Data Loading...
A Physician and His Ideal Flipbook PDF
A Physician and His Ideal Next 100 year tabloid
111 Views
62 Downloads
FLIP PDF 436.63KB
celebrating 100 years
A Physician and His Ideal Decatur Memorial Hospital, 2300 N. Edward St., Decatur, Ill., 62526. For more information about DMH and its programs and services, call 217/876-3235. President and Chief Executive Officer, Timothy D. Stone Jr. Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, John W. Ridley Senior Vice President, Finance, Deborah L. Bragg Chief Medical Officer, David W. Baumberger, MD Chief Nurse Officer, Linda L. Fahey Vice President Nursing Practice, Robyn Reising Vice President, Support Services, David Samples Vice President, Human Resources, Kevin Horath © Copyright 2016, Decatur Memorial Hospital Research, copy, layout/design provided by Laura Hilvety Bratten
Our Mission: To improve the health of the people of Central Illinois.
A Physician and His Ideal To the hospital he gave his life
celebrating 100 years 1916—2016
A physician and his ideal
A physician and his ideal
The year was 1899. Mrs. Sue Hagaman decided that to get her idea moving, she needed help. Help from a powerful, influential member of the community. So she orchestrated a meeting between herself and THE Dr. William Barnes. That meeting sparked a unique collaboration and 17 years later, Decatur embraced its second hospital; a hospital where babies could be born: Decatur Memorial Hospital. Though built by the determination and grit of many hard-working individuals, the lion’s share of the credit for Decatur Memorial Hospital goes to one rare man who took responsibility for helping establish and then directing the hospital’s crucial early years: Dr. “Will” Barnes.
William David Barnes, MD
But who was this man? He remains a mystery. But a
Sept. 3, 1860—May 1, 1930
compilation of information from a variety of sources
Surgeon and Entomologist
provides some insight into this unique individual.
Builder, Leader, humanitarian To the hospital he gave his life
A physician. A surgeon. A true visionary. And an inspiration—even 100 years later.
This is the second in a series of pieces DMH plans to produce highlighting its first 100 years of service. Editor’s note: Dr. Will Barnes is considered a driving force behind creating a hospital in Decatur where “babies could be born.” This information contained in this piece is based on information found in his obituary (a full-page tribute printed in the Decatur Herald May 1, 1930); and from a booklet entitled A Physician and His Ideal, published by Decatur Memorial Hospital in 1966.
Above breaking ground in 1966 for the Staley Pavilion are, from left, William Barnes IV (great grandson to Dr. Will Barnes) G. William Madden (Vice President of the DMH Board of Directors) and Mrs. James H. (Daisy) Winters. Mrs. Winters worked with Mrs. Hagaman in the early 1900s and was present at the hospital’s original groundbreaking (inset).
A physician and his ideal Butterfly Hobby Dr. Barnes won international recognition—as an entomologist. To scientists the world over, the name ‘Dr. Barnes’ was Dr. Barnes and Decatur Memorial Hospital
familiar due to
Unlike his critics at the time, Dr. Barnes did not think it was ridicu-
his butterfly
lous to buy a 40-acre tract of land at 2300 N. Edward St. (located
collection. “He spared
two miles north of downstreet car line and paved streets). Dr. Barnes dreamed that DMH would someday be a medical center, not just a
Dr. Barnes pictured here in a fire-proof, storm-proof building behind his family home. The building housed his butnor expense in terfly collection regarded at the time as the largest and bringing together finest in the world with an estimated 473,000 specimens. such a collection. proof museum behind the family He thought of it as a distinct conneither trouble
town Decatur yet beyond the
Street car lines were added in the 1920s to go out to Decatur Memorial Hospital.
tribution to science. He never
home. At his death in 1930, his
tired of going into his ‘bughouse’
collection was regarded as the
prestige all went for the cause that was nearest
with a shaded lamp to study his
largest and finest in the world
his heart. The hospital was his life. His hopes for
butterflies. Sometimes he banter-
with possibly 10,000 species and
it were boundless. Dr. Will Barnes worked harder
ingly suggested that his friends
an estimated 473,000 specimens,
for Decatur Memorial Hospital than for his own
probably thought him a damned
even receiving praise in the 1936
hospital. “His money, his talent, his
success. He gave his life to it.”
fool. ‘You fellows cannot understand my
Always active, Dr. Barnes was a good golfer and one of the first in the community to take up the sport. He was president of the Central Illinois Golf Association. This bas-relief was a gift to the hospital, however, Dr. Barnes would not permit it to be placed in the hospital until after his death.
