Dr. Thomas Shadowens
Born in Tacoma, Texas in 1887, Dr. Shadowens was one of Houston’s earliest practicing black doctors. He received his M.D. degree in 1917 from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Shadowens practiced occasionally at Houston Negro Hospital and was the manufacturer of a medicine called “Shadolax.” During World War II, production of Shadolax was stopped, however, due to the fact that particular ingredients could not be obtained from Hawaii.
When the Lone Star State Medical Association hosted the National Medical Association in Houston in August 1940, during Dr. Thelma Patten Law’s term as president of the Texas organization, Dr. Shadowens was Chairman of the Commission on Tuberculosis Control and served as Co-Chairman of the local Welcome Committee. These leadership positions indicate that he was dedicated to his work and to bettering health care conditions for the black community in Houston.
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