Leonidas Harris Berry (1902 - 1995)

Born 20 Jul 1902 in Woodsdale, Person, North Carolina, United States

Husband of Emma (Ford) Berry — married 5 Aug 1959 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

Died 4 Dec 1995 at age 93 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Leonidas Berry is Notable.

Person Life

Berry^[1], a descendant of a self-liberated African that fought in the U.S. Civil war on the side of the Union army,^[2] was born in Woodsdale, Person County, North Carolina. Living with his family in Chapel Hill, NC; Berry was the eldest of four sons of Luellyn Berry and Beulah Harris. ^[3] Sometime between 1910 and 1919 the family has moved to Norfolk, VA. ^[4][5] In 1930 when Berry moved to Washington, DC ^[6] where he worked as an intern at the Freedman's Hospital.

Berry passed away in 1995, and was laid to rest in Chicago, IL. ^[7]

Berry The Doctor and Scientist

After graduating from Wilberforce University in 1924, Berry moved to Chicago where he received a second B.S. degree from the University of Chicago, followed by a M.D. degree from the Rush Medical College of the University. In 1933, he also received a M.S. degree in Pathology from the University of Illinois Medical School.^[1]

After receiving his medical degree, Berry worked briefly at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington, D.C. And then at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois where he specialized in gastroenterology and retired in 1975 as chief of endoscopy and senior attending physician.^[8] Berry lived in Chicago since his return in 1931, working at the Michael Reese Hospital, Provident Hospital, and the University of Illinois Medical School.

In addition to his long and distinguished medical career, Berry was active in teaching, writing, and community public service. The latter included work in civil rights, on the racial problems of public health, and with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was also the author of a genealogical history of his family I Wouldn't Take Nothin' For My Journey: Two Centuries of an Afro-American Minister's Family published in 1982.^[1]

In the early 1950s Berry started during his presidency of Cook County Hospital’s Physician Association the "Berry Plan", a citywide movement which provided medical counseling clinics for the prevention and follow-up care of young drug users. It was implemented and operated by the Illinois State Department of Health.^[9]

Berry's papers, which he gave to the National Library of Medicine in 1986, centered on Berry's active professional and civic life. While the earliest copies of family material date from the 1890s, the bulk of the collection dates from the 1950s. Included are correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, publications, and lectures.^[10]

Awards

• Rudolph Schindler Award 1977 from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy ^[11]
• Distinguished Service Award from the National Medical Association^[12]
• First Annual Clinical Achievement Award from the American College of Gastroenterology
• Freedom Award for Public Service from the Chicago Chapter of the NAACP
• Distinguished Alumni Award of Rush Medical College

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} [1] Wikipedia Leonidas Berry
2. ↑ Berry, Leonidas H. I Wouldn't Take Nothin' for My Journey. Johnson Publishing Co. ISBN 9780874750799.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch ([2] : accessed 29 October 2021), Lernah Berry in household of Luellyn L Berry, Chapel Hill, Orange, North Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 135, sheet 16B, family 43, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1126; FHL microfilm 1,375,139.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch ([3] : 4 February 2021), Lawnidas H Berry in entry for Lewellyn ? Berry, 1920.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch ([4] : accessed 29 October 2021), Leonida C Berry in household of Llewellyn S Berry, Norfolk, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 25, sheet 6A, line 16, family 115, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2470; FHL microfilm 2,342,204.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch ([5] : accessed 29 October 2021), Leonidas H Berry, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 222, sheet 1A, line 45, family , NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 298; FHL microfilm 2,340,033.
7. ↑ "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998", database, FamilySearch ([6] : 23 March 2021), Leonidas H. Berry, 1995.
8. ↑ University of Chicago [7]
9. ↑ Rush University Medical Center Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
10. ↑ "Leonidas H. Berry Papers 1907-1982". National Library of Medicine.
11. ↑ Rudolf Schindler Award Recipients Archived 2 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine. [8]
12. ↑ Rush University Medical Center Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. [9]

• Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century, Oryx Press, 1996. Pages 9-12.