A.C. Jackson was an African American surgeon who was murdered during the

Tulsa race massacre The Tulsa race massacre, also known as the Tulsa race riot or the Black Wall Street massacre, was a two-day-long massacre that took place between May 31 – June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as deput ...

in 1921 and is known as the most prominent victim of the massacre. Jackson was a leading member of the Oklahoma medical community and the African-American community in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

until his death. Jackson was considered as the "most able Negro surgeon in America" by the

Mayo brothers The Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, e ...

, founders of the Mayo Clinic.

Early life and education

He was born in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

to Captain Townsend D. Jackson and Sophronia in February 1879. Townsend Jackson was a former slave from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

who had served in the

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during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and Sophronia was a former slave from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. He was the youngest of three children. The family moved to Guthrie in 1889, where his father worked as the town jailer and was elected justice of the peace. Jackson graduated from

Meharry Medical College Meharry Medical College is a private historically black medical school affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1876 as the Medical Department of Central Tennessee College, it was the first me ...

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

and trained as a surgeon in Memphis.

Move to Tulsa

In 1910, he married his wife, Julia, and due to increasing segregation and racial animosity toward African-Americans in Guthrie the young couple moved to the

Greenwood Green wood is unseasoned wood. Greenwood or Green wood may also refer to: People * Greenwood (surname) Settlements Australia * Greenwood, Queensland, a locality in the Toowoomba Region * Greenwood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth C ...

district in Tulsa. Jackson set up his practice in Greenwood and served as the president of the state medical association. In 1916, he expanded his practice opening up a location in

Claremore Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County in Green Country or northeastern Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,580 at the 2020 census, a 5.4 percent increase over the figure of 18,581 recorded in 2010.Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

about opening up the "Booker T. Washington Hospital for Negros" on the corner of Boston Ave. and Archer St. The hospital was not built. He was a member of the

International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor The International Order of Twelve Knights and Daughters of Tabor is an African-American fraternal organization best known as the sponsor of the Taborian Hospital. It was founded as the International Order of Twelve in 1846 as an antislavery societ ...

and served on the board of directors of the Colored Orphan Home for Tulsa. Some of the surgical tools he invented are still in use today.

Death

Former police commissioner and retired judge John Oliphant reported that Jackson was fatally shot in 1921 during the

when he "came walking toward me with his hands in the air" saying "here am I. I want to go with you", surrendering. A mob of about seven armed men intercepted him and two of them shot him. One of the men shot him after he had fallen to the ground. He bled to death from his wounds at the Convention Hall.

Killer

Conflicting reports on the identity of the shooter exist, but sources agree no one was ever charged for the murder of A.C. Jackson. The ''

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 202 ...

'' reported in 2020 that his shooter was never identified, but one of the armed men was identified as a former

Tulsa Police Department The Tulsa Police Department (TPD) is the principal law enforcement agency for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies It is the second largest municipa ...

officer named Brown by John Oliphant. ''The Victory of Greenwood'', a historical project by Tulsa Star editor Timantha Norman, identifies James “Cowboy” Long as Jackson's killer citing John Oliphant's testimony on July 21, 1921, to the State Attorney General's office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, A. C. 1879 births 1921 deaths 1921 murders in the United States 20th-century African-American physicians 20th-century American physicians 20th-century surgeons American surgeons Deaths by firearm in Oklahoma Meharry Medical College alumni People from Memphis, Tennessee Physicians from Tennessee Racially motivated violence against African Americans People involved in the Tulsa race massacre