Dr. James Avery Booker Jr. and Dr. Randy Adams will be honored for their work as dentists and medical trailblazers in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry on Saturday, Feb. 25, during the school’s 2023 Trailblazers Awards event.

Dr. Booker, born in Richmond on May 26, 1936, received his degree at the Medical College of Virginia’s School of Dentistry in 1961, becoming the school’s first Black graduate. Following his graduation, Dr. Booker balanced his life between his private practice and teaching at the Howard University College of Dentistry, eventually expanding his education, skills and career to become a certified trauma surgeon.

Alongside his private practice, Dr. Booker was elected as a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, was part of the American College of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review, and also served as a flight surgeon in the United States Air Force. He continued his educational work as a teacher and medical director at the Martin Luther King/Charles Drew School of Medicine and the Tulane University School of Medicine.

A native of Danville, Dr. Adams was one of the first two residents of the VCU School of Dentistry’s restarted residency program for pediatric dentistry in 1978, alongside Dr. Marsha Adler Gordon. Dr. Adams served as the first African-American resident in the program until 1980. With an undergraduate degree at Hampton University and doctor of dental surgery degree from Howard University, Dr. Adams aided local children and the Richmond community for years in the role.

Dr. Adams eventually used his skills to create Richmond Dentistry for Children in Jackson Ward. In addition to his day to day work, Dr. Adams is a member of the American College of Dentistry, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Mr. Booker, who died July 29, 2009, will be recognized posthumously.