Jacob Wheeler Bird (1885–1959) was a medical doctor in Sandy Spring, Maryland.
Jacob Wheeler Bird | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1885 West River, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | October 25, 1959 (aged 73–74) New Hope, Alabama, U.S. |
Burial place | St. John's Episcopal Church, Olney, Maryland |
| Alma mater | St. John's College, University of Maryland School of Medicine |
| Occupation | Medical doctor |
| Years active | 1909–1959 |
| Known for | Founder of Montgomery General Hospital |
Early years
editBird was born in West River, Maryland, in 1885.[1] He attended St. John's College in Annapolis, and he earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1907.[2]
Career
editBird worked three years as a resident and assistant superintendent of the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore.[3] In 1911, Bird moved to Sandy Spring, Maryland, to take over the medical practice of Roger Brooke, whose death had left the area without a physician.[4] Brooke's widow had specifically sought to sell the house to another doctor who would take over her late husband's medical practice.[5] Bird named the house Glen Mary after his wife, Mary.[5] Now located at 17420 Doctor Bird Road,[a] Bird lived and worked out of the transitional Colonial Revival house.[4][2]
Bird made house calls to his patients, at first in a horse-drawn buggy and later an automobile.[2] He founded a volunteer nurse corps in 1918.[6] He founded Montgomery General Hospital, which opened November 27, 1919, as the first hospital located in Montgomery County; it is now called MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.[2][7] Bird served on the Maryland State Board of Health.[2][4] Bird also founded the Montgomery County Social Service League, the Juvenile Court, and the Maryland State Welfare Department.[4][6][8]
In 1959, over 1,000 friends and neighbors of Bird attended an event honoring his fifty-year career in medicine at Montgomery General Hospital. Governor J. Millard Tawes attended.[9]
Personal life
editDeath
editBird and his wife Jean died in an automobile accident near New Hope, Alabama, on October 25, 1959.[6][13] They had been visiting their son and his wife, who were injured in the crash, in nearby Huntsville.[6] About 1,200 people attended his funeral at St. John's Episcopal Church in Olney, where he had been a vestryman.[13][14] Bird and his wife were buried in the church's cemetery.[13] The Maryland House of Delegates adopted a resolution expressing sympathy over his death.[15]
Note
editReferences
edit- 1 2 "Funeral Services Largely Attended". The News (Frederick, Maryland). October 31, 1959. p. 3.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Andersen, Patricia Abelard (Winter 2011), "Automobiles in Early Twentieth Century Montgomery County", The Montgomery County Story, vol. 54, no. 2, p. 18
- ↑ "Dr. Bird Goes To Sandy Spring". Baltimore Sun. July 2, 1909. p. 11.
- 1 2 3 4 Kelly, Clare Lise (2011). Places from the Past: The Tradition of Gardez Bien in Montgomery County, Maryland (10th Anniversary ed.). Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. pp. 126–127.
- 1 2 Orton, Kathy (December 5, 2014). "House of the Week: Colonial Revival in Sandy Spring for $879K". The Washington Post.
- 1 2 3 4 "Montgomery County Doctor Is Killed". The News (Frederick, Maryland). October 26, 1969. p. 14.
- ↑ "Hospital Opening on Thanksgiving". The Washington Post. November 9, 1919. p. 7.
- ↑ "Sandy Springs". The Washington Post. June 8, 1922. p. 8.
- ↑ "Honored Maryland Physician Killed". Associated Press. The Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland). October 26, 1959. p. 8.
- ↑ "Nurse and Physician Marry". Baltimre Evening Sun. September 8, 1910. p. 7.
- ↑ "Maryland Weddings". Baltimore Sun. August 25, 1910. p. 11.
- 1 2 "Mrs. Jacob W. Bird". The Midland Journal (Rising Sun, Maryland). November 30, 1917. p. 1.
- 1 2 3 Death Notice: Bird". The Baltimore Sun. October 28, 1959. p. 28.
- ↑ "When He Wants Real Fun, He Goes Fishing". Baltimore Evening Sun. June 27, 1934. p. 3.
- ↑ "Legislative Routing". Baltimore Sun. February 23, 1960. p. 12.