Reader Responses to At the Fork of the Stream

I recently finished reading the September-October issue of the magazine. As usual, I found it well written and enjoyable except for one sentence in the article about Dr. Robert Smith.  On page 40 it says “A white Jewish physician who hunted around the area learned of Smith’s interest and gave him some old medical textbooks when Smith was still a teenager.”  I understand why it’s relevant that the physician was white but why is it relevant that he was Jewish? No one else’s religion is mentioned except when relevant such as Brown President Keeney happening to be a member of the same church as Larry Durgin and the church is specified. Either everyone’s religion should be specified or no one’s unless it’s relevant. It’s the same as specifying race when it’s not relevant.

We are taught in sacred Scripture, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18). So today, I give thanks to and for Dr. Robert Smith, who was my first physician upon my return to Jackson, Mississippi, to serve as pastor of United Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1977. For his faith and faithfulness, courage, perseverance, vision, wisdom, loyalty, and dedication to the calling he is still fulfilling at 85 years of age…love will find a way.

I give thanks for Tougaloo, (Eagle Queen/Royal Blue & Scarlet), and Brown and for those on whose broad shoulders we all now stand; for providing a dedicated safe place and space for divine grace to unfold before our very eyes and ears and hearts; a place for solace, activism and service to humanity as the spiritual, social, and educational incubator for minds to expand and transform lives and communities leading to the appearance of better angels all around us…and confirmation that this centuries old experiment in democracy to make of these United States of America a more perfect union will in fact be realized in our life time by the Creator known to make a way out of no way…in whom stalwarts since 1869 like Dr. Robert Smith (sitting comfortably on the front pew of Woodworth Chapel, where history meets the future) cause us to believe in 2022 that a more perfect union is still possible and most worthy of pursuit. Thank you! May the peace of our awesome and amazingly kind Creator be with you, those you love and those who love you today, tomorrow and always. Blessings and favor.

It was such a pleasure to read the thoughtful and comprehensive appreciation for my dear friend and fellow Tougaloo graduate, Dr. Robert Smith. To me, the written-in-boldface statement of identity in my life for him is “Bob Smith saved my life!” That is a major sort of place for any person in another person’s life; but it is an enormous lesson in humility to hear how many more people that is true for than just me. 

He had only recently returned to Mississippi, and was still involved in getting his groundbreaking Comprehensive Medical Center approved and established, when my then-husband and I arrived at Tougaloo in fall of 1965. Bob was, among all his other concerns, acting as the medical presence on campus for students and the resident faculty members and families, which is how we met him. He was our only medical connection in this new place for us and our two small children. We had not even considered the fact that we might possibly have been the first white family of patients that he had served (such is the casual obliviousness of whiteness), we just recognized his calm confidence and delightful personality in our mutual collegial relationships.

Very shortly after our arrival at Tougaloo, I suffered a terrible event of multiple fire ant bites, throwing me into anaphylactic shock. Being so new in the area, we only knew of one hospital, nearest to Tougaloo campus, and it was a white hospital. We drove there, calling Dr. Smith and asking if he would be able to come see me there. I lost consciousness, but awoke in an examining room and saw his beautiful face there above me. I will never forget that moment, and the enormous wave of gratitude that I felt. I have never asked whether he already had “privileges” at that hospital, or whether there had to be some arrangements worked out on the spot for that event. Your article shows the enormous range of influence and effectiveness of Bob Smith’s medical, organizational, and humanitarian capabilities, affecting and saving many more people’s lives; but nothing in writing can convey that huge visceral life-debt that comes from such a personal encounter.

Thank you for this article. As an undergraduate at Tougaloo College, I only heard of Dr. Smith but never had the opportunity to meet him. I knew only of his legal fights to obtain admitting privileges to the Jackson hospitals during the ’60s. During that time, he was denied the right to admit his patients into the hospitals despite being board certified and white physicians who were given the opportunity were not board certified. There were other very basic struggles that he faced with the practice of medicine at the time. The last time I saw him on Brown’s campus was when he was receiving one of many teaching awards from the medical school. My last conversation with Dr. Smith included former Brown Tougaloo Partnership exchange student Jessica Brooks ’93. Jessica now is the chair of the Brown Tougaloo Advisory Council along with vice chair Marshala Lee ’11 MD. It is always a pleasure speaking to Dr. Smith because he gives many life’s lessons and represents intelligence, achievement, perseverance, and is a role model for society. Thank you again for highlighting Dr. Smith. Brown’s medical school has many jewels like Dr. Smith and thank you for shining the light on him.

We are taught in sacred Scripture, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18). So today, I give thanks to and for Dr. Robert Smith, who was my first physician upon my return to Jackson, Mississippi, to serve as pastor of United Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1977. For his faith and faithfulness, courage, perseverance, vision, wisdom, loyalty, and dedication to the calling he is still fulfilling at 85 years of age…love will find a way.

