Dr. Marcellus Clayton Cooper
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1896, Dallas native Marcellus Clayton Cooper (1862-1929) became the first licensed African American dentist in the state of Texas. Born enslaved on the Caruth farm, Cooper attended Meharry Medical School in Nashville from 1891-94. He returned to Dallas with his dental license to begin his practice. He was well known in the city for his exceptional work and his contributions to the community. Dr. Cooper was a board member of the Dallas Negro Chamber of Commerce, a founder of the Black-owned Penny Savings Bank and an investor in Lewis Dry Goods Store, the first Black-owned department store in the city. Twice married and with six children, he is buried at Woodland Cemetery in Dallas. (2020)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born enslaved on the Caruth farm in 1862, Marcellus Clayton Cooper studied at Meharry Medical College in Nashville and in 1896 became the first licensed African American dentist in Texas. Returning to his native Dallas, he built a respected practice and poured himself into building Black economic institutions—helping found the Penny Savings Bank, serving the Negro Chamber of Commerce, and investing in the city's first Black-owned department store.
Why it matters
Cooper's rise from slavery to professional and civic leadership embodies the self-reliant Black enterprise that flourished under segregation, laying institutional groundwork for later civil rights advances.
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Related people
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Themes & tags
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