Mayo Clinic Beginnings: A Tale of Two Sons and Their Dad
From the time they were little boys, William “Will” and Charles “Charlie” Mayo were climbing into the buggy with their father, Dr. William Worrell Mayo, when he visited his patients. During these outings, Dr. Mayo encouraged his sons to watch what he did and encouraged them to think about medical problems people face. Back at the office, the brothers cleaned his office and helped with the horses. At the end of the day, the father and his two sons discussed the events of the day. Dr. Mayo’s practice involved the entire family. His wife helped him take care of patients and in time, the boys did, too. When Charlie was ten years old, he stood on a box and administered chloroform for anesthesia while Will, four years older, assisted his father with an operation.
Dr. William Worrell Mayo had been born in England. He immigrated to the United States in 1846 at age 27. He studied medicine at Indiana Medical College and the University of Missouri and moved to Minnesota. While practicing medicine, he also worked as a newspaper editor, ran a ferry service, served as a justice of the peace, worked on a steamboat, worked as a veterinarian, and worked as a surgeon for the Union Army. His position with the Army brought him to the town of Rochester. The family settled there when Charlie was born in 1865.
Both of Dr. Mayo’s sons went to medical school. Will went to the University of Michigan, Charlie to Northwestern. After each son graduated from medical school, he joined their father in his practice in Rochester. Over time, the practice grew into what became the world renowned Mayo Clinic.
Statues of brothers Dr. Will Mayo and Dr. Charles Mayo
at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota,
photo by Carol M. Highsmith,
courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Ray and I are grateful for the excellent care he is receiving here. The primary value of this premier not-for-profit medical organization is: “The needs of the patient come first.” That statement comes from a commencement address Dr. William Mayo gave in 1910. In his address, entitled “”The Necessity of Cooperation in the Practice of Medicine,” he said, “The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered.”
Everything we have seen and experienced thus far reveals Mayo’s commitment to excellence. Furnishings are clean, fresh, spacious, purposeful, and beautiful. Art is everywhere in great variety, from a mid-19th century hand-painted Scandinavian cupboard . . .
. . . to a second-to-third century AD mosaic from Syria . . .
. . . to a mid-19th century Turkish rug . . .
. . . to aesthetically designed waiting areas.
Being here simply feels good. You don’t get the feeling that the staff is in a rush. The whole place exudes the value: “The needs of the patient come first.” Thank you for putting the needs of your children above your own.
. . . do not merely look out
for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Philippians 2:4
For you were called to freedom, brethren;
only do not turn your freedom
into an opportunity for the flesh,
but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13