# Looking to id prominent people in NYC area (1930s/1940s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500 "2016-11-11T15:01:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/1 "2016-11-11T15:01:20Z")
Specifically: A prominent Black judge and a prominent Black surgeon. You can see them in [this documentary at 14:47 and 15:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-LMEVhygI8), respectively. I could identify all the others in this segment except the NYC principal. Not likely to id her, if you think you can, have at it. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/2 "2016-11-11T21:40:59Z")
The surgeon looks like [Dr. Vivien Thomas](http://www.medicalarchives.jhmi.edu/vtlg.jpg) and I think the judge is [Judge James S. Watson](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/24/c0/72/24c0727d60bd7ca7f6b25e7ba7c1a1ca.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/3 "2016-11-11T21:51:02Z")
Oh, and the principal is [Gertrude Elise Ayer](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/nyregion/13fyi.html) (I have an HD copy of this film and her name was written on the plaque on her desk.) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/4 "2016-11-11T23:46:51Z")
Cool! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/5 "2016-11-12T00:53:55Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > The surgeon looks like [Dr. Vivien Thomas](http://www.medicalarchives.jhmi.edu/vtlg.jpg) and I think the judge is [Judge James S. Watson](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/24/c0/72/24c0727d60bd7ca7f6b25e7ba7c1a1ca.jpg). Nitpick: [Vivien Thomas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivien_Thomas) was not a doctor and in the 1940s was doing research with Alfred Blalock on “blue baby syndrome”. Their work was pioneering and important, but Vivien Thomas was not recognized for it at the time. So I doubt he would have been shown in a film of prominent African-Americans. Also, the narration identifies the man as a “leading New York City surgeon” and Blalock and Thomas were working in Baltimore. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/6 "2016-11-12T03:03:47Z")
The narration also mentions "Admiral Peary planting his flag at the North Pole.’ Only, he probably didn’t, and he wasn’t an admiral, so apparently it’s a mash-up name with Admiral Byrd. I doubt the writers thought anyone would be fact checking them seven decades later. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/7 "2016-11-12T03:19:26Z")
Even given that, Vivien Thomas was unknown at that time except to a very few people. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-to-id-prominent-people-in-nyc-area-1930s-1940s/771500/8 "2016-11-13T00:52:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Nitpick: [Vivien Thomas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivien_Thomas) was not a doctor and in the 1940s was doing research with Alfred Blalock on “blue baby syndrome”. Their work was pioneering and important, but Vivien Thomas was not recognized for it at the time. So I doubt he would have been shown in a film of prominent African-Americans. > > Also, the narration identifies the man as a “leading New York City surgeon” and Blalock and Thomas were working in Baltimore. I’m just going by the picture. The man in [this still](https://www.dropbox.com/s/hd9zzd57y0n9b0u/The%20Negro%20Soldier%2C%201944.jpg?dl=0) from the film looks the same as [this one.](http://www.medicalarchives.jhmi.edu/vtlg.jpg) Same mustache and glasses, his nose looks the same.