That which follows here is not an in-depth study of the Kent County Medical Society. Rather, it is a sketch prepared from available information and records in the Society office. A considerable amount has been drawn from the manuscript of Mrs. William W. Jack which was researched for the portion on Medical Societies in the "Story of Grand Rapids," and from Dr. William R.Vis' "History of Medicine in Western Michigan." The balance is taken from minutes of meetings, Society Bulletins and an accumulation of files and records.
The Kent County Medical Society made an abortive beginning in 1889, but "died aborning," as it were. The first meeting was held at the Morton House on November 22nd of that year and Dr. S.R. Wooster was elected as its president. Plans were made to incorporate under the laws of the State of Michigan and the membership was opened to "all regular practitioners who were graduates of colleges recognized by the AMA." As stated before, it wasn't successful and thirteen years were to pass before the Society as we know it had its beginning. It may be interesting, however, to recount a portion of that which went before the Kent County Medical Society in the history of medical organizations in this area.
It has been reported that there had been a total of ten medical groups organized during Grand Rapids' first century. One of these, the Grand River Valley Medical Society was organized in June 1852 and included areas outside of Grand Rapids and Kent County. There is also mention of a Kent County Medical Society being organized in 1855, but we find no further references made to that group.
Another, the Grand Rapids Medical and Surgical Society was founded in 1856 and was later to be known as the Grand Rapids Medical Society. This group's activities were suspended during the Civil War when so many of its members volunteered for military service. They were resumed in 1864, but its membership began to wane in 1884 in favor of the Grand Rapids Academy of Medicine which was organized in October of that year. Weekly meetings of the Academy were held in the office of the secretary and dues were fixed at $3.00 per year. Absence from meetings for more than four months without good reason was considered sufficient to cancel one's membership. This organization passed an official resolution in 1889 at a "supper meeting" at the home of Dr. Joseph B. Griswold, that opened its membership to women physicians. Included in an 1890 roster were three women, Drs. Bessie Earle, Emma Nichols Wanty, and Frances A. Rutherford.
The Medical and Surgical Society of Grand Rapids was founded March 1, 1897 at the Morton House. A newspaper account of the occasion states that it was organized as a rival to the Grand Rapids Academy of Medicine. Dr. James A. De Vore was elected president after Dr. Schuyler C. Graves, later to become the second president of the Kent County Medical Society, declined the honor.
Dr. Joseph B. Whinery, among others, was active in rehabilitating the Kent County Medical Society, and in 1902 a plan was projected which would entitle each county in the State to organize a constituent county medical society in affiliation with the Michigan State Medical Society. Accordingly, on November 14, 1092, the Kent County Medical Society was reorganized with 43 charter members, each presumably "residing and practicing in Kent County... a legally registered practitioner of medicine... who is of good moral and professional standing." Dr. R. H. Spencer was elected as its first president. A list of all the presidents appears elsewhere in this site.
After the turn of the century the attendance and membership in the Grand Rapids Academy of Medicine began to show a gradual decline. Older members remained loyal, but the reorganization of the Kent County Medical Society began to enlist the younger members. There appeared to be considerable rivalry between the old Academy and the young Kent County Medical Society. Of the first eight Kent County Medical Society presidents, only two had been members of the Academy. The Academy ceased to exist in 1914.
Meetings of the newly organized Kent County Medical society were held frequently and were first held in the Farmers Club rooms of the County Building. They changed in January 1903 to rooms at the Ladies Literary Club, which offered the space, including heat, lights and janitor service for two evenings a month for an annual fee of $50.00. Minutes of meetings at this time indicate the attendance to be 25-30 and annual dues were $1.900. Early in 1904 the Society moved its meetings to the Board of Trade Rooms, and there is some indication this may have resulted from the Ladies Literary Club refusing to grant a $12.50 reduction in the fee for the use of its rooms.
At the Annual Meeting on December 11, 1907, the secretary reported a total of 108 members in good standing. 18 regular meetings were held during the year, 19 papers were read, 33 cases exhibited before the Society and $292.00 was paid into the treasury. The secretary also reported that the greatest improvement of the Society had been shown in the advancement of sociability, in its numbers of cases presented, and in its acquisition of new members.
