Presbyterian St Lukes Hospital School of Nursing - Alpha Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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if»i« Jilt St. Luke ' s Hospital ST. LUKE ' S HOSPITAL was organized on February i8, 1864, and was shortly thereafter opened for the reception and care of the sick poor. From that date to the present, its history presents an unbroken record of continuous service to the community. Its growth represents a development from an original capacity of seven beds to its present total of four hundred beds. At its inception St. Luke ' s Hos- pital was a charitable activity of Grace Church parish, the initiative which led to its organization having originated with the Rev. Clinton Locke, Rector of Grace Church. The Honorable Melville W. Fuller, late Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, was prominently identified with the enterprise, having formulated the original Charter and Articles of Incorporation. The orig- inal Hospital was started in a small frame house, located on State Street near Eldridge Court, now Eighth Street, providing accommodations for seven patients. Dr. Walter Hay was Chief Physician and the nursing staff consisted of two members. The meagre accommodations available in this building very soon became inadequate, necessitating removal to larger quarters. A large brick house on State Street near Roosevelt Road was rented. This provided an in- crease in capacity to a total of eighteen beds. In 1865 Dr. John E. Owens was given control of the medical affairs of the hospital. He remained an active member of the [9]

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medical staff from that date to 1912, a period of forty-seven years continu- ous service as Attending Surgeon. Upon his retirement from active service, he was appointed Honorary President of the Medical Board and Consulting Surgeon — his name at this date still heading the list of the Medical Board. The first printed list of the Medi- cal Board appeared in 1869. It included the following names well known in the medical traditions of Chicago: Dr. John E. Owens Surgeon in Charge Dr. M. O. Heydock Attending Physician Dr. J. Adams Allen Consulting Physician Dr. Moses Gunn Consulting Surgeon Dr. S. J. Jones Attending Oculist and Aurist Dr. I. N. Danforth Pathologist Dr. W. H. Byford Consulting Accoucheur Dr. W. H. Allport Surgeon Dentist It was these distinguished physi- cians and surgeons that early gave prestige to S t. Luke ' s Hospital and, as time went on, established it as one of the great hospitals of the West. Growth of the institution soon rendered increased accommodations and facilities necessary, and in 1871 there was secured and occupied a large frame building on Indiana Avenue covering a part of the site of the present Hospital. Capacity was increased to thirty-five beds by this move. This wooden structure remained the home of the institu- tion until the year 1882, when, funds having become available through bequests and donations inspired by the excellent work of the Hospital, a new building was begun on adjoin- ing property. This building, which furnished quarters for sixty-five patients, was opened in January, 1885. It is still in use today, con- stituting the oldest of the structures included in the present Hospital. Development now became more rapid. The Training School for Nurses was established in 1887. Through the munificence of Mr. Byron Smith, Mr. Samuel John- stone, Mrs. W. G. Hibbard, Mr. W. H. Getty, Mrs. Frank O. Lowden (nee Miss Florence Pullman) and other friends of the Hospital, con- struction proceeded apace until, ia 1891, the total capacity of the Hos- pital had become increased to one hundred and fifty-two beds. The generous bequest of Mrs. Elizabeth H. Stickney in 1897 provided for construction of the Nurses Training School building. In 1908 Mr. James Henry Smith gave to the Hospital 500,000.00 for the erection of a memorial to his cousin George Smith. With this generous donation was erected the Smith Memorial wing which accommodates one hundred and twenty-seven patients. This building is devoted to the care of private patients. Such profit as is [II]