Larry T. Suitt became the first African American chief operating officer and first vice president of Durham Regional Hospital and the first in the state of North Carolina. He served in the position for 33 years until he retired in 1999.

Suitt was born in 1940 in Durham, NC. He was a graduate of Hillside High School and went on to attend North Carolina Central University. He served his country during the Vietnam War in the US Army and received an honorable discharge in 1965.

Suitt attended several hospital administration programs at the University of Chicago and Duke University. He served as administrator of Lincoln Hospital until 1976. In 1978, he became certified by the American College of Healthcare Executives. After the merger of Lincoln and Watts Hospitals, Suitt helped facilitate the building and opening of Durham County General Hospital. By 1987, he was the first black chief operating officer and first black president of Durham Regional.

source:

African Americans of Durham