The stories of the young men of limited means and opportunity who
have by dint of hard work, courage and economy, struggled up from
obscurity to places of large usefulness, constitute an asset which
the race cannot afford to ignore. One of these enterprising men
whose skill and work have brought him to the front in professional
life is Dr. Harry Eugene Kingslow, of Williamson, W. Va. Dr.
Kingslow is a native of New Jersey, having been born at Plainfield,
on July 19, 1882. His parents were Henry and Katie (Ward) Kingslow.
As a boy young Kingslow pursued his elementary studies in the
excellent public schools of Plainfield, and with this foundation
proceeded to equip himself for the real work of life. The way was
by no means easy, as may be inferred from his own simple story of
his struggles. He says, "My father who was a cook, had his earning
capacity greatly impaired by being deaf. My struggles to obtain an
education were great and my difficulties many. Being the oldest of
five children, I gladly struggled by working and sacrificing in
order that I might not be a burden to my parents, who, while
willing, were not able to help me much. I worked in drug stores
during my summer vacations of Plainfield public schools. I gained
all the information possible about conducting the drug business
while working as soda fountain attendant and general utility boy,
allowing very little to escape my attention. I was ambitious to
become a physician, but not seeing my way clear financially to
study medicine, I studied pharmacy at Howard University as second
choice. I was never over choice about my work and usually held a
job of work till I could get a better one. I did all kinds, from
selling books and building lots to serving club sandwiches and
other things in the Atlantic City hotels." In addition to his
studies at Plainfield, Dr. Kingslow's education included attendance
at Bluefield Colored Institute, at Institute, W. Va., where he
studied two years, the School of Pharmacy, Howard University, where
he won his Phar.D. degree in 1905, Walden University from the
literary Department of which he has the A.B. degree, and Meharry
Medical College, of the same institution , where he won his M.D. in
1915. He began professional work in Washington in the summer of
1905, and went from there to Charleston, W. Va., as manager of the
Gem Pharmacy. In 1907 he went into the drug business at Bluefield,
where he remained till he went to Walden University. While pursuing
his medical course at Meharry, he taught the theory and practice of
pharmacy in the same institution. On completion of his course, he
began the practice in Louisville, Ky. He remained there till 1916,
when he returned to West Virginia, where he has since resided and
where he has built up a practice of which a much older man might
well be proud.
On August 18, 1918, Dr. Kingslow married Miss Virginia M.
Warren, daughter of Truxton B. and Emma (Carter) Warren, of
Tazewell, Va. They have one son, Harry Warren Kingslow. Mrs.
Kingslow was educated at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and taught
at Bluefield before her marriage.
In politics Dr. Kingslow is a Republican, and in 1920 was
offered the nomination for membership on the city commission of
Williamson, which he declined after mature consideration, feeling
that it would interfere with his professional work. He is a member
of the Baptist church and belongs to the Masons. He is a member of
State, the National and the Flat Top Medical Societies. He is
medical examiner for the Masons.
Dr. Kingslow's work and study have carried him into various
sections and given him a rather unusual opportunity to study
conditions. He is of the opinion that the progress of the race may
best be promoted by more education for the masses, by economy that
will give better account of earnings, attention to the laws of
sanitation, community organization to promote better home life,
better conduct of the race in public, and a stronger determination
to become reliable.
It is gratifying to note that Dr. Kingslow has met with
financial success and is one of the well to do men of the race at
Williamson.
