Ocala in Marion County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
American National Thrift Association Hospital
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 25, 2018
1. American National Thrift Association Hospital Marker
In 1905, Dr. Richard Samuel Hughes II graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, the second oldest African American medical school in the country. After moving to Ocala in 1908, Dr. Hughes helped form the American National Thrift Association (ANTA), a benevolent organization that offered prepaid health care plans, pensions, and other services to African Americans unable to get conventional health insurance. By 1925, ANTA converted the Savoy Hotel into a 50-bed hospital operated by Dr. Hughes and his nursing staff. White physicians from Munroe Memorial Hospital, including E.G. Peeks Sr., Thomas Wallis, and H.F. Watt, assisted Dr. Hughes by volunteering time. The ANTA hospital served the medical needs of African American communities in Marion County and surrounding areas, from Chiefland to Fort Myers. Dr. Hughes, along with other prominent physicians and surgeons from Meharry Medical College, conducted annual, week-long surgical clinics that provided African American patients with medical treatment and surgical procedures. Dr. Hughes died in 1943 and the hospital closed soon after, but his contributions are regarded as a significant advancement in healthcare access for Ocala's black community.
Erected 2018 by Dr. R.S. Hughes Family and the Florida Department of State.
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 29° 11.18′ N, 82° 8.462′ W. Marker is in Ocala, Florida, in Marion County. Marker is on Southwest Broadway Street just west of Pine Avenue (U.S. 27/441), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Ocala FL 34475, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. First National Bank (approx. ¼ mile away); Masonic Hall Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Marion Theatre (approx. ¼ mile away); Agnew-Gary Block (approx. ¼ mile away); Historical Sketch (approx. ¼ mile away); Ocala National Bank (approx. ¼ mile away); The Gary Block Building (approx. ¼ mile away); The Old Courthouse Square (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ocala.
Also see . . . "Pioneering doctor honored with state historical marker". Ocala Star Banner article, by Andy Fillmore; June 11, 2018 (Submitted on May 11, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Tim Fillmon, May 25, 2018
2. American National Thrift Association Hospital Marker looking northeast
Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 297 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 18, 2018, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
