Black History Month: Honoring Dr. Berry

From Michael Lu and Kashika Sharma:

To honor the celebration of Black History Month, we’ll take a look at Leonidas Harris Berry MD, a black scientist with significant influence on science. Break the Outbreak being a science-based organization is appreciative of people like Doctor Berry and all the others who have contributed so much to the field.

Berry was born in 1902 in North Carolina to a humble family. Despite this, he quickly sought out ambitious endeavors. Just into his 20s and in the span of 10 years, Berry earned two bachelors of science degrees and two masters. Such a rapid start propelled him into an influential career.

Berry entered residency for one of his masters with Cook County Hospital and Chicago, establishing himself as the first ever black intern at that hospital. A couple years later, Berry joined the “first black-owned and operated hospital in the United States” at Chicago’s Provident Hospital. He went on to be the first black physician at the Michael Reese Hospital, and from there his battle only continued.

The hospital and the world had recognized his notoriety and pioneering in the STEM field, yet they would still not offer him a position of attending staff. Why? He was “deemed ‘not qualified’”. However, with the rise of the US civil rights movement, there was no more waiting. After quite a powerful response to the committee reviewing his appeal, he was finally named to the position he so desired.

Berry’s career was filled with such impactful achievements as being a figure of the civil rights movement, but he also had tangible accomplishments in the field itself. From the first black scientist to present a paper to the American Medical Association, to developing the Eder-Berry gastrobiopsy scope, Berry made astounding discoveries in the field of gastroenterology.

It is undoubted that Dr. Berry’s dedication moved society forward both in social realms and in scientific knowledge.

From Bala Mazimdar:

Dr. Leonidas Harris Berry (1902-1995) was a gastroenterologist that worked in an all black hospital in Chicago. He obtained his MD from Rush Medical college in 1929, and his degree in pathology at UICOM in 1933. He studied under Dr. Schindler in order to learn how to use the gastroscopy and its associated procedures. He was one of the first, if not the first, African American to use a fiberoptic gastrocamera. Dr. Berry opened his own clinic in 1937 while serving as the chairperson of the GI division of Provident Hospital. Contributing to many medical journals and textbooks, Dr. Berry received the Rudolph Schindler award among many others. Along with all of his great scientific achievements, Dr. Berry was a civil rights activist and partook in anti-drug initiatives (Center, 2010). 

Dr. Berry had started his own gastroscopy clinic in 1937 (Orphanides, 2021). Later in 1955 he invented the Eder-Berry biopsy attachment for the Eder-Palmer gastroscope  (Orphanides, 2021). This invention was one of its kind as it was the first direction suction instrument for tissue samples. The reason this invention was incredibly unique was because it allowed it to operate via suction while offering good visualization of what was happening. The Eder-Berry biopsy attachment later became very useful for stomach lesions such as sarcoidosis, and gastritis  (Orphanides, 2021). As advancements were taking place, Dr. Berry was up in the front advancing his equipment and knowledge. Soon a new more flexible version of the instrument was invented by a company in Japan. With great dignity Dr. Berry was the first physician in America to use this model. Dr. Berry had a very intelligent mind which he showed through the power and advancements of his invention.