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<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nDr. Charles F. Whitten\u00a0was a physician, a medical pioneer and the founder and president emeritus of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA).\u00a0His dedication and commitment to SCDAA and to those with sickle cell disease will be forever\u00a0remembered\u00a0and cherished.\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Whitten passed away on August 14, 2008 at the age of 86.
\nDr. Whitten was born on February 2, 1922 in Wilmington, Delaware to school teachers Emma Clorinda Carr Whitten and Tobias Emmanuel Whitten.\u00a0In 1942, he earned his B.S. degree in zoology from the University of Pennsylvania.\u00a0He\u00a0then studied medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee and earned his M.D. degree in 1945 at age twenty-three.
\nDr.\u00a0Whitten worked as a general practitioner in Lackawanna, New York from 1946 to 1951, and then\u00a0served two years as a captain in the US\u00a0Medical Corps before returning to the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s Graduate School of Medicine for a year of advanced study in pediatrics.\u00a0In 1953, he began a two-year residency in pediatrics at Children\u2019s Hospital in Buffalo, NY. In 1955, he moved to Detroit, MI for a one-year fellowship to study pediatric hematology under Dr. Wolf Zeltzer.
\nIn 1957, he joined the faculty of Wayne State University School of Medicine and was subsequently appointed chief of pediatrics at the Detroit Receiving Hospital, making him the first African American to head a hospital department in Michigan.\u00a0During his tenure at\u00a0Wayne State University Dr.
\nWhitten served for 16 years as Associate Dean\u00a0for Curricular Affairs, and 10 years as Dean for Special Programs. He authored over 100 journal articles and 7 book chapters.
\nDr. Whitten was deeply concerned about the under representation of African American physicians. In 1969, this inspired him to conceptualize and implement an innovative post-baccalaureate\u00a0enrichment\u00a0program, the first initiative of its kind in the nation.\u00a0\u00a0By its\u00a030th anniversary, the program had graduated almost 300 students of color, more than any other medical school with the exception of Howard University and Meharry College of Medicine.\u00a0His model has been replicated in medical schools across the country.
\nDr. Whitten\u00a0is widely regarded in the medical community as a trailblazer for his work in sickle cell\u00a0disease\u00a0screening.\u00a0In 1971,\u00a0he\u00a0formed the Sickle Cell Detection\u00a0and Information\u00a0Center in Detroit, MI, a\u00a0comprehensive community program\u00a0which developed educational tools for teaching children and families about sickle cell disease.\u00a0He directed this center for 19 years.\u00a0He\u00a0also\u00a0founded the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America of Michigan (SCDAAMI) based in Detroit and served as its President until his death. SCDAAMI remains one of the original members of SCDAA.\u00a0Understanding the need for a national agenda for sickle cell disease, Dr Whitten was instrumental in the\u00a0creation of\u00a0the National Association for Sickle Cell Disease,\u00a0now known as the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc.
\nIn 2002, Whitten was named Michiganian of the Year, and in 2004,\u00a0he\u00a0was named distinguished professor of pediatrics, emeritus at Wayne State University.\u00a0The Black Medical Association established the Charles F. Whitten Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented annually. The first award went to Dr. Whitten. He also\u00a0has been\u00a0honored with a Special Recognition Award from the Association of\u00a0American Medical Colleges for his pioneering efforts in medical education and treatment.\u00a0In addition,\u00a0SCDAA\u00a0presented him with a Legacy Award for his 21 years of service in\u00a0the\u00a0organization\u2019s leadership, and has since named a special lecture after him at its Annual National Convention.
\nSCDAA celebrates the life and achievements of Dr. Charles F. Whitten for his outstanding commitment and dedication to\u00a0the sickle cell community. We cannot thank him enough\u00a0for\u00a0his leadership and for inspiring generations to be advocates and leaders in the sickle cell community.
\n(Information for this article provided by\u00a0Historymakers.org,\u00a0Findagrave.com\u00a0and wayne.med.edu)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dr. Charles F. Whitten:\u00a0A\u00a0Physician. Medical pioneer. Founder and President Emeritus of the\u00a0Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. Dr. Charles F. Whitten\u00a0was a physician, a medical pioneer and the founder and president emeritus of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc. (SCDAA).\u00a0His dedication and commitment to SCDAA and to those with sickle cell disease […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2025,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n