Angella Dorothea Ferguson, longtime administrator and professor of pediatrics at Howard University, passed away on January 6. She was 100 years old.
Dr. Ferguson earned her bachelor’s degree and medical degree from Howard University in her hometown of Washington, D.C. After completing an internship at Freedmen’s Hospital, she pursued additional training in pediatrics at Freedmen’s Hospital and at Cornell University’s hospital in New York City.
In 1953, Dr. Ferguson joined the faculty of the department of pediatrics at the Howard University College of Medicine. Throughout her long tenure, she conducted extensive research on the growth and development of infants and children, with a particular focus on sickle cell anemia.
In 1970, Dr. Ferguson took on administrative responsibilities as director of programs and facilities in the Office of the Vice President for Health Affairs, where she led the development and evaluation of numerous academic and research programs in health science disciplines. She also provided oversight for the design and construction of the new Howard University Hospital, which replaced Freedmen’s Hospital.
Following completion of the new hospital, Dr. Ferguson was named associate vice president for health affairs. In this role, she supervised the development of several projects at the Howard University Center for Health Sciences, including enhancing infrastructure for the College of Medicine, the College of Dentistry, the Animal Research Center, the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, the Hospital Ambulatory Care Center, and several research facilities.
Dr. Ferguson retired from Howard in 1991, following nearly four decades of service.