James Henry Tolley, M.D., MAT, is a native of Charleston, SC, a graduate of Clemson University and received his Master’s Degree from The Citadel. He received his MD degree from The Medical University of South Carolina in 1985. Dr. Tolley completed his residency in Family Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Practice.

Upon completing his residency in Family Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in 1988, he was invited to be an attending there in the Emergency Department as Assistant Professor of Surgery.

With his mother being ill, he returned to Charleston in 1989, and began working as an independent contractor ED attending at Charleston Memorial Hospital, during which time he started volunteer teaching with the College of Medicine.

In 1993, he became a full-time faculty member at MUSC, with the initial responsibility of after hour staffing of the ACCESS CENTER, which later evolved into the Emergency Department in 1995. From 1996 to 2008, he served as the Medical Director of the Charleston Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, after it came under the management of the MUSC ED.

Clinically, he served as a fulltime ED attending until June of 2016.

He has served on numerous committees within the Medical University and has special interests in medical community outreach and working with students planning to enter medical careers. He is also a mentor for medical students of the Student National Medical Association and the underrepresent- ed minority students of the College of Medicine.

With his interest in the history of hospital care of the local African American community, he spoke at the dedication of the Cannon Street Hospital and Nursing School and the 1969 Hospital Strike histori- cal markers. Dr. Tolley is a past president of the Charleston County Medical Society and continues to serve on its Executive Board. He serves on the board of directors for the Waring Historical Library, various committees including the Admissions Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the College of Medicine, among other institutional committees over the years.
He has continued to serve the community through his efforts in medical education for children and adults, participation in community health fairs and school career days.
In his retirement and with his appointment to Emeritus status, he hopes to continue serving MUSC and the Charleston community by continuing to promote health careers to students and to help mentor underrepresented in medicine potential students, students and residents.

Having a keen interest in the overall history of medicine in the Charleston area, he is looking forward to continued study in this area and to the role he will play in his work with the Waring Historical Library.