Dr. Matilda A. Evans Day

2025-2026 Bill 5106: Dr. Matilda A. Evans Day - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5106
STATUS INFORMATION
House Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. McDaniel, Alexander, Anderson, Atkinson, Bailey, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bauer, Beach, Bernstein, Bowers, Bradley, Brewer, Brittain, Burns, Bustos, Calhoon, Caskey, Chapman, Chumley, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Collins, Cox, Crawford, Cromer, Davis, Dillard, Duncan, Edgerton, Erickson, Ford, Forrest, Frank, Gagnon, Garvin, Gatch, Gibson, Gilliam, Gilliard, Gilreath, Govan, Grant, Guest, Guffey, Haddon, Hager, Hardee, Harris, Hart, Hartnett, Hartz, Hayes, Henderson-Myers, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hiott, Hixon, Holman, Hosey, Howard, Huff, J.E. Johnson, J.L. Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Kilmartin, King, Kirby, Landing, Lastinger, Lawson, Ligon, Long, Lowe, Luck, Magnuson, Martin, McCabe, McCravy, McGinnis, C. Mitchell, D. Mitchell, Montgomery, J. Moore, T. Moore, Morgan, Moss, Neese, B. Newton, W. Newton, Oremus, Pace, Pedalino, Pope, Rankin, Reese, Rivers, Robbins, Rose, Rutherford, Sanders, Schuessler, Scott, Sessions, G.M. Smith, M.M. Smith, Spann-Wilder, Stavrinakis, Taylor, Teeple, Terribile, Vaughan, Waters, Weeks, Wetmore, White, Whitmire, Wickensimer, Williams, Willis, Wooten and Yow
Document Path: LC-0274HA-RM26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 5, 2026
Adopted by the House on February 5, 2026
Summary: Dr. Matilda A. Evans Day
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/5/2026

House

Introduced and adopted (
House Journal-page 12
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/05/2026

House: McDaniel

Attorney: Anderson

Drafting Assistant: Rogers

Date: February 04, 2026

DOC. ID.: /LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL/HA/DRAFTS/LC-0274HA-RM26/LC-0274HA-RM26.DOCX

A
house
RESOLUTION

TO COMMEMORATE THE
LIFE AND LEGACY OF DR. MATILDA A. EVANS, A PIONEERING PHYSICIAN, HUMANITARIAN,
AND ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH, AND TO DECLARE MAY 18, 2026, AS "DR. MATILDA A.
EVANS DAY" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

W
hereas, the members of
the South Carolina House of Representatives are pleased to honor the memory of
Dr. Matilda Arabella Evans, a trailblazer in the medical field and a devoted
servant to the people of South Carolina; and

W
hereas, the daughter
of Anderson and Harriet Evans, Dr. Evans was born on May 13, 1872, in Aiken
County, South Carolina, where her early drive for education and service began
to take root; and

W
hereas, after
attending the Schofield Normal and Industrial School in Aiken, she pursued
higher education at Oberlin College in Ohio and earned her medical degree from
the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1897; and

W
hereas, Dr. Evans
received her license to practice medicine in 1897, officially becoming the
first African American woman licensed to practice in the State of South
Carolina, shattering barriers and dedicating her life to the health and
wellness of underserved communities; and

W
hereas, recognizing
the desperate need for healthcare facilities for African Americans, she founded
the Taylor Lane Hospital and Training School for Nurses in Columbia, the first
Black-owned hospital in the city, as well as St. Luke's Hospital and Evans
Sanatorium; and

W
hereas, Dr. Evans was
a tireless advocate for public health, establishing the Negro Health
Association of South Carolina, founding the Columbia Clinic Association which
provided free medical care to thousands of children, and serving as president
of the Palmetto State Medical Society, a position which was not only a first
for this State but also the first African American woman to have occupied such
a position in the United States; and

W
hereas, her compassion
extended far beyond her professional practice into her personal life. Though
she never married, she created a loving home, adopting six children, John,
Mattie, Gretchen, Myrtle, Edward, and Sydney, and raised and educated many
others; and

W
hereas, the
inspirational story of Dr. Evans and her remarkable journey has been chronicled
in the book
South Carolina's Matilda Evans: A Medical Pioneer
, co-authored
by Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr., Anusha Ghosh, and Beverly Aiken Muhammad, with a
foreword by Dr. Bobby Donaldson, ensuring that her legacy continues to educate
and inspire future generations; and

W
hereas, the Dr.
Matilda Evans Educational Foundation actively works to preserve her memory and
continue her lifelong commitment to education, health equity, and community
service; and

W
hereas, Dr. Evans'
life was a testament to the power of resilience, generosity, and community
service, and it is fitting that a day be set aside to honor her many contributions.
Now, therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
House of Representatives
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
House of Representatives
,
by this resolution, commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Matilda A. Evans, a
pioneering physician, humanitarian, and advocate for public health, and declare
May 18, 2026, as "Dr. Matilda A. Evans Day" in South Carolina.

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This web page was last updated on February 5, 2026 at 10:57 AM