Dr. Bruce Harvest Fort, Jr.

Dr. Bruce Harvest Fort, Jr. was born on April 12, 1930, to Bruce Fort, Sr. and Sally Kimbrough Fort in  Macon, Georgia. He was the youngest of seven children. Dr. Fort was educated in the public schools of  Bibb County, Georgia, and graduated from Hudson High School in 1948. 

After graduating high school, Dr. Fort continued his studies at Fort Valley State College where he met his wife-to-be, Evelyn Juanita Livatt, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1952. That same year, Dr. Fort was drafted into the army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and served as a medic in orthopedics until 1954.

On June 16, 1954, Dr. Fort and Ms. Evelyn Livatt were joined together in matrimony at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. They were married for 68 wonderful years

Dr. Fort received a Master’s degree from Atlanta University in 1958. During this time, Dr. Fort began his first job teaching Biology at Hampton University (September 1957). In 1958, he entered the hallowed grounds of Albany State College (Albany State University) serving as Assistant Professor, Associate  Professor, Professor of Biology, and ultimately, Chairman of The Natural Science Department. Dr. Fort furthered his education by receiving a second Master’s degree from Brown University in 1967. In the fall of 1972, he enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the Medical College of Georgia where he was acknowledged as the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Anatomy in 1978.

During Dr. Fort’s tenure at ASU, the following courses were added to the Biology Curriculum - Histology,  Embryology, Microtechniques, and Electron Microscopy. In the seventies and eighties, Dr. Fort’s efforts greatly impacted the Natural Sciences Department. Those years included rich research experiences for students supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 1983, Dr. Fort completed a six-month sabbatical at NIH in Proposal Analysis and Grant Preparations. During his tenure at NIH, he acquired ASU’s first electron microscope. Dr. Fort retired from Albany State University in 2009.

Dr. Fort was a dedicated member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church for over 60 years where he served as  Chairman of the Deacon Board, Chairman of Mt. Zion Gardens, the Expansion Committee, and the Legacy  Birth Month Club.

He was also a member of Omega Psi Fraternity, Inc. (1959), Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (1990), and the  Criterion Club where he exercised his loyalty, devotion, and lifetime commitment to the ideals and principles of these organizations.

Dr. Bruce Fort, Jr. was preceded in death by his parents and six siblings, Sarah, Ozzie, Herbert, George, Mildred, and Raz. He leaves to mourn his wife, Mrs. Evelyn L. Fort; three children, Adrian Fort (Princess Ann),  Macon, GA; Bruce Fort, III ( Felecia), Clinton, MD, and Gail Browning (Marcus), Atlanta, GA; five grandsons, Alex Fort (Shayla) Atlanta, GA; Bruce Fort, IV (Suitland, MD), Aaron Fort (Clinton, MD), Lionel (Lenny) Fort James (Atlanta, GA); and Marquis Browning (Atlanta, GA); one granddaughter, Marcia  Browning (Atlanta, GA); four great-grandchildren, Jaden Fort, Conner Fort, Skyler Fort, and Camden Fort;  sister-in-law, Ms. Lilian Fort (Macon, GA); two nieces, Beverly Fort Hudson (Warner Robins, GA), and  Janice Riggins (Noah)(Conyers, GA); two nephews, Ronald Leonard (Jeanette)(Macon, GA) and  Herbert Edward Fort, Jr. (Macon, GA); and a host of grand nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends to cherish his memory.

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