Charles B. Purvis | |
|---|---|
 Purvis in 1887 | |
| Born | April 14, 1842 |
| Died | December 14, 1929 (aged 87) |
| Occupation | physician |
| Political party | Republican |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Harriet Purvis, Jr. (sister) |
Charles Burleigh Purvis (April 14, 1842 – December 14, 1929) was a physician in Washington, D.C. He was among the founders of the medical school at Howard University. He was the first African-American physician to attend a sitting president of the United States when he attended President James Garfield after he was shot by an assassin in 1881. Purvis was the first black physician to head a hospital under civilian authority, when he was appointed as surgeon-in-charge of the Freedmen's Hospital that same year. He was the first African-American person to serve on the D. C. Board of Medical Examiners and the second black instructor at an American medical school. He was also a leading activist in civil rights and universal suffrage movements.