University of Edinburgh’s first African graduate. Name: James Beale HortonCategory: AlumniCountry of origin: Sierra Leone, Africa Time active in Edinburgh: 1859 graduate Born in Sierra Leone in 1835, James is considered the University of Edinburgh’s first African graduate. Following the British War Office’s idea to train Africans in medicine, in 1853 James was among the first Africans to be sent to Britain to study for a degree in medicine. He began his studies at King’s College London, before moving to Scotland to complete his medical degree. After graduating from Edinburgh in 1859, he returned to Sierra Leone where he was commissioned in the British Army for service in West Africa, with the rank of staff assistant surgeon. In 1882, after his military career, he launched a financial institution called the Commercial Bank of West Africa. He died the following year, aged only 48. This article was published on 2026-03-11
