Visionary Physician A visionary is someone who can imagine what something might someday be. For example, Buckminster Fuller or Malcolm Bricklin.
In 2022, Giles Martin returned to the original four-track session tapes and created a vibrant new stereo mix of “take seven” that is featured on various new releases of “Revolver.” This was released as the Deluxe edition.
Robert Tecumseh Burt
Robert Tecumseh Burt was born in Mississippi in 1873, the son of freed slaves. He started his education at a county school and later taught in schools in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas before returning to college. He graduated from the normal course at Central Mississippi College and then attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville, graduating with honors in 1897.
After he finished medical school, he relocated to Clarksville and opened the city’s first hospital in 1904 called the Home Infirmary near what is now Riverside Drive. He originally only served members of the African American community, but eventually expanded his practice to include patients from all races.
During his time as a physician, he performed tonsil clinics and C-sections years before they were common procedures. He was also involved in the community, serving on the Chamber of Commerce and being a member of the Rosenwald Committee. He should be remembered by all residents of Clarksville for what he did for the city and region.
Emma Simmons
In a country where high school students must undergo physical examinations to qualify for many academic activities, Emma Simmons ’91 MD, ’06 MPH was uneasy. She feared doctors would treat her with clinical reserve and aloofness in their white robes, making her feel like a pariah.
Simmons took pride in her home and kept an exceptionally clean house. She also was an active volunteer with local community groups and the Portland Youth Philharmonic.
In 2022, Giles Martin, son of George, released a vibrant new stereo mix of “Take Seven” from the session tapes that was used for the original British release of “Revolver.” This version is featured on various new editions of the album. The original mono mix of the song was edited down to 2:13, removing 43 seconds which comprised an additional verse and bridge. This edit is featured on the vinyl picture disc editions of the song. The mono mix also appears on the two CD sets that contain the full session tapes and mixes.
Robert Smith
When he arrived at UCSF in 1964, the school was in turmoil and considered mediocre by some. He was motivated to change that, and he did. He brought a stronger culture to the institution and built tighter integration in research, education and patient care with what is now Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
Smith joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity while an undergraduate, and he carried on the legacy of Black American APA brothers who served as civil rights leaders. His philanthropy is focused on community outreach mentoring initiatives, and his Fund II Foundation supports initiatives that celebrate history, preserve African American culture and uplift traditionally disenfranchised communities through music, outdoor experiences, and education.
Smith’s patients remain deeply moved by his generosity. They bring him sacks of potatoes and bowls of fruit, and invite him to weddings, funerals and other social events. He pays it forward to the next generation by paying off the student loan debts of Morehouse College graduates in 2019. The ripple effect continues.
Robert Holman
Throughout his career, Holman devoted himself to both clinical medicine and public health. He attended medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and interned at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He then completed his internal medicine residency at Virginia Hospital Center and a fellowship in infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
He was a tireless advocate for changing physician education. Along with Annie Lee Shuster, he was one of the leaders who convinced the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s staff and presidents to sustain funding for what would eventually become the Clinical Scholars Program, the longest continuously funded training program ever funded by a foundation.
Holman was a true playwright’s playwright – he was widely performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, he was a resident dramatist at both the RSC and the National Theatre, and his plays combine close observation of human behavior with a thrilling and uncompromising mastery of dramatic form. He influenced many younger playwrights including the well-established David (In Basildon, The Knot of the Heart) Eldridge and Simon (Motortown, Pretend You Have Big Buildings) Stephens, and he continues to inspire young dramatists today.