I give thanks for Tougaloo, (Eagle Queen/Royal Blue & Scarlet), and Brown and for those on whose broad shoulders we all now stand; for providing a dedicated safe place and space for divine grace to unfold before our very eyes and ears and hearts; a place for solace, activism and service to humanity as the spiritual, social, and educational incubator for minds to expand and transform lives and communities leading to the appearance of better angels all around us…and confirmation that this centuries old experiment in democracy to make of these United States of America a more perfect union will in fact be realized in our life time by the Creator known to make a way out of no way…in whom stalwarts since 1869 like Dr. Robert Smith (sitting comfortably on the front pew of Woodworth Chapel, where history meets the future) cause us to believe in 2022 that a more perfect union is still possible and most worthy of pursuit. Thank you! May the peace of our awesome and amazingly kind Creator be with you, those you love and those who love you today, tomorrow and always. Blessings and favor.

I was so glad to read the BAM story of Dr. Robert Smith. I can only imagine what he experienced in life. Alas, I don’t think I had him when I went in March of 1966. But one of my reasons for going was because there were two Black people in my first through eight grade classes and all I could think of was befriending them. Anyway, going to Tougaloo was a blessing for sure, and I didn’t want to return to Brown. I did, though, and I tried to reach out to any Black folks I encountered.

It gives me pride to know that someone like Dr. Robert Smith with determination made such a great impact upon medical help for those that were being overlooked by the system. I am convinced that God equips and places such a person in position for such a time to help the people. We must continue the fight for justice, freedom, and equality for all. The foundation has been laid and we must continue to build upon it.

As a graduate of Tougaloo College and having later worked there in the Business Office for four years, I’d like to give a shout out to Brown for the article “At the Fork of the Stream.” I know Dr. Robert Smith as a dedicated healthcare provider and a long-time committed civil rights activist. There was an occasion where my father was ill but refused to seek medical care. Upon a telephone call from my mother, Dr. Smith made a house call that very night to treat my father. Dr. Smith was the physician for my parents and my sister for more than four decades. I can also recall many times when Dr. Smith, as the attending physician at Tougaloo College, would not cash checks for the healthcare services he rendered to students. The less than outstanding ratings that I know some patients have offered have more to do with Dr. Smith’s office policy of “no appointments” necessary. I feel certain that his patients would agree with me that they receive excellent healthcare services with extraordinary bedside manners. Early on, Dr. Smith became known for his commitment to the civil rights movement, as well as his commitment to the delivery of quality health care services.

It’s all true. I’ve been a patient of Dr. Bob’s for over 50 years. My wife serves on his board of directors and we’re both white.

I remember Dr. Smith as a Tougaloo College physician. I had no idea of his extensive background and contributions. I’m very familiar with the beginning of the Brown-Tougaloo relationship in 1964 via the department of sociology. The late Dr. Ernst Borinski was the chair of the Tougaloo department of sociology and the late Dr. Harold Pfautz from Brown joined us.

Thanks for sharing Dr. Smith’s history. I’m even more proud of him and his contributions to Tougaloo, to Mississippi and to the USA.What a God-send still practicing. May God continue to bless him and his family.

Thank you for a wonderful article on Dr. Smith and his career as a mentor, a doctor, and as an activist. I wanted to chime in and say it’s been a pleasure working with him on a preservation project in the Farish Street Historic District in Jackson, Mississippi. His work with the nonprofit Scott Ford House, Inc., has helped to make possible the ongoing stabilization and rehabilitation of Mary Green Scott, a formerly enslaved woman, and her daughter, Virginia Ford’s houses. Ms. Ford was a practicing midwife during the Jim Crow era and provided basic medical care to the city’s African American community.

I am one of the Donald Family, a group which has supported Tougaloo for many years. One of our forebears, George Donald, had a part in the early history of Tougaloo. The article was forwarded to me by JoAnn Cromer, daughter of Cliff and Idell Williams, who spearheads the Donald Family contribution to Tougaloo each year. This article not only informed me on an important part of Tougaloo’s history, but it also moved me. Tougaloo has played a great part in the struggles and achievements African Americans have made in Mississippi and the world. Tougaloo has so much to be proud of.

Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story of a living legend.

Thank you for your in-depth article concerning Brown and Tougaloo (“At the Fork of the Stream,” September-October). I have more information concerning the bond between the two colleges, Tougaloo and Brown. Our friend at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater Oklahoma told us this story in 1963 while both my husband and Calvin were attending grad school at OSU in the math department. Calvin was from Tougaloo—a teacher of math. He told us that the State of Mississippi wanted to close down Tougaloo because they did not have enough PhDs on their staff. By law they ( I guess) had this right. Well, Brown had a surplus of PhDs even back in the 1960’s. A deal was worked out (Calvin told us) in which Brown would send down some of their PhDs to teach at Tougaloo for a few years while Tougaloo would send their teachers to get a PhD. Calvin was doing just that. He was getting his PhD and then would return to Tougaloo to teach. My husband studied math with Calvin during that year. My husband then left to get a PhD from Purdue and so we lost track of Calvin. What I know: Oklahoma State was a rather unfriendly university to Black people and to Yankees—yes that’s what we were. I often wondered how the Yankee professors existed in Mississippi teaching at Tougaloo. I also wondered what became of Calvin and how he survived OSU in Stillwater, Okla.

Dr. Smith treated me at Tougaloo’s Infirmary. He was a compassionate and gentle doctor. His upbeat and caring personality relieved any anxiety. This article was absolutely wonderful about a real and deserving legend.