90-Year-Old Doctor Broke Barriers in LA Medical History

A 90-year-old physician who refused to let 1930s prejudice define his future transformed medical education for an entire generation of doctors.

Dr. Mirion Bowers grew up as one of 13 children in the Jim Crow South. While his father farmed and his siblings taught school, he dreamed bigger during an era when Black physicians were rare in America.

After training as an ear, nose and throat specialist in Germany through the U.S. Army Medical Service, Bowers returned home with a mission. "I kind of wanted to do something that lived beyond me," he said.

In 1972, Bowers created history at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in South Los Angeles. He developed and launched the first ear, nose and throat residency training program west of the Mississippi River.

The program operated through Charles R. Drew University, a historically Black institution in Willowbrook. "We didn't restrict it to Black people, but we should have an ENT residency program at a Black institution," Bowers explained.

His pioneering work sparked a national shift as medical programs across America began accepting African American residents. Bowers also built partnerships between UCLA and Charles R. Drew University, expanding opportunities through collaboration.

Bowers later became the first Black physician to serve as chairman and CEO of Good Samaritan Hospital, the oldest hospital in Los Angeles. He helped establish ENT programs at colleges nationwide and created university scholarships for aspiring medical students.

Why This Inspires

Three generations of Bowers family members now practice medicine. His daughter Dr. Jasmine Bowers works as an anesthesiologist, while his granddaughter Dr. Onieka Obiohap is a board-certified dermatologist.

"I think back to my grandfather, who was the first of many and I can't even imagine how uncomfortable breaking each barrier was," Obiohap said. "His resilience, his dedication and his ability to continue that legacy just is, I think, remarkable."

Bowers reflects on his groundbreaking career with characteristic humility. "I just did what I thought was right."

Today, he stays active playing golf around Los Angeles and continues encouraging future physicians with simple advice: "Call your dream. Don't let someone else define you."