Benjamin Major, M.D., was a distinguished gynecologist, family planner, and humanitarian whose life and career left significant marks on both his profession and the broader community. A graduate of Fisk University, he graduated from Meharry Medical College at the young age of 21. Dr. Major went on to become the second Black physician in Northern California to be certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Here, he achieved the esteemed status of Fellow in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which represents the highest honor in his field.
Dr. Major was deeply committed to service beyond his clinical duties. He spent three years in Africa, sharing his expertise in gynecology and family planning with communities in need. His work as a consultant in family planning took him to 22 African countries, demonstrating his dedication to improving health outcomes and quality of life on a global scale. Dr. Major was recognized for his unwavering commitment to supporting those less fortunate, promoting youth development, advocating for criminal justice reform, protecting victims’ rights, and fostering family cohesion, always emphasizing the importance of supporting others as a moral duty.
Dr. Major served as Grand Sire Archon of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc. from 1990 to 1992. He was known as a change agent, instituting transformative reforms—most notably to the fraternity’s dues structure—placing the organization on a solid financial footing. Major accepted leadership with pride and humility, striving to leave the fraternity stronger and more socially conscious for his successor.
He died on January 4, 2001, and is remembered as a revered leader, concerned humanitarian, and accomplished physician—a man whose life embodied service, generosity, and impactful change.
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