Honoring Dr. Charles Crutchfield III
Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a renowned Minnesota doctor who was taken from us much too soon. Dr. Charles Crutchfield III was just 62 years old when he passed, following a two and a half year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His death is a deep and profound loss for his family, Minnesota’s Black community, and our entire State.
Charles was born in Minneapolis to a notable family of doctors. He attended Minnehaha Academy, graduated with honors in 1978, and attended Carleton College where he studied biology. He completed his medical education at Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, and his dermatology residence at the University of Minnesota.
A board-certified dermatologist for over 20 years, Charles was the first African-American dermatologist in Minnesota. He was selected as one of the top 10 dermatologists in the United States by Black Enterprise magazine and recognized by Minnesota Medicine as one of the 100 Most Influential Healthcare leaders in Minnesota. He founded his own dermatology practice, Crutchfield Dermatology, in 2002. He served as President of the Minnesota Association of Black Physicians and was the team dermatologist for Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild, and Minnesota Vikings. But his pioneering work didn’t stop with his own career, as he wrote regular articles for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder focusing on health topics specifically pertinent to the Black community and recruited other Black physicians to contribute their own writing.
Dr. Crutchfield’s work to advance medical knowledge continued as a part-time teacher, holding positions of Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biology at Carleton College. Additionally, his Crutchfield Dermatology Foundation created a lectureship focused on ethnic skin to educate medical residents about treating skin of color. Charles also mentored students of color to help them gain admission to medical school and become doctors, with the goal of increasing future diversity among medical providers. Even from his hospital bed, Charles continued to teach his Cutaneous Biology course remotely.
During the COVID pandemic, Dr. Crutchfield used his “Doctor’s Advice” column and significant community standing to educate the public about the disease, provide updates about the latest developments, and fight fear and misinformation about masks, social distancing, and vaccinations. Charles employed his gift for communicating complex ideas in clear, concise language to save lives during a time of great challenge for our country.
Charles had an impact on so many. He fought to save lives during his time on earth and will be greatly missed by his patients, friends, and family. Minnesota has lost a pioneering medical professional and a dedicated family man. A public Celebration of Life is currently being planned for later this summer. I extend my deepest condolences to Charles’ family and my gratitude for all he has done to make our communities healthier.