Dr. Richard Francis Joneswas a pioneering urologist who helped pave the way for other Black specialists in his field. In 1936, he became the first Black diplomat for the American Board of Urology before a long medical career established and cemented at Howard University. Dr. Jones was born February 6, 1897, in Washington, D.C. After being operated on for a hernia as a youth, Jones was inspired to embark upon a career in medicine. He completed both his undergraduate and medical doctorate program at Howard University by 1922, and interned at Freedmen’s Hospital, now known as Howard University Hospital.
