Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr.: Veterinarian, Professor, Public Servant, Trailblazer, Legend1
Dr. Poindexter conducts procedure on horse. (Photo courtesy of Poindexter Family)
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – From 1945 after receiving his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Kansas State University until his retirement in 2004, renowned veterinarian and Professor Emeritus of Animal Science Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., DVM, taught and mentored thousands of students in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences at Prairie View A&M University. Called “Doc” by students, colleagues, clients, friends, and neighbors, “Doc” Poindexter also treated and healed tens of thousands of horses, cows, swine, and other farm animals as well as beloved family pets during the six decades he practiced at the Veterinary Hospital.
Throughout his extraordinary career, Dr. Poindexter didn’t just teach and mentor future agriculturists and veterinarians and practice veterinary medicine, he demonstrated a commitment to public service. And he didn’t let the racial barriers of the times deter him from becoming a veterinarian and realizing his professional dreams and the dreams that he and his wife Rachael had for themselves and their five children (Poindexter, 2013; Hanson, Jr., 2014).
A young Dr. Poindexter operates on a dog. (Photo courtesy of Poindexter Family)
Breaking Racial Barriers. Two years after arriving at Prairie View, Dr. Poindexter and Dr. E.B. Evans, the president of Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical College2, who also was a veterinarian, integrated the all-white Texas Veterinary Medical Association which was established in 1903 to support “veterinarians as they practice the art and science of veterinary medicine in Texas” (Texas Veterinary, n.d.).
Ten years later in 1957, the Prairie View veterinarian and two cowboys broke through a racial barrier in the world of rodeo. “Doc” Poindexter, James Francies, Jr., and champion bull rider Myrtis Dightman, Sr., whom Texas Monthly called the “Jackie Robinson of Rodeo,” co-founded the Prairie View Trail Riders Association and for the first time, Black cowboys rode in the parade that kicked off the Houston Fat Stock Show, now called the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo (Wallace, 2018).
Prairie View Trail Riders parade around PV’s campus (Pantherland, 1961).
The Prairie View Trail Riders’ journey from Hempstead, their trail’s starting point, to Houston, where they would ride in the rodeo parade, includes setting up camp each evening (Trail Rides, n.d.). When the riders camped near Prairie View, “Doc” would stop by and entertain them with stories that only he could tell. And he would inspect their horses and provide the “required health documents for entry into the livestock show” (Poindexter, 1994).
The Legend Begins. Following the 1991 profile of Dr. Poindexter on the popular “Eyes of Texas” TV program on Houston’s KPRC-TV (Channel 2), the Prairie View veterinarian’s reputation grew. Over the next 10 years, he would receive numerous honors that recognized almost a half century of teaching, mentoring, practicing veterinary medicine, and public service.
In 1992, the Texas Department of Agriculture recognized Dr. Poindexter as one of the four most outstanding Black agriculturists in Texas (Evolution, 1992). That same year Prairie View A&M’s President Julius W. Becton, Jr. informed Dr. Poindexter in a letter dated December 2, 1992 that the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents had approved the name of “Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital” for the building where he had taught students and treated animals for 47 years (Becton, 1992). However, it would be another 24 years before the 5,740-square foot3, one-story building would be renovated and dedicated.
Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., DVM, gives remarks after his induction into the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor, September 27, 1996, Dallas. (Photo courtesy of Poindexter Family)
Meanwhile, on Friday, September 27, 1996, at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, before Texas dignitaries that included former Governor Dolph Briscoe, Jr. and Commissioner of Agriculture Rick Perry as well as Rachael Poindexter, the Poindexter children and their spouses, grandchildren, and friends, Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., DVM, was inducted into the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor. Established in 1992, the Hall of Honor (n.d.), pays tribute to “farmers, ranchers, drovers, inventors, innovators, educators, authors, legislators, and preservationists” who had made “significant contributions to the agricultural heritage of Texas.” In his induction remarks, with the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture standing in the background, Dr. Poindexter shared his values and dreams:
“My wife, Rachael and I came to Prairie View in 1945, with no money,
no car or designated housing. All we had was a whole lot of love for one
another and for our small and growing family. We were determined to work
hard and make a success of our lives for ourselves, and our children. Prairie View A&M and the State of Texas have been good to the Poindexter family.
Our greatest achievement has been the fact that we were able to educate
all five of our children.”4
Dr. Poindexter was not just honored to be inducted into the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor, he was “very proud” to be “placed in the select company of a lot of the most important people in Texas” (Hanson, 2014). That’s what he told John Hanson, the host of “In Black America,” the nationally syndicated radio program produced by KUT 90.5, the NPR radio station in Austin. The podcast based on the original 1996 “In Black America” interview conducted at the Veterinary Hospital with Dr. Poindexter can be heard here (Hanson, 2014).
