By Duke Medicine News and Communications

DURHAM, N.C. -- Charles DeWitt Watts, M.D., pioneering African-American surgeon who founded Lincoln Community Health Center, died Monday, July 12, in Durham after a long illness. He was 86.

As the first African-American to be certified by a surgical specialty board in North Carolina, Watts will be long remembered for taking care of the poor and underserved in Durham. He spent more than 50 years advocating for civil/human rights and for the quality of medical care for all residents of Durham.

Watts arrived in Durham with his wife, a native of Durham, as a young physician in 1946 and joined the staff of Lincoln Hospital, one of the few American hospitals at the time that granted surgical privileges to African-American physicians. He returned to Durham in 1950 after completing his surgical training at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, DC under the tutelage of Dr. Charles Drew.

In addition to his duties at Lincoln, Dr. Watts served for 28 years as vice president and medical director for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co., the largest African-American managed insurer in the country. During his tenure at NCM, Watts pioneered actuarial medicine that included advocacy for a public health focus at the company. Watts served on the company's board for twenty-four years.

Upon hearing of his passing, Nathan T. Garrett, Sr., NCM's Board Chair Emeritus said: "Wisdom, foresight and courage wrapped up in superb values were what Dr. Charles Watts brought with him to every meeting of the Board of Directors of NCM. He was the person I looked to more than any other for guidance during the nearly thirty years I was privileged to serve on the Mutual's board. God, how I will miss him."

Wanting to ensure that all residents of Durham had equal access to the best possible care, Watts and other community leaders fought for the creation of one integrated public health care facility – Durham Regional Hospital – in Durham in 1967. This led to closing of both Watts and Lincoln hospitals.

However, understanding that there were still a significant number of underserved Durham families, Watts was instrumental in the creation of Lincoln Community Health Center, a modern free-standing clinic, which opened its doors on the grounds of the former Lincoln Hospital in 1970, and to this day continues to provide medical and dental care to the poor of Durham.

In addition to his work at Lincoln Community Health Center, Watts also served as chief of surgery at Lincoln Hospital, adjunct clinical professor of surgery at Duke and director of student health at North Carolina Central University.

"I first met Charlie in 1952 when I was a surgical resident assigned to Lincoln Hospital for six months," said William Anlyan, M.D., who served as Chancellor for Health Affairs of Duke University Medical Center from 1964-1989. "We grew to be great friends. He was a well-trained and gentle surgeon, and he and his family became great assets to the entire Durham community"

On the national level, he was a member of the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine, a fellow in the American College of Surgeons and an active participant in National Medical Association. He was a trustee of Howard University from 1973-1993. He was past president of the Old North State Medical Society and the Durham-Orange Medical Society.

In 2002, Duke created the Duke Medical School's Charles Watts Travel Award, which assists student and faculty travel to study culturally specific issues. He received an honorary degree from Duke in 1991.

Watts was born in 1917 in Atlanta, the youngest of four children. After graduating from Morehouse College, Atlanta, with a degree in mathematics, Watts earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C.

The family received friends Thursday evening (July 15th) at and funeral arrangements were conducted on Friday (July 16th) at noon both at St. Joseph's AME Church on Fayetteville Street in Durham. Burial followed at Beechwood Cemetery on Fayetteville Street.

Watts is survived by his wife Constance Merrick Watts, Durham; daughters C. Eileen Watts Welch, Durham, and Winifred A. Watts Hemphill, Atlanta, and son Charles D. Watts, Jr., Durham; and nine grandchildren. Another daughter, Deborah Watts Hill, Ph.D., preceded him in death 1992.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be directed to the Triangle Community Foundation where a fund has been created in memory of Dr. Charles D. Watts.

Checks should be made payable to the Triangle Community Foundation, and mailed there to P.O. Box 900002, Raleigh, NC 27675-9005. Note in the memo line on the check in memory of Dr. Charles D. Watts. The P.O. Box is to a lock box for this fund.