This was the home of Dr. William Fisher Boddie (1884-1940) and his wife, Dr. Luetta T. Sams Boddie (1885-1965), an African-American couple who practiced medicine together in Forsyth from 1907-1922, counting both black and white citizens among their patients. The home was purchased from Atilla T. W. Lytle, a white Republican at a time when such affiliation was very unpopular, even dangerous, in the South.
Dr. W. F. Boddie left the practice in 1922 and joined the Citizens Trust Company of Atlanta as Executive Vice-Cashier. He also served on the boards of Morris Brown University and numerous charities. One of his brothers was a doctor in Milledgeville and another a dentist in Kentucky. Dr. Luetta Boddie continued the practice until 1943. These pioneering black physicians raised two sons who also became physicians. Dr. Arthur W. Boddie was a doctor in Detroit and Dr. Lewis F. Boddie was an obstetrician-gynecologist in Los Angeles.
Sources: City of Forsyth & Monroe County African-American Heritage Guide & Tour and the Journal of the National Medical Association (January 1941).
Thank you for posting this information about our dad’s family and their former home in Forsyth. One minor correction of note, our grandmother’s first name was actually Luetta rather than Luella (the Journal of the National Medical Association unfortunately contained a typo). Thanks
Nice history! Sounds like a distinguished and successful family. I’m glad their home is still in use.