Asa G. Yancey Sr. (August 19, 1916 – March 10, 2013) was an American physician who is professor emeritus, Emory University School of Medicine and former

medical director A medical director is a physician who provides guidance and leadership on the use of medicine in a healthcare organization. These include the emergency medical services, hospital departments, blood banks, clinical teaching services and others. A m ...

of the Hughes Spalding Pavilion at Grady Memorial Hospital. Yancey graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia. He then went on to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from

Morehouse College , mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made") , type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college , academic_affiliations ...

in 1937. He received his M.D. from the University of Michigan in 1941 and later studied general surgery under Dr.

Charles R. Drew Charles Richard Drew (June 3, 1904 – April 1, 1950) was an American surgeon and medical researcher. He researched in the field of blood transfusions, developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to devel ...

Professional life

Yancey's early medical career includes service as a first lieutenant in the

U.S. Army Medical Corps The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps (non-combat specialty branch) of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least one ye ...

. He served as chief of surgery at the Tuskegee

Veterans Administration Hospital Veterans' health care in the United States is separated geographically into 19 regions (numbered 1, 2, 4-10, 12 and 15–23) In January 2002, the Veterans Health Administration announced the merger of VISNs 13 and 14 to create a new, combined netw ...

from 1948 until 1958. In 1952, he published “A Modification of the Swenson Operation for Congenital Megacolon” ten years before Dr. Soave was credited for a similar medical procedure. In 1958, Yancey became the medical director of the Hughes Spalding Pavilion at Grady Memorial Hospital, (currently the

Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital The Children's Healthcare of Atlanta - Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital is a freestanding, 24-bed, pediatric acute care and outpatient children's hospital located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. It is affiliated with both the Emory University Sc ...

Accomplishments and board memberships

In 1964, Yancey became the first African-American member of the medical faculty at Emory University and, along with other faculty members, is responsible for the development of the Cardiology Center at Emory. He is also Grady Memorial Hospital's first African-American doctor. Yancey established the first accredited surgical residency for African-Americans in the state of Georgia and the state of Alabama. The Asa G. Yancey Medical Center of the Grady Health System in Atlanta, Georgia, is named in his honor. An archive collection called the ''Asa G. Yancey Papers'' are housed in the

Auburn Avenue Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Au ...

Research Library of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library. The collection spans from 1938 to 2001, highlighting Yancey's medical career, his contribution to the field of medicine, selected articles and publications. In 1973, Yancey was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He has served on several boards which include: the editorial board, ''Journal of the

National Medical Association The National Medical Association (NMA) is the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients in the United States. The NMA is a 501(c)(3) national professional and scientific organization repr ...

''; Georgia Division of the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

; the

American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913.American College of Surgeons Online "What is the American College of Surgeons?"/ref> See also *American College of Physicians The American College o ...

and the

Atlanta Board of Education The Atlanta Board of Education is the governing body of Atlanta Public Schools. The board has nine members: six are elected by geographical districts and three are elected citywide. All serve four-year terms. While the board establishes and approv ...

Family life

Yancey was born to Arthur and Daisy Yancey. He and his wife Carolyn E. (Dunbar) Yancey are the parents of Arthur Yancey II, M.D., Caren Yancey-Covington (D), Carolyn Yancey, M.D. and Asa G. Yancey Jr., M.D.

External links

Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library
Emory University
Asa G. Yancey Papers, ca. 1940-2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yancey, Asa G., Sr. 2013 deaths American surgeons 1916 births United States Army Medical Corps officers University of Michigan Medical School alumni Morehouse College alumni Burials at South-View Cemetery Members of the National Academy of Medicine