Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
If St. Louis could introduce itself, it might say, "I am the place that trained America's Black doctors and nurses".
The Homer G. Phillips hospital opened in St. Louis' The Ville neighborhood in 1937 to serve the Black community. It was also a teaching hospital, and within 10 years, about a third of America's Black doctors had studied there, and it was the largest school in the country for Black registered nurses.
In this episode of the #IAmStLouis Series, in partnership with the Missouri Historical Society, we learn about the hospital's namesake, its history, and the people who worked and studied there.
This video was re-uploaded due to a fact error regarding the killing of Homer G. Phillips. We regret the error.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:06 Who was Homer G. Phillips?
1:55 The hospital opens
3:13 Nurses describe their experiences there
5:35 The hospital's reputation
8:13 The hospital's closure
11:00 Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Learn more at ninepbs.org/iamstl
Subscribe to #NinePBS so you never miss a #LivingStLouis story! bit.ly/3Mx2G5Z
And keep up with Nine PBS on:
Facebook: facebook.com/NinePBS
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@ninepbs
Instagram: instagram.com/ninepbs
#STLHistory #blackhistory
If St. Louis could introduce itself, it might say, "I am the place that trained America's Black doctors and nurses".
The Homer G. Phillips hospital opened in St. Louis' The Ville neighborhood in 1937 to serve the Black community. It was also a teaching hospital, and within 10 years, about a third of America's Black doctors had studied there, and it was the largest school in the country for Black registered nurses.
In this episode of the #IAmStLouis Series, in partnership with the Missouri Historical Society, we learn about the hospital's namesake, its history, and the people who worked and studied there.
This video was re-uploaded due to a fact error regarding the killing of Homer G. Phillips. We regret the error.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:06 Who was Homer G. Phillips?
1:55 The hospital opens
3:13 Nurses describe their experiences there
5:35 The hospital's reputation
8:13 The hospital's closure
11:00 Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Learn more at ninepbs.org/iamstl
Subscribe to #NinePBS so you never miss a #LivingStLouis story! bit.ly/3Mx2G5Z
And keep up with Nine PBS on:
Facebook: facebook.com/NinePBS
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@ninepbs
Instagram: instagram.com/ninepbs
#STLHistory #blackhistory










