Fort Wayne dentist and longtime community activist
Stuart, former president of the local NAACP, marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C. in 1963, during which King gave the famous “I have a dream” speech. He was also a Fort Wayne Community Schools board member and longtime volunteer at Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinic.
As president of the local chapter of the NAACP and as a Fort Wayne Community Schools board member, Stuart insisted on pointing out racial injustices and calling for change, including the desegregation of FWCS.
Stuart graduated from the old Central High School in 1947, then earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hampton, Va., Institute (now Hampton University) before starting dental school. After graduation, he served with the Army for two years at a New Jersey base and then remained in New Jersey to begin his dental practice. He returned to Fort Wayne in 1959, operating his practice from a Lafayette Street office, and later an office on Calhoun Street.
Slowed by a stroke in 1997, Stuart continued to serve the community as a volunteer at the Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinic.
Dr. Stuart died on Wednesday, October 26, 2005.
His death marks the passing of another of the city’s civil rights leaders. Stuart’s good works and powerful lessons should remain.
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Friday, October 28th 2005 at 11:17AM
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