Donald Douglas is an American physician and politician serving as a member of the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...

from the 22nd district. He assumed office on November 18, 2021.

Early life and education

Douglas was raised in

Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...

in a family of 16 children. After graduating from Daviess County High School, Douglas earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabethtow ...

and a Doctor of Medicine from the

University of Kentucky College of Medicine A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

. He completed medical internships at the University of Kentucky and Saint Elizabeth Hospital in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

Career

Outside of politics, Douglas works as medical director and lead physician at the Tony Delk IMAC Regeneration Center in

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

. He was elected to the

in a November 2021 special election. When he assumed office, he became the first African-American Republican state senator in Kentucky.

Personal life

A former

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete, Douglas participated in the

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

and 1984 United States Olympic trials. During the 1980s, Douglas was one of the world's top athletes in the 400 meter hurdle event.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Douglas, Donald Living people Republican Party Kentucky state senators African-American state legislators in Kentucky Physicians from Kentucky Western Kentucky University alumni University of Kentucky College of Medicine alumni American anesthesiologists People from Owensboro, Kentucky 20th-century African-American physicians 20th-century American physicians 21st-century African-American physicians 21st-century American physicians 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century American politicians Year of birth missing (living people)