The mission of the C.V. Roman Medical Society is to advance the art and science of medicine for people of African descent via education, advocacy, and health policy. We aim to promote health and wellness, increase access to care, eliminate health disparities, and sustain physician viability.
Our work continues to be guided by the legacy of our namesake, Dr. Charles Victor Roman.
About Charles Victor Roman
Dr. Charles Victor (C.V.) Roman was a physician, writer, educator, and historian born in 1864 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Due to racial discrimination especially prevalent in United States at the time, African Americans in search of higher education often went abroad to study. Seeking higher education, Roman traveled to Ontario, Canada, where he studied at Hamilton Collegiate Institute.
Medical Career & Contributions
Upon his return to the United States, Roman began working with Robert F. Boyd, a practicing physician and professor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.
Boyd was also the founder of Mercy Hospital, the largest hospital in the South owned and managed by African Americans. Boyd would later go on to co-found the National Medical Association and serve as its first president between 1895-1898.
In 1899, Roman graduated with a medical degree from Meharry. He furthered his education at the Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital of Chicago and then the Royal Ophthalmic Hospital and Central London Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital in England. He opened his first medical practice in Dallas, Texas, before specializing in otolaryngology in Nashville, Tennessee.
Roman was the founder and first head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at Meharry Medical College. He also served as a professor of medical history and ethics and was the Director of Health at Fisk University in Nashville.
Legacy & the National Medical Association
Roman was a prolific writer and the first editor of the Journal of the National Medical Association. His passion and eloquence were evident in his many contributions to the Journal and his active professional life as a speaker, organizer, and educator.
During a time when professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, were restricted to whites only, a group of Black doctors sought membership into the AMA but were repeatedly denied admission.
This led to the creation of the National Medical Association (NMA), a national professional and scientific organization representing the interests of African American physicians and the patients they serve. The C.V. Roman Medical Society is the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the NMA, named in honor of Dr. Roman’s remarkable legacy.
Our history is a testament to the enduring strength and resilience of the African American physicians who came before us. As we look to the future, we remain committed to our mission of advancing the art and science of medicine for people of African descent.