Howard University has announced Dr. James K. Fortson (B.S. ’72) as a 2026 recipient of the Alumni Award for Postgraduate Achievement where he’ll be honored during the university’s 2026 Charter Day celebration. A distinguished otolaryngologist — ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor — Fortson served the Atlanta community for decades as a surgeon, researcher, and leader.

Fortson served as chief executive officer of ENT Associates of South Atlanta for more than 20 years, and is highly regarded for his work on the head and neck manifestations of child maltreatment. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, a member of the American Triological Society, and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. 

As a specialist, I wanted to bring specialty care to some of the underserved, and that was something that there was a need for.

In his retirement, he dedicates his time to humanitarian work in the Caribbean, providing specialty care to patients in Castries, St. Lucia, and continuing to build on a decade of providing care in Port au Prince, Haiti, with Physicians for Humanity. 

“In the Caribbean communities, they are not necessarily exposed to a whole lot of specialty care,” said Fortson. “I would treat people with what was considered by other surgeons or doctors as inoperable. As a specialist, I wanted to bring specialty care to some of the underserved, and that was something that there was a need for.”

A Life of Community Service

During his time as an undergraduate studying zoology and pre-med dentistry at Howard, Fortson joined the Omega Psy Phi Fraternity Alpha Chapter, and to this day remains actively involved in community service initiatives with the Men of Omega in Atlanta, Georgia. His involvement in the fraternity was one of the first drivers for his life-long commitment to service.

“It taught me some cardinal principles, like scholarship, manhood, perseverance, and uplift,” he said of joining Omega in the early 70s. “And through those situations, it allowed me to understand what the mission of Howard was.”

Fortson is also a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve Core and a lifetime member of both the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States and the Reserve Officer Association. He credits his military service with instilling personal discipline, a quality he leaned heavily on during his time as CEO of the ENT Associates of South Atlanta. Fortson said he also imparted that on his staff, drilling into them the importance of paying careful attention when treating patients.

 “I had my staff disciplined to ‘we have to take care, good care, of these people,’” he said.

Throughout his career, Fortson has had a keen interest in identifying childhood maltreatment, the number one cause of death in children. He believes that ENT physicians are uniquely suited to recognizing abuse and therefore have a responsibility to do so. 

“Fifty percent of the kids that undergo maltreatment, their injuries are in the head and neck area,” he said. “And as an ear, nose, and throat doc, I became aware of those types of things more so than primary care or general practitioners. Every day when I see somebody, I look in the ear, I look in the nose, I look in the throat, and I pick up on things like nose bleeds or perforations of the eardrum or fractures of the head and neck area.”

At the core of Fortson’s work is a deep empathy for patients. Along with being a physician, Fortson was a professor within the Morehouse School of Medicine for 15 years, where he emphasized that empathy to his students.

I tried to instill in my students to listen to people, to hear what they’re saying, to understand their fears, their anxieties, and to be able to address those types of issues.

“I tried to instill in my students to listen to people, to hear what they’re saying, to understand their fears, their anxieties, and to be able to address those types of issues,” he said. “Many times, physicians don’t necessarily listen and understand what the problems of people are.”

Fortson looks fondly on his time at Howard, saying it taught him about both scholarship and service. His legacy continues both through his continued humanitarian work and his daughters — both  graduates of the university. He reflected on first introducing them to Howard and the values of truth and service that define the university.

“I brought them to see the trials and tribulations they would have to go through to attend Howard, as well as the good times associated with it. I taught them about the process of learning, of leading, of giving back what you got out of Howard,” Fortson noted. “I learned a lot. I’ve been able to give back to my students. I was able to give back to my communities. I was able to give back to my fraternity. I was able to give back to some of the people in the Caribbean … It was a wonderful experience.”