Frederick Douglass Parrott, MD Sunrise: December 22, 1927 – Sunset: January 14, 2022 Celebrating His Enduring Legacy
Frederick Douglass Parrott, MD Sunrise: December 22, 1927 – Sunset: January 14, 2022 Celebrating His Enduring Legacy
Dr. Fred Parrott, the epitome of the renaissance man with multiple interests and pastimes, and the financial wherewithal to support his personal vision and goals, made his transition three weeks after reaching the eminent age of 94 years young. Most assuredly, his good works of philanthropic benevolence that assisted hundreds of CDU students will live on as part of a uniquely enduring legacy for many generations to come.
Dr. Fred was present in a variety of professional capacities, many of which overlapped. His core lifelong work was that of a physician. His Real Men Cook Foundation was successful because he mastered the skills of entrepreneurship, media relations, and community outreach. His supporters in that effort were rewarded with a great time at the social events, and the knowledge that they were helping to ensure that a community in need received quality services from the future health care professionals, indispensable to the resultant high level of quality care to people in need.
This man was active in this philanthropic benevolence all the way to the end of his life. Most recently, he donated $ 50 million that endows a new academic scholarship program. Previously, he had established the Real Men Cook Foundation Academic Scholarship of Excellence and Endowment Challenge Fund and partnered with the National Medical Foundation to support historically Black medical schools.
This latter effort is a $ 12,500 award to be given to two CDU African American medical students during the academic year who have demonstrated academic excellence and strong community service. It is a continuation of Dr. Parrott’ s longstanding vision of increasing the number of minority health care providers by awarding scholarships to medical students attending HBCUs.
A native of Houston, TX, Fred Parrott unsurprisingly had a stellar academic career. He graduated from the acclaimed Jack Yates high school at the age of 16, and Howard University at 19 with a psychology degree. He followed up with a Masters’ degree in microbiology at UCLA.
He was drafted into the US Army in 1952, inducted as a First Lieutenant. After initial training, he was sent to Tokyo, Japan as a bacteriologist. He also opened a tailor shop there, fitting servicemen with Hong Kongmade shirts.
His first employment in the medical field was working as a territory manager for Wyeth Pharmaceutical. He occupied that position while simultaneously attending Meharry Medical College, graduating in 1958.
He moved to Los Angeles and completed an internship at Los Angeles County Hospital before becoming a
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