Celebrating Our Namesake

Submitted by Callan Berry

Did you know Denmark Library isn’t named after the high school it sits next to? And that neither of these buildings are named after the Nordic Country? Actually, both are named in memory of the fantastic woman that we celebrate here in Cumming on February 1, Dr. Leila Denmark.

This month we were given the opportunity to celebrate our heroic namesake through community partnership with Denmark Student Jessica Mara, who created informative displays to honor Dr. Denmark’s historical legacy and encourage education about public health.

Dr. Denmark, who was born on February 1st in 1898, is most famous for developing the first whooping cough vaccine in 1932. But she began her medical residency in serving the Black community in Atlanta, back in 1928 when Grady Hospital was still segregated. Dr. Denmark worked tirelessly for her patients as a pediatrician and only retired in 2001, when she was 103 years old! This made her the oldest practicing pediatrician in the world, and she lived on another 11 years making it past “Supercentenarian” status. The library and the high school aren’t the only things named after her—so is the highest honor the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics can bestow upon a pediatrician; The Leila D. Denmark Lifetime Achievement Award.

As part of her senior project, Jessica  created a detailed timeline of Dr. Denmark’s life as well as a list of her many achievements in two slick standing banners. The facts from this blog post were pulled from the great work of our local learner, but there are way more where they came from! Stop by Denmark throughout the month of February to learn all about Dr. Denmark’s achievements and her legacy here in Forsyth County.

Denmark High School senior Jessica Mara presents Sarah Reynolds with her informative display.