By Dr. Patrick T. Conley
When Dr. Wheatland died in 1934 at the age of sixty-six, his obituary in the Newport Daily News newspaper led off by noting, “The life of the late Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland should be an inspiration to every boy, white or colored, who believes he has no chance to succeed.” Marcus Wheatland’s life was indeed a success story, but it was an exceptional story for a young person of color growing up in the time that he did. But then again, Marcus Wheatland was an extraordinary person.
Born February 16, 1868, in Bridgetown, Barbados, in the British West Indies, he was educated in private schools on that island before relocating in 1887 to Boston, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, he attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., where, in 1895, he graduated with a degree in Medicine. Upon graduation, he moved to Newport, Rhode Island, where he set up his medical practice.
Why he came to live and practice in Rhode Island is anyone’s guess, but most likely, it was his relationship with George T. Downing, Rhode Island’s most prominent man of color at the time, who may have recommended the place. Wheatland married Irene De Mortie, George Downing’s granddaughter, within three years of his arrival.
1895 was not only the year that Marcus Wheatland graduated medical school, but it was also the year that Wilhelm Röntgen invented the X-ray machine. This happy coincidence would prove significant because Wheatland became a leading expert in the United States on the use of X-rays to diagnose and treat patients. He owned the very first X-ray machine in Newport.
As his medical practice grew, so did his accomplishments and fame. In 1909, Wheatland lectured on using X-rays at the National Medical Association annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, he was elected president of that prestigious association and would later sit on its Executive Board. He was the author of numerous articles published in various medical journals. He was a member of the American Electro-Therapeutic Association, the American Medical Association, and the Newport Association for the Relief and Prevention of Tuberculosis.
His service was not limited to the medical field; he also found time to serve on the Newport City Council. In 1994, in recognition of his many accomplishments, Newport renamed West Broadway “Dr. Marcus Wheatland Boulevard.” He, indeed, was an exceptional man.
Dr. Patrick T. Conley is Historian Laureate of Rhode Island and founder and President of The Heritage Harbor Foundation.