Schneider, Roy
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SCHNEIDER, ROY LESTER Physician, Health Executive St. Thomas 1939 Dr. Roy Lester Schneider holds a special place in the improvement of health care in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As Health Commissioner, he initiated the territory's first kidney trans plant. He also performed the territory's first radical forequarter amputation for cancer of the humerus. He played an active role on St. Thomas and St. Croix in the completion of new health facilities which were previously initiated through the efforts of former governors and health executives. He also advocated the establishment of a board of trustees for each hospital. It was in Washington, D.C., however, that Dr. Schneider first made his mark. On the university level he was associated with Howard University Hospital and served on its faculty. At Freedmen's Hospital, Howard's teaching hospital, he held various administrative positions including vice-chairman in the Department of Oncology, 1973; associate director at Howard's Cancer Research Center, 1973; consultant, Cancer Surgery Department of Radio Therapy, Howard University, 1973. Other activities at the hospital include being chairman of the Tumor Board since 1971; chairman of a tumor conference held in 1971; Harambee T.V. programs for Health Center Medical Records; committee member, Freedmen's Hospital cancer committee. In addition, he has provided services as consultant to countries in need of assistance on cancer. In this capacity in 1971 he provid ed such expertise to Jamaica and Mexico. Born on St. Thomas on May 13,1939, he is a son of Aluvis and Winifred De Graff Schneider. His early education began in the local public schools, Dober and Lincoln, now J. Antonio Jarvis. Completing requirements for graduation from senior high school, he emerged as salutatorian of the class of 1957 of Charlotte Amalie High School and entered Howard University, Washington, D.C. After he earned his bachelor's degree with majors in zoology, chemistry, physics, and math, he entered Howard's College of Medicine and earned his medical degree in 1965. He subsequently did his internship at Freedmen's Hospital, now known as Howard University Hospital. He was inducted into the United States Army Medical Corps School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, from which he received a diploma in 1966. At completion of this training, he continued in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for the next two years, 1966-1967, and during this tenure, was promoted to the rank of captain, serving at Leonard Wood Army Hospital for one year,1966-1967.