Meetings of the Society were semi-monthly in the 1920's and for a time were held at the Women's City Club, Sunshine Sanitorium, and then alternated between Butterworth Hospital and the Pantlind Hotel. It was customary for two or three papers to be given at each meeting and by the early 1930's the average attendance at regular meetings was 68.
The Society moved its meetings to its rented Library and Club Rooms in the Medical Arts Building in February 1932. It is recorded that some 200 attended the first meeting. Meetings continued on a semi-monthly basis in these facilities through 1939 with some dinner meetings being held at the Pantlind and Rowe Hotels. Membership had reached 245 in 1937 and the Society was represented by five delegates in the State Society House of Delegates. The 1930's were important in the history of the Society in another area. A resolution in 1932 resulted in the organization of the Woman's Auxiliary with an initial membership of 90. Its membership is approximately 305 today.
It was decided in 1940 to hold monthly meetings instead of semi-monthly and these were dinner meetings at the Pantlind Hotel. A report of the Board of Directors in December 1941 indicated activities of the society as a whole had dropped to an all-time low. Perhaps times and conditions had its effect as World War II was upon us. The Board, however, indicated it was partly due to the change in frequency of meetings.
Many members answered the call of military service and the Society's Bulletin soon contained correspondence from all corners of the world. Those who remained at home found themselves working long hours caring for the added patient load. A resolution was presented at a Society Meeting early in 1942 suggesting that the public be educated to place calls for house visits early in the day, so that physicians could arrange their visitation routes without retracing their steps and thus conserve gasoline, rubber and wear and tear on their aging automobiles.
Beginning in January 1943, meetings were held at the Browning Hotel, now the Ferguson Hospital. By Fall of of the same year they were resumed at the Pantlind Hotel. From May 1949 through November 1961, they were held at the Peninsular Club with some Annual Meetings held at local country clubs. Having outgrown the facilities at the Peninsular club, the Society returned to the Pantlind Hotel where, except for a few meetings, it remained until September 1979 when the hotel was closed for renovation. The majority of meetings have been held at the Grand Rapids Hilton Inn since that time. Membership in all categories has increased from 244 in 1940 to 845 in 1988. The Society operates with the assistance of more than 30 committees and has 16 delegates representing it in the Michigan State Medical Society House of Delegates.
The Society records and address followed the elected Secretary-Treasurer after leaving the Club Rooms at the Medical Arts Building until January 1955 when the Society entered into an agreement with the Merchants Service Bureau to provide clerical assistance to the Secretary-Treasurer. Its office was located at 190 Monroe Avenue N.W., Grand Rapids until December 1979 when it moved to the present address at 1155 Front Avenue N.W., Grand Rapids.
Members have been active in medical affairs at the State and National levels through the years. Twelve physicians from Kent County have been elected president of the Michigan State Medical Society (one of this number died before taking office). Another was Speaker of the American Medical Association House of Delegates for an unprecedented number of years. Others, too numerous to mention, have been leaders in local, State and National medical and allied health organizations. The Society was probably one of the first medical societies in the country to establish a 24-hour emergency Call Service. This was inaugurated in December 1948 with all male members under 50 years of age, regardless of specialty, taking emergency calls on a rotating basis from person who had no doctor or whose doctor was unavailable. This service continued through January 1975.
There is also considerable evidence of Society interest at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. One of its committees had much input in developing the doctor's office in the Gaslight Village. There is also the permanent Health Exhibit opened in February 1970 featuring the Wonder of Life display and the Transparent Anatomical Manikin. And, who could ever forget the Health Fair held at the Civic Auditorium in 1963. Almost every member in the Society played an important. role in this spectacular educational effort.
There are, of course, many other programs and accomplishments of the Society that deserve to be mentioned such as its participation in the adoption of Blue Shield in 1939 and the Owens Forms on various medical problems held in the middle 1950's. Its history would not be complete, however, without giving recognition to its "child," the Kent Medical Foundation. This charitable Trust was established in 1961 by the Society exclusively for charitable, scientific and educational purposes. It was incorporated in 1966 and is supported primarily by the medical profession. Its very impressive record through 1988 includes making 577 tuition grants to 487 students pursuing careers in medicine or the allied health fields at the four local colleges and three hospital schools of nursing. In addition, it has issued loans to 124 medical students. The records show a total of $606,042 has been expended for these programs. It is the community that benefits from the Foundation's efforts as the recipients of this aid return as practicing physicians and other health professionals.