[boris]

When my father was in medical school, each student had to do a certain number of 'live births' to graduate. They did house calls. In the "ghetto"--i.e., to indigents who could not afford a hospital birth. This was ~1935.

So he and another student attended a difficult birth which lasted until the wee hours. When they filled out the birth certificate, the mother had not given an iota of thought to the name.

So they named the little black baby after the Dean of the medical school.

Naturally, word got back to the dean. Remember this was not "modern" America. He was furious; he called in my father and his friend and told them: "Gentlemen, I believe everyone should have one mistake in life. You have had yours. If I ever see you or hear your names again, you will be gone from here before you can pack your bags."

Dad kept a low profile after that one.

--Boris

[boris]

Oh yeah: another doctor told me a similar story of naming a little black baby "Meconium Brown".