Henry McKee Minton
| Henry McKee Minton | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
25 December 1870 Columbia, South Carolina, United States |
| Died | 29 December 1946 (aged 76) Philadelphia |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Doctor |
| Known for | Sigma Pi Phi founder |
Henry McKee Minton (25 December 1870 - 29 December 1946) was an African-American doctor who was one of the founders of Sigma Pi Phi and was Superintendent of the Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia for twenty four years.
Henry McKee Minton was born on 25 December 1870 in Columbia, South Carolina, son of Sawyer Theophilus Minton and Jennie McKee Minton, both from Philadelphia. His father was a lawyer. Henry was an only child. He took the name of his uncle Henry Minton, a founder of the caterer's trade guild in Philadelphia who had become a prosperous businessman. His grandfather on his mother's side was Colonel John McKee. McKee had come to Philadelphia from Virginia in the 1840s, become a waiter and then the owner of restaurants before moving into real estate and reputedly becoming a very wealthy man.
He began to attend public schools in Washington, D.C. at the age of five. He spent two years in the Academy of Howard University, then studied at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, graduating in 1891. He played a prominent role among the student body of Exeter. He was assistant managing editor of the Exonian and managing editor of the Literary Monthly. He was president of the debating society, co-editor of the Pean and class orator at his commencement.
Minton then spent a year studying Law at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by three years studying Pharmacy at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He graduated with a Ph.G. degree in 1895. In 1897 he opened a drugstore, the first in Philadelphia to be operated by an African American. Colonel McKee died in April 1902. According to newspaper reports, he was "the richest coloured man in America." In his will, Colonel McKee left very little of his money to his family and other acquaintances, leaving most of his fortune to the Roman Catholic Church to build a college for orphans, despite having no prior connection to that church. After some dispute, Henry Minton obtained $25,000 from the estate, which proved much smaller than had been rumored. This was still a very large amount of money at the time.
Leaving the drugstore, in 1902 Minton was admitted to Jefferson Medical College.
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