John Covert Boyd (December 24, 1850 – July 7, 1927) was a surgeon and medical director in the

United States Navy Medical Corps The Medical Corps of the United States Navy is a staff corps consisting of military physicians in a variety of specialties. It is the senior corps among all staff corps, second in precedence only to line officers. The corps of commissioned offic ...

. He is one of the incorporators of the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the des ...

and one of the founders of the

Kappa Sigma Fraternity Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colo ...

Biography

John Covert Boyd was born on 24 December 1850 near Bradford Springs, South Carolina and spent his youth at the private schools of Charleston. From 1869 to 1871, he attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

. While there, he founded the

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and col ...

fraternity with four other friends on December 10, 1869:

William Grigsby McCormick William Grigsby McCormick (June 3, 1851 – November 29, 1941) was an American businessman of the influential McCormick family in Chicago, who was a co-founder of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He also served as a Chicago alderman. Early life and educ ...

, Edmund Law Rogers Jr., Frank Courtney Nicodemus, and George Miles Arnold. After Boyd's second year, in which he entered the medical program, he transferred to the

University of the City of New York New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. After graduating as a

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

, Boyd was appointed as an assistant surgeon in the Navy medical corp, eventually rising to the rank of Medical Director. In 1902, he became a professor in the Navy Medical College, Washington, where he was second in seniority. Under supervision of the Surgeon-General of the Navy, Boyd compiled a book of instructions for medical officers. In 1905, President Roosevelt appointed Boyd to be one of the members of the Board of Incorporators of the

. He died on 7 July 1927 and is buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Personal life

Boyd's father was William Simms Boyd, who was a graduate of South Carolina Medical College and his mother was Laura Nelson (Covert) Boyd. In 1887, he married Katherine Dorr Willard and had two children, Alice and Walter. They resided in Washington, D. C.

Legacy

* Fellow of the

New York Academy of Medicine The New York Academy of Medicine (the Academy) is a health policy and advocacy organization founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York metropolitan area physicians as a voice for the medical profession in medical practice and public health ...

* Member of the

Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal * Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associati ...

* Member of the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's sta ...

* Member of the

Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natura ...

* Member of the Archaeological Institution of America * Honorary member of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, John Covert 1850 births 1924 deaths People from Lee County, South Carolina University of Virginia alumni New York University Grossman School of Medicine alumni Kappa Sigma founders United States Navy Medical Corps officers American Red Cross personnel American surgeons Burials at Arlington National Cemetery