Meet the Author: Dr. Edgar B. Jackson, Jr.

The seed to becoming a physician was planted within him before the age of ten when he first saw a Black doctor standing in his family's doorway in rural Arkansas to tend to his ailing mother. Until then, Edgar B. Jackson Jr. did not know Black doctors existed.

Shaker Library invites the community to meet Dr. Edgar B. Jackson, Jr., author of the memoir, A Way Up and A Way Out, at 3 pm Saturday, January 21 at the Main Library.
Dr. Jackson is a nationally renowned physician, leader, scholar, educator, and advocate of eliminating health care disparities among minority populations. Through his work as a private practice physician, hospital system executive, academician, and community leader, he founded, co-founded, or led several institutions, organizations, and programs that have positively impacted community healthcare delivery.

Dr. Jackson was born in Arkansas, and raised in Cleveland. He graduated from Central Senior High School in 1952 and was a U.S. Army Specialist, 4th Class in the Medical Corps, from 1959-1961 until his honorable discharge. He received his BA in Chemistry and MD from Case Western Reserve University where he was class president and graduated with honors in 1966. Now retired, he is board-certified in internal medicine and certified with the Ohio State Board.

Since 1970, Dr. Jackson has held several key senior and executive leadership roles at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University, in addition to his work as a private physician and community leader. From 1997-2000, Dr. Jackson served as chief of staff of University Hospitals.

Dr. Jackson is the recipient of many honors and appointments. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and was the second African American elected to the American Board of Internal Medicine's board of governors. The Edgar B. Jackson Jr. Endowed Chair was dedicated at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in 2004 and was the first endowed chair to honor an African American physician in Ohio. It is the only endowed position in the nation that promotes and ensures diversity among future medical leaders.

His memoir, A Way Up and A Way Out, will be available for sale and signing following his Saturday program. If you miss his talk, his book is available to borrow from Shaker Library or to purchase from amazon.com.