Top 10 Incredible Facts about Charles DeWitt Watts

A surgeon by JC Gellidon/Unsplash

Top 10 Incredible Facts about Charles DeWitt Watts

Dr. Charles Watts was a physician, surgeon, and activist for poor people, Watts received a degree in mathematics from Morehouse College. Watts became the first African American board-certified surgeon in North Carolina. He served as a chief surgeon at Durham’s Lincoln Hospital. Charles advocated for the certification of African American medical Students. He becomes a member of many professional colleges including the National Academy of Science Institute of Medicine. Watts was born in Atlanta, GA in 1917 to church-going parents.

DeWitt spent more than fifty years of his medical career advocating for civil and human rights and also for the quality of medical care for all residents of Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Watts opened his own private practice in general surgery in Durham N.C. at a time when African Americans had defined access to medical services. He made a way for any black person who wanted to be a doctor to be able to be certified. He is credited for pioneering blood plasma researcher Charles Drew mentoring him and inspiring his surgical career. Dr. Watts truly made his mark on history, he died at his Durham home at eighty-six years old.

1. Watts received a degree in Mathematics

Dr. Charles Watts was born in 1917 to parents who were church members, he was the youngest of four children. His father owned a country store, both parents taught their children the importance of hard work. Watts received a degree in Mathematics from Morehouse College his biology teacher Samuel Nabrit encouraged him to attend medical school. He studied medicine at Howard University in Washington D.C and completed his residency at the former Freedman’s Hospital under the guidance of Dr.

 Drew who was the head of the department. Dr. Watts served as an instructor of surgery at Howard, he became the chief surgeon at Lincoln Hospital which was one of the few hospitals that served black people and allowed black physicians to perform surgery. Charles was elected to attend Atlanta University Laboratory high school; he never gave up on making sure he could get education watts worked at the Washington D.C post office to support his education.

2. He was a chief surgeon at Lincoln Hospital

Hospital by Luis Sanchez/Unsplash

Dr. Charles practice medicine and specialized in surgery in Durham North Carolina, Watts was the chief surgeon at Lincoln Hospital, the few hospitals that served black people. He was frustrated by the obstacles blocking black doctors and surgeons from practicing and the no access to health care for African Americans and he wanted to fight this battle. He later becomes a clinical professor of surgery and director of student health at Duke university medical school and North Carolina Central University respectively.

He opened a private clinic for general surgery to cater to poor people and the African American community’s medical access. The Lincoln Hospital consisted of 150 beds; Watts also served as a trainee to interns. Charles Watts played a major role in establishing the Lincoln Community Health Centre. He served on the surgical staff at Durham Regional and was an adjunct clinical professor of surgery at Duke University Medical School.

3. Charles was a leader at North Carolina Mutual Life 

The Oxford dictionary describes leadership as taking risks and challenging the status quo, leaders motivate others to achieve something new and better. We all have leaders we look up to or we are under leaders who guide us to be better than ourselves. Well, Dr. Watts apart from being a medical advocate and practicing medicine took a number of leadership roles at North Carolina Mutual Life he pioneered the company’s actuarial medical initiatives establishing a focus on public health at the company.

Dr. Watts accumulated a long list of titles and honors. After his retirement, he later became the vice president and medical director for North Carolina mutual life insurance Co. the largest African American insurer in the country. Watts pioneered actuarial medicine that included advocacy for a public health focus at the company.

4. Charles Watts Travel Awards

Microscope by Misael Moreno/Unsplash

The Duke Medical School started a scholarship to honor Dr. Charles DeWitt Watts called the Charles Watt travel awards. This honor allows students and faculty to travel around the world in the study of a culturally specific medicine.  He was a member of the National Academy of Science Institute of medicine, and the American College of Surgeons, and an active participant in the National Medical Association, he broke racial barriers by pushing the certification for black medical students. Eileen Watts Welch, daughter of the late Dr. Watts emphasized the importance of the Lincoln Hospital to the black community in Durham and the smaller surrounding communities.

5. Watts Married Constance Merrick watts

Marriage by sandy Miller/Unsplash

Watts married Constance Merrick Wats, she was a graduate with a major in economics from Talladega College and a community volunteer a native of Durham. Their daughter Eileen Watts their first child was born at Lincoln Hospital. The two later had three more children Deborah Chase Watts hill and Winfred A. Watts Hemphill and a son Charles D. Watts Jr.

Eileen Watts attended Hillside High School Durham and with a degree from Spelman College Atlanta, she became an academic administrator. Charles on the other hand earned an MBA and law degree from the University of Carolina, and he is a practicing attorney and community leader. Deborah Watts Will died of breast cancer, Winifred obtained a law degree from Howard University and is now the President of Southview cemetery in Atlanta.

6. He was the most well-trained and gentle Surgeon

We all want to live a legacy behind Dr. Charles Watts left behind a great legacy, Charles Johnson one of Watts’s former students says “He was a clear vision, he was bright, energetic and a capable physician helping the black community”. During his lifetime, Dr. Watts accumulated a long list of titles and honors, he is most remembered for being the most well-trained and gentle surgeon, his students loved him and looked up to him. Been an advocate who fought for medical access to the African American Community in the world this changed and because of his fighting for blacks to be certified as doctors and surgeons today in the world, we have a diversity of doctors and surgeons.

7. Lincoln Community Health Centre

Hospital bed by National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

The Lincoln Community Health Center has served the Durham community as a preventative and primary healthcare facility since 1971. The health center was founded by the late Dr. Charles DeWitt Watts the first African American certified surgeon in North Carolina and a leader of the healthcare approach. When The Lincoln Durham Hospital closed Dr. Watt recognized that the patients needed a facility for primary healthcare needs. The Lincoln Community Health center emerged to treat the low-income, underserved population in the community. The legacy still remains today in the thriving health center and, in the community, at large. Dr. Charles Watt cleared the way for other African American doctors in the area and advocated for certification for African American students. Dr watts still opened his private practice to cater to the needs of the African American community.

8. North Carolina Life Insurance Company

North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, Durham County by Jerrye/Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Watts also served as vice president and medical director for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which is still the largest Black-owned insurer in America. Founded in 1898 the life insurance has been running for 120 years serving families of color for generations and fostering African American institutions from banks.

Located in downtown Durham, North Carolina and it is one of the most influential African-American businesses in United States history. The North Carolina Life Insurance company carries a legacy from America’s history. The company came to be known as the world’s largest African American business in only its first few years and is claimed by its home city of Durham as an important landmark.

9. Watts left a lasting Legacy for the black community

The National Level Dr watts was a member Academy of science‘s institute of medicine, a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, and an active participant in the National Medical association. He was a trustee of Howard University. Watts left a lasting legacy for the black and minority community for medical students and residents around the Nation, the work he left in North Carolina continues to help thousands of families access medical care. Dr. Watts recognized the patients he treated would still need a facility for their primary healthcare needs. Lincoln Community Health Center offers a wide range of services including pediatrics, adolescent health, adult medicine, family medicine, dental and behavioral health.

10. Dr. Charles Watts’s death

Cemetery by Victor Kure Wu/Unsplash

After his astonishing dedication to fighting for the African American Community to get equality, Watts died at his home at the age of 86 years in 2004 due to complications from diabetes and heart disease. After his funeral at St Joseph AME Church Durham, he was interred at Beechwood Cemetery. He will forever be known as a well-trained and gentle surgeon. He will forever be remembered as an Icon who fought for the Black Community.