Poindexter Endowed Scholarships. While induction into the Texas Heritage Hall of Honor ensured Alfred N. Poindexter, DVM, would always be a part of the agricultural history of Texas, the January 1, 1996 memorandum from Dr. Charles Hines, President of Prairie View A&M University was a promise that Dr. Poindexter would forever be a part of the future of Prairie View A&M students majoring in agriculture, animal science, and pre-veterinary medicine.
The Hines memorandum said the Houston Endowment Board of Directors had authorized a grant of $150,000 to establish the Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter Endowed Scholarships (Hines, 1996a). Less than a month later, there was more amazing news about the new Poindexter Endowed Scholarships. In a January 26, 1996 letter, Dr. Hines wrote that the original $150,000 had been matched and the new endowment amount for the Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter Scholarships would be $300,000 (Hines, 1996b).
Decades of Public Service Take Center Stage. Over the next decade, recognitions and honors for Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., DVM, accelerated. At the 54th Annual Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, December 10, 1996, Dr. Poindexter was presented with the George Washington Carver Public Service Hall of Fame Award (Brief History, n.d.). Established in 1984, the award is named after George Washington Carver, agricultural research scientist, inventor, Tuskegee University professor, and the “first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in the U.S” (George Washington Carver, n.d.; History.com, 2023).
March 27, 1998, the Texas A&M University System recognized Dr. Poindexter for “exemplary public service and community building practices through excellence and collaboration.” The certificate, signed by Texas A&M University System Chancellor Dr. Barry B. Thompson, underscored that Dr. Poindexter’s service extended beyond the Prairie View A&M campus to the larger Prairie View community, including St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, the Boy Scouts, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity as well as other communities in Waller County.
Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and its Veterinary Medical Alumni Association also recognized Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. when they selected him to receive the 2005 Alumni Recognition Award. Ralph Richardson, Dean of Kansas State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said Dr. Poindexter was “one of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s most respected graduates who has had a unique veterinary career” (Frager, 2005). He added:
“We are very proud to claim him as one of the shining stars of veterinary medicine and are thankful he has been such a positive role model for our profession, particularly for African-American students. As we strive to increase the proportion of under-represented minority veterinary students at K-State, we are quick to refer to Dr. Poindexter’s career as one that has made a positive difference for so many people” (Frager, 2005).
Honoree Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. and Honored Guest Rachael T. Poindexter enjoy Scholarship Retirement Gala at the Hilton Houston Post Oak, Sat., March 19, 2005. (Photo courtesy of Poindexter Family)
Scholarship Retirement Gala. It was front-page news in the Waller Times newspaper when Dr. Poindexter retired after 59 years of teaching, practicing, and service at Prairie View A&M University. The article said Prairie View A&M held a “Scholarship/Retirement Gala” in Houston, on March 19 to honor Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, “considered one of the most esteemed professors and veterinarians in Texas and throughout the nation” (Mosby, 2005).
The “nearly 600 people” who attended the elegant Retirement and Scholarship Gala for Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr, DVM, included his wife Rachael, their five children, sons-and-daughters-in-law, grandchildren, Rachael’s brother and sister-in-law from Los Angeles, friends, colleagues, former students, community and business leaders, elected officials, including the mayor of the City of Prairie View, Frank D. Jackson, clients, the president of Prairie View A&M University Dr. George Wright as well as three former presidents of Prairie View A&M University—Dr. Alvin I. Thomas, Dr. Charles A. Hines, and Lt. General (Ret.) Julius W. Becton, Jr. Counting the proclamations, speeches, the premiere of the documentary, “Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr.: A Living Legend” (2005), and a musical selection by his former student, Dr. Lourie Howard-McGowan, there were more than 20 tributes.
The oldest Poindexter child, Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, III, M.D., represented his siblings, their spouses, and children, in remarks that were touching, witty, and inspirational. While many of the observations focused on lessons learned from the man he was named after, Alfred III (Butch) also thanked both parents for the “ideals” they represented and instilled in their children who passed them on to the next generations of Poindexters. And he gave his parents the highest of compliments when he said: “Mother and Daddy, you have affected countless numbers of people in a positive light.” “Your legacy will shine brightly forever.”
When it was time for the Gala’s guest of honor to speak, the retiring Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., who came to Prairie View when he was 24 years old and was now almost 84, observed that with so many tributes telling his story, plus a documentary5, written and produced for the occasion, that he had been left with little to say—but, he said to the packed banquet hall, he was going to say something. And then “Doc,” speaking for about 15 minutes without notes, proceeded to show the almost 600 guests why his storytelling skills were legendary (“Doc” A Vet’s Vet, n.d.).
