At Denver Health’s Eastside Family Health Center, the weight of history is palpable. For Candace Lartigue, a nurse practitioner at the clinic, a portrait of Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. serves as a constant reminder of the profound legacy she is now a part of. “[When] I walk in the doors here, I am part of a legacy,” Lartigue reflects, highlighting the deep roots of African American history within the historic Five Points neighborhood where the clinic stands. This legacy, at the nation’s second-oldest community health clinic, is inextricably linked to the remarkable life and work of Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr.
Lartigue, a Black woman in healthcare, keenly understands the significance of Dr. Gipson’s achievements. “As a Black woman working in healthcare, you don’t see a ton of representation,” she notes, emphasizing the historical underrepresentation that persists even today. Dr. Gipson shattered barriers, becoming one of the first Black surgeons in the United States during the height of the Civil Rights movement. His journey and accomplishments resonate deeply within the Denver community and beyond.
“There have been a ton of contributions to civil rights, to the health equity movement, to social justice, coming out of Denver,” Lartigue explains, placing Dr. Gipson within a broader context of Denver’s historical significance. Dr. Gipson’s impact extended beyond his surgical expertise; he was known to have even provided care to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during one of his visits to the city, treating him for altitude sickness.
Denver7’s Eric Goody captures a portrait of Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr., an influential figure commemorated at the Denver Health Eastside Family Health Center.
Denver7 embarked on a journey to uncover more about the life and legacy of Dr. Gipson, whose name graces the Denver Health Eastside Family Health Center. Remarkably, Dr. Gipson himself had preserved his story, meticulously archiving photographs, letters, and certifications that offer a glimpse into his extraordinary life. These materials were later donated to the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, ensuring his story would not be forgotten.
Dexter Nelson III, the museums and archives supervisor at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, and his team are dedicated to preserving Denver’s rich African American history. Even for them, Dr. Gipson’s story was a revelation. As they carefully opened the boxes from the archives, they, along with Denver7, began to piece together the remarkable narrative of this pioneering doctor.
Eric Goody of Denver7 documents the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, a repository safeguarding the historical documents of Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. and other significant figures.
The most captivating discovery within the collection was a series of audio recordings of Dr. Gipson recounting his life story from 50 years prior. Nelson described being “blown away with his tenacity” after listening to Dr. Gipson’s own voice narrating his incredible journey.
Born in Texas in the 1920s, Dr. Gipson was the youngest of nine children and grew up in humble circumstances. Despite financial hardship, his family united to support his pursuit of education. In his audio recordings, Dr. Gipson recalled that his path towards medicine began at the young age of 11 or 12. A Black doctor visited his town and subsequently performed life-saving surgery on him. This encounter profoundly impacted the young Gipson. “To influence a youngster like I was at that time, with no money, that I become educated… does go to show, as we move along in life, that we must be careful because you can’t tell who is watching and may get an idea,” Dr. Gipson reflected in the recordings.
His journey was far from easy, marked by the pervasive racism of the era. Dr. Gipson left Texas to attend Morehouse University, then considered the most prestigious institution for Black men. Having completed the prerequisites for medical school, his plans were almost derailed by World War II. Army recruiters sought to enlist him, but Dr. Benjamin Mays, the president of Morehouse, intervened. Through his connections, Lieutenant Colonel Campbell Johnson deferred Gipson’s military service, enabling him to pursue his medical studies. “These men had the hard knocks, and they knew what we were going through, even though we were supposedly having it better,” Gipson acknowledged, recognizing the support he received from those who had faced similar challenges.
Initially, Dr. Gipson hoped to study medicine in Texas, but racial barriers prevented his admission to the University of Texas. Instead, the state of Texas funded his education at Howard University, a historically Black university. “[I] don’t know how I kept from being knocked down by some of these experiences. But each time, I seem to have gotten strength to do a little bit more,” Dr. Gipson shared, reflecting on the resilience he developed in the face of adversity.
At Howard University, he had the privilege of studying under Dr. Charles Drew, a pioneering surgeon renowned for revolutionizing blood plasma preservation techniques, which made large-scale blood banks possible. Dr. Drew was also the first Black professor of surgery at Howard. “I had never heard of a Black surgeon in my life,” Dr. Gipson admitted. Learning from Dr. Drew inspired him to specialize in surgery.
Following Howard, he completed an internship at Harlem Hospital in New York, and surgical residencies at Howard’s Freedmen’s Hospital and the U.S. Public Health Hospital in Boston, further honing his skills and expertise.
Eric Goody of Denver7 captures Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. alongside his esteemed Black medical colleagues, showcasing his professional network and peer group.
In 1954, the military brought Dr. Gipson to Colorado, assigning him to Lowry Air Force Base. “They had never had a Black Chief of Surgery at Lowry Air Force Base,” Dr. Gipson noted, marking another milestone in his career. By this time, Dr. Gipson had already passed the first part of the American Board of Surgery specialty board, the highest certification for surgeons. Yet, even at this advanced stage in his career, racism persisted.
When he traveled to Kansas City for his final board certification, the hotel where he had a reservation refused to accommodate him due to his race. “Can you imagine having studied for five years postgraduate and gotten all your credentials ready, on the final lap… you’re welcomed to the hotel, and a little girl telling you can’t sleep?” Dr. Gipson recounted the disheartening experience.
Despite this blatant discrimination, Dr. Gipson persevered and became Colorado’s first Black surgeon to achieve board certification, reaching the pinnacle of surgical expertise. After his military service, he established a family practice in Denver, dedicating himself to patient care until his retirement in 1995.
Dr. Bernard F. Gipson Sr. passed away in 2015 at the age of 93, leaving behind an enduring legacy. His story, preserved in the archives at the Blair-Caldwell library, continues to inspire.
Nelson emphasizes that preserving stories like Dr. Gipson’s is crucial for inspiring future generations. He envisions showcasing Dr. Gipson’s records in a museum exhibit to demonstrate that “people from humble beginnings came up and did amazing things, and that you can do that, too.” The Denver Health Bernard F. Gipson Eastside Family Health Center stands as a testament to his remarkable life and a beacon of healthcare service in the community he served so faithfully.
