8 8 2 ▁– ▁August ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 2 1 ) ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁African - American ▁phys ician ▁situated ▁in ▁Oxford , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁First ▁Lieutenant ▁Medical ▁Officer ▁following ▁the ▁United ▁States ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁family ▁ ▁Before ▁he ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁an ▁American ▁variation ▁of ▁Book er , ▁William ' s ▁family ▁name ▁was ▁recorded ▁as ▁' Bo oh er '. ▁ ▁His ▁father , ▁William ▁John ▁Bo oh er , ▁had ▁em igr ated ▁from ▁T og ol and ▁in ▁German - control led ▁West ▁Africa . ▁ ▁William ' s ▁pat ernal ▁grand father ▁was ▁a ▁native ▁of ▁T og ol and ▁named ▁Wilhelm ▁Ja com en ah ▁H ess leb ac ▁Bo oh ah . ▁ ▁Bo oh er ' s ▁father ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Canada ▁before ▁sett ling ▁in ▁America ▁where ▁he ▁met ▁Mary ▁Ann ▁M ena fe e . ▁ ▁However , ▁Bo oh er ▁died , ▁leaving ▁behind ▁a ▁wife ▁and ▁un born ▁child . ▁ ▁William ▁John ▁Henry ▁Bo oh er ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁in ▁Con cord , ▁New ▁Ham pshire . ▁ ▁W ant ing ▁her ▁son ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁familiar ▁with ▁the ▁African - American ▁community , ▁Mary ▁Ann ▁Bo oh er ▁moved ▁her ▁son ▁to ▁the ▁South . ▁ ▁They ▁started ▁in ▁Winter ▁Park , ▁Florida , ▁where ▁William ▁noticed ▁the