Three generations of Poindexters plus spouses, friends, and cousin Bobbi and her husband from Los Angeles, celebrate Alfred and Rachael Poindexter and the dedication of the Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital, March 4, 2016. (Photo courtesy of the Poindexter Family)
Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital Dedication. Friday, March 4, 2016 at 11:00 a.m., 71 years after Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., his wife Rachael, and their little children, Alfred III (Butch) and Betti, arrived in Prairie View and the young veterinarian began teaching and practicing at the Veterinary Hospital, the building was dedicated as the “Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital.”
The dedication ceremony held on the front grounds of the Veterinary Hospital under a picture-perfect blue sky was attended by Prairie View A&M administrators, faculty, staff, former students and employees of “Doc,” community leaders, former clients, friends, the Poindexter children—Alfred, III, Betti, Bruce, Paula, Yvette—daughters-and-sons-in-law, the grandchildren and great grandchildren, and niece Bobbi Tillmon and her husband from Los Angeles.
In addition to an invocation, greetings interspersed with treasured memories of “Doc,” a musical tribute, the Dedication Litany, a ribbon cutting, a tour, and reception, the program included moving remarks from Betti Poindexter-Blackshear. After sharing little-known anecdotes about Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., Betti concluded her remarks with the love her father had for Rachael, his wife of 65 years. She said:
“We the Poindexter family hope we are the best of our parents Alfred Nelson
and Rachael Tillmon Poindexter. Our mother was my father’s greatest
supporter and cheerleader. She nobly stood by his side, until he died and
was buried here in Prairie View, in 2006. She did it so that he could serve the
University that he greatly loved and he, stood on her shoulders to become the
best that he could be; publicly expressing his love saying “She was the wind
beneath his sails.” (Poindexter-Blackshear, 2016)
Alfred and Rachael Poindexter and their two young children Alfred III (Butch) and Betti in Prairie View after their arrival in 1945. (Photo Courtesy of Poindexter Family)
Brightening the Light on the Alfred and Rachael Poindexter Legacy. In 2023, the Poindexter children began work on two initiatives to brighten the light on the legacy of Alfred and Rachael Poindexter that began when they arrived in Prairie View with their two young children in 1945. The first initiative establishes a $50,000 endowment for a public service award that recognizes a Prairie View student, and the second initiative involves donating the Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. papers, video and audio recordings, artifacts, memorabilia, etc. to the University.
The “Alfred N. and Rachael T. Poindexter Family Award for Exemplary Public Service” was inspired by the extraordinary lives and service of Rachael Tillmon Poindexter and Betti Poindexter-Blackshear. Rachael T. Poindexter, a native of Kansas City, KS, wife of Alfred N. Poindexter Jr. for 65 years, mother of Alfred III, Betti, Bruce, Paula, and Yvette, a graduate of Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College with a B.S. Degree in Home Economics, died June 28, 2010.
Betti Poindexter-Blackshear, the first Black woman to earn a B.S. Degree in Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, who, after trailblazing careers in architecture and aerospace, joined Prairie View A&M’s administration in the College of Engineering, eventually becoming assistant dean before retiring. The wife of Jimmie Lee (Jim) Blackshear for 42 years, mother of Shelli, Corey, and Toya, Betti Poindexter-Blackshear died Sept. 22, 2020.
The Poindexter Family award that Rachael and Betti inspired will include a certificate and a $2,000 cash prize given annually to a senior who has demonstrated exemplary public service while at Prairie View A&M University.
Dr. Poindexter’s papers, which date back to 1945, the year he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Kansas State University and passed the exam to become a licensed veterinarian in Texas, will be donated to Prairie View A&M University by his children. In addition to his diploma and license to practice veterinary medicine, Dr. Poindexter’s papers include original signed letters from Prairie View A&M presidents as well as proclamations, plaques, certificates, photos, news articles, video recordings, memorabilia, and Betti’s written, signed, and dated remarks at the Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital Dedication.
Also included in the papers is a copy of the eulogy that former student and veterinarian Dr. Paul Johnson delivered during the August 24, 2006 Services for Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. at the William J. “Billy” Nicks building. Included among the materials that will be donated to Prairie View A&M are approximately 15 hours of recorded interviews with Alfred and Rachael Poindexter conducted by their daughter, Paula. The late 1980s interviews tell the story of Alfred and Rachael and provide insight into the community of Prairie View from the mid-1940s to the late 1980s.
To learn more about the Alfred N. and Rachael T. Poindexter Family Award for Exemplary Public Service and the Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter Jr. Papers, please email Paula Poindexter at paula.poindexter@austin.utexas.edu. For information about donating to the Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter Endowed Scholarships, please contact Euletha Wade Corporate & Foundation Relations Officer & Presidential Liaison, Prairie View A&M University Office of Development at egwade@PVAMU.EDU.
References
A Brief History of the George Washington Carver Public Service Hall of Fame Award (n.d.). https://pawc.info/the-hall/
“A Living Legend: Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr.” Documentary, Scholarship Retirement Gala (2005).
