Draft:Herbert Avery

Herbert Basil Avery

Herbert Basil Avery (October 6, 1933 – March 25, 2012) was an American obstetrician-gynecologist, healthcare policy advisor, and community health advocate based in Los Angeles, California. He is known for his contributions to early Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) policy under President Nixon, his pioneering role in women’s healthcare for Black Americans, and his work expanding access to medical care in underserved communities. Later in his life, Avery became an advocate against police brutality after a violent encounter with the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1970s, an event that had lasting impacts on his career and health.

Early Life and Education

Herbert Avery was born on October 6, 1933, in Appling, Georgia, to Will McGruder Avery and Jessie Reid. Around 1940, he relocated with his father and siblings to Watts, Los Angeles, following his mother’s death during childbirth. He attended Hooper Avenue Elementary, George Washington Carver Junior High School, and Jefferson High School, where he served as class president and played the trumpet.

Avery attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and later transferred to Howard University College of Medicine, where he earned his MD with honors in 1961. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and received awards in multiple disciplines. He also completed a fellowship in tropical medicine in Haiti and the West Indies during his medical studies.

Medical Career

Avery completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Los Angeles County General Hospital. He practiced at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and served as assistant OB-GYN director at John Wesley Hospital. He delivered thousands of babies, including those of public figures such as Tina Turner and Mary Wilson, and maintained a record of no patient deaths or formal complaints over a 25-year career.

Public Health Contributions

In the 1960s, Avery was invited to advise President Richard Nixon on the development of Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) policy and contributed to the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan. He co-founded the Watts Extended Health Center and the Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation.

Legal Challenges and LAPD Lawsuit

In 1976, Avery was involved in an altercation with LAPD officers while trying to assist his son during a traffic stop. Officers placed him in a carotid chokehold, resulting in permanent injuries that impaired his ability to perform surgery. He sued the LAPD with civil rights attorney Johnnie Cochran as his counsel. A jury awarded Avery $1.3 million in 1982, but a judge later reduced the settlement to $750,000, which Avery accepted."Doctor Accepts Reduced Award in Police Beating Case". United Press International. May 31, 1983.

This case was one of Cochran’s early major legal victories and contributed to growing scrutiny of LAPD use-of-force policies. The case is mentioned in Cochran's autobiography "Journey to Justice" and was covered by national media. It was also referenced in the Christopher Commission’s 1991 review of LAPD practices.Report of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department (Report). Christopher Commission. July 1991.

Personal Life and Legacy

Avery married Mauna Loa Avery and had six children. He was deeply connected to his community, notably through his friendships with the "Eastside Boys," a group of African American men from Watts and East Los Angeles. Avery died on March 25, 2012.

He is remembered for his pioneering work in women's health, public health advocacy, and his challenge to police misconduct. His career exemplified both medical excellence and a commitment to civil rights.

References

Cochran, Johnnie L. (1996). Journey to Justice. Ballantine Books. ISBN 9780345405838.

"Dr. Herbert B. Avery obituary". Los Angeles Times. 2012.

"Deadly Errors and Politics Betray a Hospital's Promise". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 2004.

"Celebration of Life Program for Dr. Herbert Avery". Family archive (to be uploaded). Retrieved 2025-06-26.

"Opening a Closed Door". Los Angeles Times. March 16, 1993.

Felker-Kantor, Max (2016). "The Coalition Against Police Abuse: CAPA's Resistance Struggle in 1970s Los Angeles". Journal of Civil and Human Rights. 2 (1): 52–84.

Bromberg, Howard (2011). "Johnnie Cochran Jr.". In Robert Fikes Jr. (ed.). Great Lives from History: African Americans. Salem Press. ISBN 9781283279260.

External links

Journey to Justice on Internet Archive

Human Rights Watch summary of Christopher Commission Report

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• 1933 births
• 2012 deaths
• American obstetricians
• African-American physicians
• Medical controversies in the United States
• Police misconduct in the United States
• People from Los Angeles
• Howard University alumni
• University of California, Los Angeles alumni