William Montague Cobb, AB, MD, PhD, dedicated his life to turning prejudice into pluralism. He began pondering the question of race at an early age, which ultimately led him to become the first African American Anthropologist with a PhD. A native Washingtonian, Dr. Cobb spent in excess of 41 years as a teacher, anthropologist, editor, writer, historian and physician. Drawing upon his talents to promote civil rights, Dr. Cobb launched several crusades that attacked segregation and discrimination in medical education, professional training, and healthcare.
Dr. Cobb displayed extraordinary academic talents throughout his education. He graduated from Dunbar High School which was the premier African-American school at that time, then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College. His thirst for knowledge then took him to Woods Hole Marine Biology Laboratory to study embryology and to Howard University Medical School where he earned his Masters Degree. After receiving his PhD from Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Cobb returned to Howard as a professor of physical anatomy, where he taught from 1932 until his death in 1990.
From 1944 to 1977, Dr. Cobb served as editor and the driving force of the Journal of the National Medical Association. He also served as the president of the National Medical Association from 1964-65 and the President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1976-1982
