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This Day in Arkansas History

October 18, 1917

Mamie Phipps Clark, the first African-American woman to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in psychology from Columbia University, was born in Hot Springs (Garland County). The research she did with her husband was important in the success of the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared the doctrine of “separate but equal” with regard to education to be unconstitutional because such separation generated “a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community” on the part of African-American students.

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Sam Kountz

Samuel Lee Kountz Jr., a native of Phillips County, was a physician and pioneer in organ transplantation. In 1961, he performed the first kidney transplant between a recipient and a donor who were not identical twins. Four years later, he performed the first renal transplant in Egypt. During his medical career, he performed more than 500 kidney transplants. Kountz died on December 23, 1981.

 

Samuel Lee Kountz Jr., a native of Phillips County, was a physician and pioneer in organ transplantation. In 1961, he performed the first kidney transplant between a recipient and a donor who were not identical twins. Four years later, he performed the first renal transplant in Egypt. During his medical career, he performed more than 500 kidney transplants. Kountz died on December 23, 1981.

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About the Encyclopedia

The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas is a free, authoritative source of information about the rich history, geography, and culture of Arkansas. It is updated regularly to ensure the people of Arkansas have an accurate and accessible resource to explore our heritage. We invite you to browse our text entries and media galleries to learn more about the people, places, events, legends, and lore of the 25th state. We are continually adding new entries, photographs, maps, videos, quizzes, lesson plans, and more, so check back frequently to see what’s new.

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