News & Events

Dr. L.D. Britt, a member of Norfolk Academy's Board of Trustees, was honored recently as First Citizen for the city of Suffolk.

The award is given annually by the Suffolk and North Suffolk Rotary Clubs to the person who best exemplifies the spirit of citizenship and who has shown significant leadership to make Suffolk a better place to live. Dr. Britt received this year's honor on September 26, during a large gathering at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.

Dr. Britt graduated as valedictorian from Booker T. Washington High School in Suffolk, then later graduated from the University of Virginia, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health, the North Suffolk Rotary Club said when it announced his award. He is the Henry Ford Professor and Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He was the first African American in the country to have an endowed chair in surgery.

He is the author of more than 300 scientific publications. He has been president of the American College of Surgeons and president of the American Surgical Association. 

Read the Suffolk Rotary Club's article on Dr. Britt, and watch a video about his life and professional journey, which was created for the event. The video features reflections from his wife, Dr. Charlene Britt, and his daughter, Avery, a sophomore at NA, and Headmaster Dennis Manning. 

Congratulations to Dr. Britt on this high honor!