"Conceived in no spirit of racial animosity, fostering no ethnic antagonism, but born of the exigencies of the American environment, the National Medical Association has for its purpose, the banding together of men and women of African descent, for the mutual cooperation and helpfulness, who are legally and honorably engaged in the practice of cognate professions of medicine, surgery, pharmacy and dentistry." (C.V. Roman, M.D., 1908)