Robert Burt
Robert Tecumseh Burt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 25, 1873 Attala County, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 1955 (aged 81) |
| Education | Jackson College Walden University Central Mississippi College, Meharry Medical College Harvard University E.A. Printy School of Surgical Techniqu |
| Occupations | Medical doctor, Surgeon, Teacher |
| Known for | Operating the only hospital in Clarksville, Tennessee |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Physician, Surgeon |
| Institutions | Home Infirmary (Clarksville, Tennessee) Bernard School (McMinnville, Tennessee) |
| Sub-specialties | Abdominal surgery, c-sections |
Robert Tecumseh Burt (November 25, 1873 – August 16, 1955) was an African-American medical doctor, surgeon, and teacher.[1] He operated an infirmary and later the only hospital in Clarksville, Tennessee from 1906 to 1916.
Early life and education
[edit]Robert Tecumseh Burt was born freed on November 25, 1873, in Attala County, Mississippi, to parents Sylvia (Sanders) and Robert Burt that had been enslaved.[2][3] He was born in a one room dirt floor house on his grandfather's farm.[3] Burt completed high school in Kosciusko, Mississippi.[3][4]
He studied at Jackson College in Columbia, Tennessee; Walden University (B.A. degree) in Nashville, Tennessee; Central Mississippi College in Kosciusko, Mississippi; Meharry Medical College (M.A. degree 1897 in Nashville, Tennessee); and he did post-graduate work at Harvard University and E.A. Printy School of Surgical Technique.[2][4][5]
Career
[edit]He moved to Clarksville in 1904, where he set up a medical practice on Third Street.[1] In 1906 Burt opened Clarksville’s first hospital called "Home Infirmary" near what is now Riverside Drive.[1][6] Burt initially offered the facility for surgery within the African-American community,[6] but it soon served all races who needed medical assistance.[1] He was skilled at abdominal surgery and c-sections.[6]
Burt also taught at Bernard School in McMinnville, Tennessee.
Death and legacy
[edit]He was an active member of the community, until his death from an ongoing illness on August 16, 1955.[2] He is remembered as a highly skilled surgeon and community leader; Burt High School and a community center were named in his memory in Clarksville.[2]
The "Home Infirmary" building was destroyed by a fire in 1992, and the site now contains a historical marker.[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Smith, Chris (February 12, 2023). "10 Black leaders who helped shape Clarksville's history". ClarksvilleNow.com. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Wynn, Linda T. "Robert T. Burt (1873–1955)". ww2.tnstate.edu. Tennessee State University. Archived from the original on August 4, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Burgess, Joe Ann (July 6, 2020). The Odyssey of Burt High School: The Evolution of Education of a Small Black High School in a Small Southern Town. Dorrance Publishing. pp. 281–282. ISBN 978-1-4809-2530-4.
- 1 2 Ashford, Evan Howard (July 27, 2022). Mississippi Zion: The Struggle for Liberation in Attala County, 1865–1915. University Press of Mississippi. p. 1808. ISBN 978-1-4968-3974-9.
- ↑ Reeves, Cheri (February 22, 2024). "Black History Month: Remembering Clarksville's Dr. Robert Burt - Main Street Media of Tennessee". Main Street Media of Tennessee -. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
- 1 2 3 Mitchell, Liana; Wallace, Joel (2000). Clarksville. Arcadia Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7385-0648-7.
- ↑ "Burt Home Infirmary". www.visitclarksvilletn.com. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Robert Tecumseh Burt papers, Fisk University
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