DR. ALONZO HOMER KENNIEBREW
Founder of the New Home Sanitarium in Jacksonville, Illinois
Born: May 5, 1875 (Shorter, AL)
Died: May 20, 1943 (Springfield, IL)
Profession: Physician, Surgeon
Known For: Founder of historic, black-owned hospital
Active in Jacksonville: 1902–1933
SUMMARY
Dr. Alonzo Homer Kenniebrew was a pioneering African American physician in Jacksonville, Illinois, best known for founding the New Home Sanitarium, one of the earliest Black-owned hospitals in the United States. His work expanded access to medical care for African Americans during a time of widespread segregation in healthcare.
2008
Posthumous recognition by medical society
1940
Hospital reached peak scale and regional impact
1933
Moved to Springfield; founded newspaper
1922
Hospital reached peak scale and regional impact
1909
Opened New Home Sanitarium
1897 - 1902
Served at Tuskegee Institute
1875
Born in Shorter, Alabama
1875
Born in Shorter, Alabama
1897 - 1902
Served at Tuskegee Institute
1909
Opened New Home Sanitarium
1922
Hospital reached peak scale
and regional impact
1933
Moved to Springfield;
founded newspaper
1940
Retired from medical practice
1943
PASSED AWAY in springfield, ilLINOIS
2008
Posthumous recognition by medical society
EDUCATION & EARLY CAREER
Dr. Kenniebrew graduated from the Tuskegee Institute, where he later served as medical director, surgeon-in-chief, and instructor of physiology from 1897 to 1902. During this time, he worked closely with Booker T. Washington, serving as both a colleague and personal physician.
MEDICAL CAREER IN JACKSONVILLE
In 1902, Kenniebrew relocated to Jacksonville, Illinois, where he began building his medical practice. By 1909, he established the New Home Sanitarium at 323 West Morgan Street, creating a vital healthcare institution for all, including African American patients who were often denied treatment elsewhere.
ACHIEVEMENT & IMPACT
Dr. Kenniebrew is widely recognized as one of the first African American physicians in the United States to own and operate a hospital.
By 1922, the New Home Sanitarium had grown significantly, featuring dozens of rooms and a staff that included a host of nurses, surgeons, and associate physicians. The hospital treated thousands of patients from across the US and Canada, reflecting its regional importance.
LATER LIFE AND WORK
Throughout his career, Kenniebrew practiced medicine in Jacksonville, and Evanston, Illinois, and was associated with the Cook County Medical Society. In 1933, he relocated to Springfield, where he founded and published the Illinois State Informer, a weekly newspaper. He retired from medical practice in 1940.
LEGACY AND RECOGNITION
Dr. Kenniebrew’s contributions to medicine and African American history continue to be recognized today. In 2008, the Sangamon County Medical Society issued a formal apology for its earlier failure to extend membership to him.
His legacy is further honored through the annual Alonzo H. Kenniebrew, M.D., Forum hosted by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, which addresses healthcare disparities and equity.
DISCLAIMER
Some historical accounts vary due to limited surviving documentation. The information presented here reflects the most widely accepted research available.