A Nomination of Historical Landmark Buildings on the Prairie View A&M University Campus. (1997). https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=historical-landmark-buildings-on-campus
Becton, Julius W. (1992). Letter on the Naming of the Veterinary Hospital.
College History (Prairie View A&M University). (n.d.). https://www.pvamu.edu/about_pvamu/college-history/
“Doc” A Vet’s Vet: Dr. Alfred Nelson Poindexter Scholarship Gala Presentation. (n.d.).
Frager, Deldre. (2005). Alfred Poindexter Jr. to Receive 2005 Alumni Recognition Award from K-State College of Veterinary Medicine
George Washington Carver Chronology. (n.d.). https://www.tuskegee.edu/support-tu/george-washington-carver/carver-chronology
Hanson, Jr., John L. (2014). In Black America Podcast: Remembering a Texas Trailblazer, Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter Jr. https://www.kut.org/life-arts/2014-08-18/in-black-america-podcast-remembering-a-texas-trailblazer-dr-alfred-n-poindexter-jr
Hines, Charles A. (1996a). Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter Endowed Scholarships.
Hines, Charles A. (1996b). Letter Advises Prairie View A&M is Matching Houston Endowment Funds to Reach Poindexter Scholarship of $300,000.
Historical Documentary: “Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. – A Living Legend” Presented, March 19, 2005, Scholarship Retirement Gala Honoring Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. “A Living Legend”
History.com. (2023). George Washington Carver. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/george-washington-carver
Mosby, Gloria. (March 28, 2005). PVA&MU Veterinarian Legend Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. Honored at Gala. The Waller Times, 1, 7.
Pantherland Yearbook. (1961). P. 210.
Poindexter, Paula M. (1994). The A.N. Poindexter Jr. Family History. Unpublished Work
Poindexter, Paula. (August 28, 2013). Segregation did not deter will to succeed. Austin American-Statesman, A11.
Poindexter-Blackshear, Betti. (2016). Remarks, Alfred N. Poindexter Veterinary Hospital Dedication Ceremony.
Texas Heritage Hall of Honor. (n.d.). https://bigtex.com/supporting-texans/agriculture/hall-of-honor/
Texas Veterinary Medical Association. (n.d.). https://www.tvma.org/About-Us/TVMA
The Evolution of African-Americans in Agriculture: Texas Department of Agriculture Salutes Black Agriculturalists. (1992).
Trail Rides: Prairie View (n.d.). https://www.rodeohouston.com/Visit-the-Rodeo/Pre-Rodeo-Events/Trail-Rides#8276510-prairie-view
Wallace, Christian (2018). The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo. https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/black-cowboy-the-jackie-robinson-of-rodeo/
Notes
1“Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr., DVM: Veterinarian, Professor, Public Servant, Trailblazer, Legend” was researched and written for the website of Prairie View A&M’s College of Agriculture and Human Sciences by Paula M. Poindexter, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism and Media, University of Texas at Austin. To ensure the accuracy of information, Poindexter used primary sources from the Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. Collection of Papers, Letters, Documents, Photos, News Articles, Audio/Video Recordings, Artifacts, and Memorabilia. Additionally, Poindexter verified information through Google searches.
2Prairie View A & M University was established by the 15th Legislature of Texas in 1876. Since 1876 eight State Legislatures have given the University eight different names. The original name in 1876 was “Alta Vista Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for Colored Youth.” Alta Vista was the name of the plantation where the University was built in Waller County. When Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. and his family arrived in Prairie View in 1945, the University was called Prairie View University. And in 1947, when Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter and Dr. E.B. Evans integrated the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, the University’s name was Prairie View Agricultural & Mechanical College of Texas, a name determined by the 50th State Legislature. In 1973, the 63rd Legislature changed the name again, this time to Prairie View A&M University which remains the name today (See: College History, Prairie View A&M University, n.d.).
3For details on the Veterinary Hospital building, please see: A Nomination of Historical Landmark Buildings on the Prairie View A&M University Campus. (1997). https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=historical-landmark-buildings-on-campus
4Quote from Dr. Poindexter’s Texas Heritage Hall of Honor Induction Speech was included in the eulogy that his daughter Paula wrote for the printed program, “Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. Services,” August 24, 2006, William J. “Billy” Nicks Building, Prairie A&M University, The Reverend William Dunn, Celebrant.
5The documentary premiered March 19, 2005 at the Scholarship Retirement Gala for Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr. Titled “A Living Legend: Dr. Alfred N. Poindexter, Jr.,” the script was adapted from “The A.N. Poindexter Jr. Family History,” which was written by Paula M. Poindexter who served as the documentary’s creative consultant. The documentary’s executive producer was Linda Williams-Willis and Gloria J. Mosby wrote and produced the historical film.