Name/Title
Ricketts, Matthew, Dr.Entry/Object ID
9999.BHF.323Scope and Content
Ricketts, Matthew
This folder has a photocopy picture of Matthew Ricketts. The original is in the picture file.
Matthew Oliver Ricketts St. Joseph Physician. He was born into slavery on April 3, 1858, in Henry County,. Kentucky. After the Civil War, the Rickets family moved to Boonville, Missouri. where Matthew was able to attend school. He later earned a degree from the Lincoln Institute in Jefferson City and returned to Boonville to teach. In 1880 he gave up teaching and entered the Omaha Medical College in Nebraska. He worked as a janitor to pay expenses. In 1884, he was the first African-American to graduate from medical school in Nebraska. In October, he opened his first practice and the following month married Alice Nelson of St. Joseph, Missouri
In 1892, he was the first African-American elected to the Nebraska State Senate. During his two terms he continued to work for civil rights. Newspapers praised the Senator as being a very careful physician as well as exceeding likeable. Dr. and Mrs. Ricketts were parents of three children: Helen, Richard, and Alma. Only Helen would survive her parents.
Around 1900, the Ricketts family moved to St. Joseph where Dr. Ricketts opened an office at 820 Edmond. He continued to practice medicine until his death in 1917 at age 58. He is buried in the historic Mount Mora Cemetery in St. Joseph.
There is a copy of a presentation given by the Black Archives of St. Joseph on Dr. Matthew G. Ricketts February 24, 2011.Collection
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