National Geographic magazine. A few months after his death,
fussing around with
the U.S. government bought
butterflies,’ he used
Dr. Barnes’ collection for
to say. Nor did they.”
$50,000; the collection was to
Dr. Barnes’ butterfly
be housed in the Smithsonian
collection was housed
Institute. Half of the proceeds
in a fire proof, storm
was given to the hospital.
Dr. Will Barnes residence, 500 W. Main St., Decatur Dr. Will Barnes died in his home at 7:15 am
friends may call. The body will be taken to St.
Thursday, May 1, 1930.
Louis for cremation. The family asks that no
“Dr. Barnes had been ill for several weeks,
flowers be sent.”
suffering from heart trouble. He passed away
“The Medical Staff has lost its greatest in-
in his chair, it being impossible for him to lie
spiration...he has been a living example of the
down without causing a great heart distur-
ideal physician who has given everything at
bance. He had been seriously ill since two
his disposal, time, energy and money toward
weeks ago Thursday. Although unconscious a
the relief of suffering,” said Dr. Clarence E.
part of the time, Dr. Barnes was able to talk to
McClelland, DMH Medical Staff president at
members of the family until the end. His body
the time of Dr. Barnes’ death. “The hospital
will lie in state in his home at which time
will stand as a monument to this ideal.”
A physician and his ideal
D
William David Barnes was born Sept. 3, 1860, in Decatur, Ill., the son of “Dr. Barnes was possessed of a tremendous force, superb ability and
integrity which could not be questioned. Many told of the almost uncanny skill he used at his surgery. He was simply a genius in such matters.”
A I
Dr. William A. and Eleanor Sawyer Barnes—a “pioneer Decatur family.” He graduated salutatorian from the Decatur High School in 1877. Then spent a year at Illinois State University, Normal, followed by a year at University of Illinois, Champaign. In 1879, he entered Harvard Medical
“As a physician and surgeon, he ranked with the best.”
School and graduated in 1886. He completed an internship at Boston City Hospital and then studied
“It was another of his little fancies to have a
W
A physician and his ideal
abroad in Heidelberg, Munich and Vienna.
birthday party for himself and call in all of his friends.
In 1890, Dr. Barnes came home to Decatur and
He must have had at least two or three birthdays every year.”
opened his medical practice. That same year he married Charlotte L. Gillette. The couple had two chil-
“Will Barnes was outspoken. He told his thoughts boldly. He was not much of a diplomat, but he never hesitated, and no matter what the issue, he was always fair.”
A
Barnes. “As a young man, he came back to his native town with a surgical technique developed by the
“And for all his rough exterior, there never was a man with as
greatest hospitals of this country and Europe. He
tender a heart as Will Barnes had. No, Decatur won’t soon again
would have made a name for himself in any large
know another man like him. His life was jammed to overflowing
city. Decatur and central Illinois profited by his skill.”
with kind, charitable acts of which only his more intimate
He was often praised as an “outstanding physi-
friends ever learned, and then only by accident.”
H
cian and surgeon and as a diagnostician.” Not long after opening his practice, Dr. Barnes performed the
“He had faults; he did not try to conceal them.
He had weaknesses; they were perfectly apparent.
But his virtues so far outweighed his defects that the defects
area’s first bone graft. He grafted part of a cat’s hip bone to the face of a woman whose nose had been crushed.
can be forgotten. His strivings, even his enemies would have
“I very soon came to realize that I was working
admitted, were not for himself.”
with a master surgeon, with that rare good quality—
I
most excellent judgment. Skillfulness of hand,
“In Decatur, everybody knew that here was a man that
long since had ceased to care about himself. No ambition for wealth
T
dren: William Barnes, Jr., and Joan Dean Gillett
or increased fame moved him. He was utterly selfless.”
keenness in diagnosis, quickness of perception, gentleness and true sympathy made him outstanding,” said Dr. C.H., Tearnan, who was Dr. Barnes’ medical partner for 14 years. In 1899, community member Mrs. Sue Hagaman orchestrated a meeting with
“The frail body that he had so recklessly driven housed a spirit aflame. His great and only passion was human welfare.”
THE Dr. Will Barnes. She needed his help to build a hospital in Decatur where babies could be born—and so the story of Decatur Memorial Hospital begins.