Susan Goldenberg

In 1954 when she was twenty-three Beverley Bell, then a Victorian Order nurse, met J. (John) Douglas Salmon, one of only four black medical students at the University of Toronto, through his sister. He graduated in 1955 and they married in 1956. Like her, he achieved remarkable success; he became the first black person to be appointed chief of  surgery at a Canadian hospital. – Scarborough Centenary in Toronto where he was on staff from 1967 until 1995.

He died in 2005, their golden anniversary year. In 2012 she and their family created the Dr. John Douglas Graham Salmon Award at U of T, which annually provides $1,200 to a  black medical students “in financial need.”

Beverley said about her husband:

“Douglas was born in 1923, the youngest of six children. His mother and father both died when he was a child, and a widowed aunt took in all of the children. She had been trained as a nurse, but because of racism at that time was unable to work as one. They had very little money.

“Douglas was channelled into “commercial” courses in high school. He graduated at the top of his class, but wanted to attend university – so he went back to high school for two years in the evenings to get the subjects he needed. He worked during the day.

“At U of T, he was one of only four black students in his medical school class. He received a scholarship, but to cover his expenses he also worked part-time. In second year, he was voted class president.

His family and friends knew what a struggle it was for him to pay his way through university. We also knew how much he benefited from the scholarship he received: he went on to become a very successful surgeon. We wanted to extend the same opportunity to students today.

“Douglas and the other black medical students in his class really had to assert themselves to get a good placement, even though they all graduated in the top third of their class. I think even today black students have to prove themselves by working harder.”