Leila Denmark

Leila Alice Denmark (née Daughtry; February 1, 1898 – April 1, 2012)[1] was an American pediatrician in Atlanta, Georgia.

[2] A co-developer of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, Denmark was one of the few supercentenarians in history to gain prominence in life for reasons other than longevity.

[5] John Eustace Denmark had returned from his overseas assignment and they married on June 11, 1928, soon after she received her medical diploma.

[6] Denmark accepted a residency at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to the Virginia-Highland neighborhood with her husband.

By 1935, she was a listed staff member at the Presbyterian Church Baby Clinic in Atlanta, while serving at Grady and maintaining a private practice.

Denmark is credited as co-developer of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, with support from Eli Lilly and Company, and Emory University.

A new Forsyth County, Georgia high school constructed 2016-2018 is located near her former home and is named after Denmark.