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The American Medical Association (AMA) announced its decision to remove a bust of Nathan Davis, MD, widely known as the "father of the AMA," from the organization's headquarters, and to strip Davis's name from one of the association's , in a push to hold AMA leaders accountable for their discriminatory actions.

"We can't erase history, but we can decide the appropriate way to recognize individuals from our past," wrote James Madara, MD, the AMA's CEO and executive vice president in a .

While a JAMA dated July 25, 1904, characterized Davis -- who was not the first AMA president but rather presided over the association from 1864 to 1866 -- as "a member who always stood for the highest and noblest in ethics, in morals and in right living," the current AMA leadership views the former president with a more critical eye.

"As we grapple with AMA's 174-year history, we must acknowledge that decisions by AMA leaders contributed to a healthcare system plagued by inequities and injustices that harmed patients and systemically excluded many from our physician ranks," Madara noted.

Despite his "considerable and important" contributions to the medical field, Madara wrote, Davis's actions "limited opportunities" and effectively "silenced" Black and women physicians in organized medicine, by excluding them from AMA's House of Delegates.

When physician groups in the Washington D.C. area barred Black physicians from becoming members, those physicians created their own organization which included both Black and white physicians. When that integrated group asked to join the AMA, Davis used "parliamentary maneuvers" to block the group from becoming members, over the objections of some AMA physicians, including another founding member.

"Davis's role was highly active, not passive, and his choice for a racist direction was pursued with energy and force," said Madara.

While some physician members advocated for more inclusive representation, Davis and other colleagues "doubled down on discriminatory policies" when they allowed regional medical societies to set their own admission criteria, and, in doing so, preserve a "white, male-dominated power structure," which Madara said regrettably remained AMA policy until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed such discriminatory practices.

The AMA's actions on Wednesday are one more step in a continuing "journey of reflection and action," wrote Madara.

In 2008, after conducting a of racial bias against African Americans in organized medicine, for its "past discriminatory practices against Black physicians." In 2018, the AMA House of Delegates for promoting health equity nationally, and a year later, founded its and hired its , Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH. In 2020, the AMA House of Delegates established a policy that ."

"By continuing to examine our long history, our AMA is reaffirming medicine's commitment to this ethos, and to creating a more just and perfect union for all," wrote Madara.

The bust and display of Davis will be stored in the association's archives, Madara noted, "where they will rightly serve as educational materials."

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