A doctor known for his good medicine and deeds will be remembered during a dedication for a historical marker to be unveiled Wednesday across from his church, Bethel A.M.E.

The dedication ceremony for the Dr. A.L. Lott Historical Marker will be held at the triangle of Old Brook Road, Gulledge and South First streets at 11:30 a.m.

Among his many accomplishments, Lott, who died in 1993,  was the first black doctor on staff at King’s Daughters Hospital and was one of the first 16 Alexander High School graduates to be featured in the Hall of Honor.

This will be the sixth historical marker installed in the last eight years, said Brookhaven Alderwoman-at-Large Karen Sullivan.

“For the past several years, I’ve put funds in the budget for historical markers. It’s a budgeted item,” she said.

The Lincoln County Genealogical Society does the research on the places or persons selected, particularly Sue Dorman, Sullivan said. The info Dorman gathers is sent to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, which meets twice a year.

“The official marker and wording must be aproved by them. Then the marker is crafted and shipped to be installed,” she said.

Sullivan encourages individuals to visit the marker either at the dedication or later.

“Sometimes the markers teach the public about things they never knew. Sometimes the markers bring back memories of another day in Brookhaven,” she said. “Regardless, it’s important to mark our history and remember our past as we look toward tomorrow.”

Lott was born to Lillie and Jessie Lott in the 1921 and grew up in the Depression era. He graduated at 16 with high honors in 1937 to start his premed studies at Alcorn. He received his bachelor’s degree four years later. After graduation, he was in only the second class that accepted blacks into the Engineering Officers Training School in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He continued medical studies at Meharry Medical College and received his medical degree in 1950.

He returned to Brookhaven and was the first black doctor appointed to the staff of King’s Daughters Hospital.

“As the only black doctor in Brookhaven, Dr. Lott could have been a very rich man, if he had all the money owed to him from past due medical bills and free services,” said Dexter Holloway, the assistant executive director of the Workforce and Economic Development Council for the Mississippi Community College Board and a member of the AHS Legacy committee.

Holloway said Lott lived his love for Alexander, always lending a helping hand to those less fortunate.

“As an avid supporter of the school, he attended as many football games as possible. He gave free medical services to the football program,” he said. “He gave many Alexander students all he could. In some cases, not only did he bring them in the world as the medical doctor, but some he even had to help pay their way through college.”

Former Mayor W.L. Godbold appointed Lott  to serve on the Lincoln County Committee of Twenty-Five and the doctor was chosen to be the chairman of the group which worked to ease racial tension and help the community grow in harmony, he said.

Lott was a member of numerous civic, social and professional organizations, serving on several boards. Holloway said Lott was the first black to serve on the Brookhaven Public School Board. He served for 15 years, three of those as president. He racked up awards, honors and resolutions and was a frequently requested speaker at events.

In 1973, Brookhaven held an appreciation program for Lott at Alexander Jr. High, which attested to the high esteem the community held for him, Holloway said.

Lott was a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Alcorn State University National Alumni Association, the Merry Medical Alumni Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Elks, American Association of Workers for the Blind, Mississippi School Board Association, Mississippi Medical and Dental Association, Technical Advisory Committee of the Mississippi Medical Commission and the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce.

He was a charter member and chairman of the Alcorn State University Foundation and a charter member of the Lincoln County Alcorn State University Alumni Association and Booster Club. In 1992, Alcorn renamed a dormitory after Lott. The three-story building holds 79 rooms. In 1993, he was inducted into the Alcorn Hall of Honor. He died Dec. 20 that same year. He is buried in Carver Heights Cemetery.