1807-1860"
   The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Slave Manifests of Coastwise Vessels Filed at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1807-1860; Microfilm Serial: M1895; Microfilm Roll: 22
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 1562 #220511 (accessed 22 June 2022)
   Name: John McDonogh; Residence Place: New Orleans; All Enslaved People: David
   Washington.
2. ↑ School Catalog: "U.S., School Catalogs, 1765-1935"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 2203 #1200367 (accessed 22 June 2022)
   Name: David Kearney McDonogh; Publication Year: 1879; Publication Place: Pennsylvania; School Name: La Fayette College; Residence Place: New York City.
3. ↑ 1860 Census: "1860 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1860; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 13 District 2, Kings, New York; Roll: M653_772; Page: 981; Family History Library Film: 803772
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 7667 #46613923 (accessed 23 June 2022)
   David R McDonagh (32), Physician, in Brooklyn Ward 13 District 2, Kings, New York. Born in Louisiana.
4. ↑ 1870 Census: "1870 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1870; Census Place: New York Ward 15 District 1, New York, New York; Roll: M593_993; Page: 408A
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 7163 #24612501 (accessed 22 June 2022)
   David Mcdonough (41), Physician, in New York Ward 15 District 1, New York, New York. Born in Louisiana.
5. ↑ 1880 Census: "1880 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1880; Census Place: Newark, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: 777; Page: 516A; Enumeration District: 046
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 6742 #36157856 (accessed 22 June 2022)
   David Mcdonogh (57), married, Doctor Med, head of household in Newark, Essex, New Jersey, USA. Born in Louisiana.
6. ↑ University of the State of New York. (18361904). Annual report of the Regents. Albany. accessed on Hathi Trust website 06-23-2022 Link to Page
7. ↑ Probate: "New Jersey, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991"
   Probate Records, 1794-1902 [Essex County, New Jersey]; Author: New Jersey. Surrogate's Court (Essex); Probate Place: Essex, New Jersey
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 8796 #885285 (accessed 11 June 2023)
   David K McDonough probate on 8 Jun 1881 in Essex, New Jersey, USA.
8. ↑ Moore, Martha T After 170 years, a Posthumous Degree Columbia University Medicine Magazine website accessed 06-23-2022 Link to Article

• This article contains the research done by Koplin including excerpts from letters written by both John McDonogh and David McDonogh
  • Richard S Koplin; This Is America - The untold story of America’s first Black ophthalmologist, David K. McDonogh The Opthamologist accessed website 06-23-2022 Link to Article

• Breaking Free By Marion Callahan and Brian Callaway Of The Morning Call The Morning Call Sep 20, 2008 at 12:00 am website accessed 06-23-2022 Link to Article
• America’s First Black Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology Specialist The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mt Sinai, website accessed 06-23-2022 Link to Article
• Richard S Koplan, MD; Oct 6, 1016, America's First African-American Eye Specialist: David K. McDonogh, MD accessed on American Academy of Ophthalmology on 22-06-2022 Link to Article

See also:

• IRS Tax List: "U.S., IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918"
  The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for New York and New Jersey, 1862-1866; Series: M603; Roll: 53; Description: District 4; Annual Lists; 1865-1866; Record Group: 58, Records of the Internal Revenue Service, 1791 - 2006
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 1264 #1428388 (accessed 22 June 2022)
  Name: D K Mcdonogh; Tax Year: 1865; State: New York, USA.
• Directory: "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995"
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 2469 #581309920 (accessed 22 June 2022)
  Name: David K McDonogh; Gender: Male; Spouse: Elisabeth F McDonogh; Publication Title: Newark, New Jersey, City Directory, 1898.
• Probate: "New Jersey, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991"
  Probate Records, 1794-1902 [Essex County, New Jersey]; Author: New Jersey. Surrogate's Court (Essex); Probate Place: Essex, New Jersey
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 8796 #818160 (accessed 22 June 2022)
  David K Mc Donogh probate on 24 Nov 1893.
• Probate: "New Jersey, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1739-1991"
  Probate Records, 1794-1902 [Essex County, New Jersey]; Author: New Jersey. Surrogate's Court (Essex); Probate Place: Essex, New Jersey
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 8796 #885285 (accessed 23 June 2022)
  David K McDonough probate on 8 Jun 1881.

• Death of McDonough's Daughter The New York Age; New York, New York 22 Feb 1917, Thu • Page 8 accessed on newspapers.com 06-22-2022 Obituary of Alice Browne