In Sympathy – William G. Anderson, DO
Posted: August 21, 2026
It is with sadness I share with you the passing of William G. Anderson, DO, a trailblazing osteopathic physician, educator, and civil rights leader. Dr. Anderson passed away on August 16 at age 98. He made an extraordinary impact on our nation and the osteopathic medical profession. As a leader of the historic Albany Movement during the Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Anderson later became the first Black surgery resident in Detroit and established a successful surgical practice in Michigan. In 1994, he made history again as the first Black president of the American Osteopathic Association, having already served for two decades on the AOA Board of Trustees.
Dr. Anderson’s commitment to service and opportunity extended to future generations of osteopathic physicians. In 1998, he established the William G. Anderson, DO, Scholarship Fund through the American Osteopathic Foundation to support minority osteopathic medical students who champion health equity. His legacy of courage, compassion, leadership, and service will continue through the many lives he touched and the physicians he inspired. I encourage you to learn more about Dr. Anderson’s remarkable life and contributions to our profession here: AOA mourns passing of Civil Rights Movement leader and influential physician William G. Anderson, DO.
On behalf of the entire ATSU family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Anderson family, his many friends, and colleagues.
Yours in service,
Craig M. Phelps, DO, ’84
Chancellor