Vivian Pinn, M.D. (1941- )
Vivian W. Pinn was born on a farm in Halifax, Virginia in 1941, but moved to Lynchburg in her early life. When asked about her inspiration for becoming a doctor, Pinn responded “I think I got the interest in being a doctor because there was illness in my family—I had a grandmother who was diabetic, and I had a grandfather who was suffering from cancer—and I noticed two things. One: when the doctor came to see them, they always seemed to be better. That was in the days when house calls were made, so the doctor came to your home. And it just seemed that whenever the doctor came, they were always better afterwards, and I liked that.” She’s told that one of the first words she learned to spell was ‘pediatrician.’
After graduating as the valedictorian of her segregated high school in Lynchburg, Vivian Pinn went on to Wellesley College for undergraduate studies in 1958. It was here that Ms. Pinn’s focus shifted from pediatric care to pathology. Nine years later, she graduated from the University of Virginia’s Medical School in 1967 as the only Woman and only African American in her class. After completing her residency in pathology in 1970, Pinn took the role of professor and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Tufts University School of Medicine. In 1982, she moved to Washington D.C., to serve as a professor and chair of the pathology department at Howard University College of Medicine, making her the first African-American woman to run a pathology department in the U.S. Most recently, Dr. Pinn served as the first full-time director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institute of Health, an office dedicated to increasing women leadership in research and academic settings in general, until 2011. Jordan Hall at the University of Virginia’s Medical School was renamed to ‘Pinn Hall’ in her honor as late as 2016.
Dr. Pinn has had an incredibly impactful career. She has been active in her field for over 50 years straight, and is the recipient of numerous awards since the 1990’s. Some include…
induction as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1994
the Elizabeth Blackwell Award from the American Medical Women's Association in 1995
election to the National Academy of Medicine in 1995
The Foremother award from the National Center of Health Research in 2013
the Alma Dea Morani Award from The Women in Medicine Legacy Foundation in 2020, and so many more.
Dr. Pinn has fought and continues to fight against the grain of society through her success as a Black Woman growing up during segregation, and through centering the experience of those who have been historically neglected or overshadowed. For that, her story deserves admiration and will most definitely inspire others to do the same. Thank you, Dr. Vivian Pinn.
Read my sources on Vivian Pinn here, here, here, here, and here.