Daniel Hale Williams was an American surgeon best remembered for performing one of the world's first successful open-heart surgeries. He pursued a career in medicine at a time when opportunities were limited for African Americans and earned his medical degree from Chicago Medical College in 1883.
Recognizing the lack of hospital access for African American residents in Chicago, Williams founded Provident Hospital and Training School in 1891, the first non-segregated hospital in the United States, which also provided nursing opportunities for African American women.