John T. Chissell was born on May 31, 1926 at 11:00 a.m. in Charlottesville, Virginia to Herbert Garland Chissell, Sr., M.D and Connie Sitgraves Chissell. He was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, then attended Virginia State College in Petersburg, Virginia. His mother provided unconditional love and support and his father always told him that he could be anything he wanted to be if he applied himself. Dr. John followed in his father’s footsteps and graduated from Meharry Medical College in 1954. He completed his medical internship at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis Missouri in 1955 and entered medical practice with his brother in Baltimore. He married Carolyn King in 1960 and they had twin daughters, Carla and Crystal. Dr. John and Carolyn divorced in 1986 and remained good friends.

Dr. John chose to practice family medicine, the medical specialty which is concerned with the total health care of the individual and the family. In 1955 he entered medical practice in partnership with his brother, the late H. Garland Chissell, Jr. Dr. John was a Charter Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice and treated thousands of patients in Baltimore.

During his years of medical practice, Dr. John was a leader in the medical profession and an activist for access to quality health care for all, regardless of race or socio-economic status. He was a charter fellow and life member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a life member of the National Medical Association, and a member of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland. In 1971 he became the first African–American to serve as President of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians.

He served on the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee for Maryland’s Medical Assistance Program and was Chairman of its Physician’s Service Sub-Committee from 1965 to 1971. He served as Chief of the Department of Family Practice and Clinical Director of Ambulatory Care Services at Provident Hospital in Baltimore from 1973-1976. Sought after for his wisdom, leadership, and integrity, Dr. John served on countless advisory committees, task forces and other health care governing bodies up until the time of his death.

Early in his adult life, Dr. John developed hypertension. When his blood pressure reached life threatening levels, he had what he called “an attack of common sense” and began to search outside of conventional medical teachings for ways to treat himself without increasingly stronger hypertensive drugs and their increasingly stronger side effects. Dr. John gave up his traditional southern diet, began to exercise and practiced relaxation techniques, which successfully controlled his hypertension in the last 30 years of his life without the need for medication. This transformation inspired him to learn all that he could about how to achieve what he called “optimal health,” which is “the best possible emotional, intellectual, physical, spiritual, and socio-economic aliveness that we can attain.” With the help of his beloved mentor, the late naturopathic physician Dr. Alvenia Fulton, Dr. John continued to move toward optimal health and to incorporate alternative and complementary methods into his medical practice.

After 32 years of practicing what he called “sick care,” Dr. John retired from clinical practice to pursue full time his major purpose in life: "To study, model, motivate, and teach the principles and practices of optimal health." He was the founder and Chief Consultant of the Positive Perceptions Group, an Optimal Health Education Network, and enjoyed working as a Consultant, Lecturer, Program Producer and Moderator, Writer, and life long student of Optimal Health, Natural and Universal Laws.

Dr. John was fully committed to educating others, especially physicians and other health care providers, about the principles of optimal health. He hosted a one-hour talk show called HEALTHLINE 2010 on WEAA Radio at Morgan State University devoted to educating the public on optimal health in all areas of life. He produced continuing education programs on topics of optimal health, complementary and alternative medicine for the Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly of the National Medical Association each year since 1972.

Dr. John was an assistant professor at Howard University Medical School and at the time of his death, was working to establish an optimal health education initiative at Meharry Medical College. He was the proud author of Pyramids of Power: An Ancient African-Centered Approach to Optimal Health, inspired by his journey through Egypt in late 1986. Based upon ancient African history and philosophy, the book is a comprehensive, reader-friendly guide to attaining mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and socio-economic well-being.

Dr. John was attending the 50th reunion of his graduating class from Meharry when he made his transition on May 20, 2004. He was 77. Dr. John was a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the NAACP. He loved parties, family gatherings and celebrations of all kinds. He loved talking to people and was an attentive listener.

He is survived by his daughters, Carla Chissell and Crystal Chissell, his former wife, Carolyn Chissell, sister and brother-in-law, Connie and Raymond Young, sister-in-law Robbie Chissell, and nieces and nephews, and many friends throughout the world.

Dr. John was a wise and thoughtful man who possessed a sharp intellect, courage of conviction and enormous integrity. He spent each day working to achieve his greatest potential and highest good and with unconditional love, encouraged everyone he encountered to move toward the full expression of their greatest potential. Though small in stature and soft-spoken, he was a giant whose words and spirit will continue to resound in the hearts of those whose lives he touched.

• Public Schools, Alexandria, VA
• B.S. (Biology Major-Physics, Chemistry, and Psychology minors) Virginia State College, 1950, Petersburg, Virginia.
• M.D. Meharry Medical Colleg-a, 1954~Nashvi11e, Tennessee.
• Internship (Rotating) Homer G. Phillips Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, 1954-1955
• Continuing Medical Education to meet membership requirements of the American Academy of Family Physicians continuously from 1960 until retiremment from clinical practice in 1987.
• Numerous additional courses, seminars, and workshops related to achieving the optimal human potential via physical, mental, spiritual, and socio-economic disciplines.

• American Board of Family Practice-(Charter Diplomate - 1971, Recertified 1977 - 1984, 1984 - 1990).

• Assistant Professor, Department of Family Practice, Howard University Medical School-Department of Family Practice.

• Chief, Department of Family Practice and Oinical Director of Ambulatory Care Servi(es (Emergency room and Outpatient Clinics) Provident Hospital, Baltimore, MD 1973-1976.

• American Academy of Family Physicians (Charter Fellow-1972, and Life Member).
• American Society of Clinical Hypnosis-Life Fellow-1960
• National Medical Association-Life Member, (Past Chairman-Family Practice Section).
• National Speakers Association-(Member-Health & Wellness, Motivation, and Seminar Leaders professional emphasis groups).

Consultant/Lecturer/Writer/Life Student: Optimal Health and Optimal Health Education, Natural and Universal Laws to live by. Retired from full-time clinical practice of Family Medicine on June 30, 1987 following 32 years of rendering health and sick care to thousands of patients in Baltimore City.

Actualizing OPTIMALLY HEALTHY LIFESTYLES (OPTIMAL: nutrition exercue, inter/outer balancing, relationships, and spiritual development). Continuing education of health care providers with regard to the principles and practices of OPTIMAL HEALTH. Personal motivation to achieve the highest human potentials. Has produced and moderated every year since 1972 panel discussions related to OPTIMAL HEALTH, complimentary and alternative therapies for the annual scientific assemblies and conventions of the National Medical Association.

AUTHOR: PYRAMIDS OF POWER!: An Ancient African Centered Approach to Optimal Health. Book and Audio-tape versions. Meditation Tape: PYRAMIDS OF POWER! Affirmations for Optimal Health, Harmony, and Relaxation.

Producer, Talk Show Host: Healthline 2010-WEAA Radio, 88.9 FM; Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland)