Eugene Heriot Dibble Jr. (1893–1968) was an American physician and head of the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

[2] However, he spent the majority of his adult life in Tuskegee, Alabama, where he would eventually work at the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital.

After his residency, he worked as assistant medical director until he was appointed surgeon-in-chief of the U.S. Veterans Administration Hospital at Tuskegee.

[3] In 1946, he became the medical director, for the second time, of the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital until 1965, when his cancer had worsened, forcing him to retire.

[1] Dibble also served as a member of the board of trustees at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dibble knew that his hospital and Tuskegee Institute needed to provide research opportunities as well as clinical care.

Susan M. Reverby describes Dibble, in her book, Examining Tuskegee: The Infamous Syphilis Study and Its Legacy, as committed to the improvement of conditions for African-Americans.

[1] Dibble and his staff also assisted with some aspects of the study, particularly physical examinations, X-rays, and spinal taps to look for signs of neurosyphilis.

The very premise of the study was based on the assumption that African-Americans would not seek treatment for syphilis and that the disease affected them differently than other races.

His argument was based upon class divisions, and he argued that because Black institutions relied heavily upon funding from white philanthropy, they could not afford to object to the U.S. government for participation in the study.

[9] Although he is a controversial figure, Dibble is also largely remembered and praised for his work in promoting professional racial equality within the medical community.

In the late 1940s, the society began to change its vision to providing courses in medicine and surgery for African-Americans in the South.

[11] He was awarded the 17th Distinguished Service Medal of the National Medical Association at the 67th Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois that took place from August 13 – 16, 1962.

He maintained an office in order to work with free clinics and teach young doctors and nurses.

[13][2] The next year, he received a distinguished service medal as an Alumni Award from his alma mater, Howard University.