William James Mayo
Encyclopedia
William James Mayo, M.D. (June 29, 1861 – July 28, 1939) was a physician
in the United States
and one of the seven founders of the Mayo Clinic
. He and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo
, both joined their father's
private medical practice in Rochester, Minnesota
, USA, after graduating from medical school in the 1880s. In 1919, this private medical practice became the not-for-profit Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Stinchfield was asked to join the medical practice in 1892 by William Worrall Mayo. Once Dr. Stinchfield was on board, W. W. Mayo retired at age 73. Others asked to join the practice were Drs. C. Graham, E. Starr Judd, Henry Stanley Plummer
, Melvin Millet and Donald Balfour. This group of doctors, along with their dedicated staff, created the world's first private integrated group practice. The generosity of the Mayo brothers and partners insured the future growth of the Mayo Clinic.
and his wife Louise in Le Sueur, Minnesota
in his parents' home
. As a child, William and his brother Charles frequently accompanied their father as he went about his business as a pioneer physician. They began by helping out with very menial tasks, and were gradually given more responsibility. Eventually, the boys were administering anesthesia and tying off blood vessels.
On a stormy night at the age of 16, Will accompanied his father to an abandoned hotel where one of the elder Mayo's patients worked as the caretaker. The patient had just died and Dr. Mayo was going to perform an autopsy. Will stood by and watched the procedure and after about an hour, it was time to go to another patient's home. Dr. Mayo asked his son to stay behind and clean up. "Sew up the incisions and then tuck the sheet around the corpse. When you finish, go right home." Will nervously began to stitch up the incisions on the body and recounted the incident many years later saying, "I'm about as proud of the fact that I walked out, instead of ran, as of anything else I ever made myself do".
in 1883. Afterwards he returned to Rochester to practice medicine alongside his father and his brother Charles.
On August 21, 1883, a terrible tornado
struck Rochester, killing 24 people and seriously injuring over 40 others. One-third of the town was destroyed, but young Dr. Will and his family escaped serious harm. The relief efforts began immediately with a temporary hospital being established at the town's dance hall. The Drs. Mayo were extensively involved in treating the injured who were brought there for help. Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of Saint Francis
were called in to act as nurses (despite the fact they were trained as teachers and had little if any medical experience).
After the crisis had subsided, Mother Alfred Moes approached William Worrall Mayo
about establishing a hospital in Rochester. On September 30, 1889, the dream became reality as Saint Mary's Hospital
opened its doors. Dr. W.W. Mayo (who by this time was 70 years of age) became the consulting physician and surgeon at the hospital, and his two sons began seeing patients and performing surgery with the assistance of the Sisters of Saint Francis
. William J. Mayo died in July 1939 of gastric carcinoma (stomach cancer) in Rochester, MN. Ironically, that tumor had been a major focus of his surgical practice. Dr. Mayo is buried near his parents and brother at Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester.
The United States Postal Service
printed a stamp
depicting him and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo
, on September 11, 1964.
The Dr. William J. Mayo House
in Rochester, Minnesota
is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
.
to make a prediction concerning the world in eighty years time in the future, in 2011, to celebrate the paper's eightieth anniversary since its establishment in 1851. Mayo's prediction was that the life expectancy
of developed countries would reach 70 years, compared to less than sixty years in 1931:
Mayo's prediction was largely accurate; the average life expectancy in the United States is currently approximately 78 years as of 2010, and exceeds eighty in some countries such as Japan.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and one of the seven founders of the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
. He and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo
Charles Horace Mayo
-External links:*...
, both joined their father's
William Worrall Mayo
William Worrall Mayo was a British medical doctor and chemist, best known for establishing the private medical practice that later evolved into the Mayo Clinic. He was a descendant of a famous English chemist, John Mayow. His sons, William James Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo, joined the private...
private medical practice in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
, USA, after graduating from medical school in the 1880s. In 1919, this private medical practice became the not-for-profit Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Stinchfield was asked to join the medical practice in 1892 by William Worrall Mayo. Once Dr. Stinchfield was on board, W. W. Mayo retired at age 73. Others asked to join the practice were Drs. C. Graham, E. Starr Judd, Henry Stanley Plummer
Henry Stanley Plummer
Henry Stanley Plummer, M.D. was a prominent internist and endocrinologist who, along with Drs. William Mayo, Charles Mayo, Stinchfield, E. Starr Judd, Christopher Graham, and Donald Balfour founded Mayo Clinic. Dr...
, Melvin Millet and Donald Balfour. This group of doctors, along with their dedicated staff, created the world's first private integrated group practice. The generosity of the Mayo brothers and partners insured the future growth of the Mayo Clinic.
Early years
Dr. Will Mayo was born to William Worrall MayoWilliam Worrall Mayo
William Worrall Mayo was a British medical doctor and chemist, best known for establishing the private medical practice that later evolved into the Mayo Clinic. He was a descendant of a famous English chemist, John Mayow. His sons, William James Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo, joined the private...
and his wife Louise in Le Sueur, Minnesota
Le Sueur, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,922 people, 1,545 households, and 1,025 families residing in the city. The population density was 879.0 people per square mile . There were 1,589 housing units at an average density of 356.1 per square mile...
in his parents' home
Dr. William W. Mayo House
The Dr. William W. Mayo House, located at 118 North Main Street in Le Sueur, Minnesota is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . It was built in 1859 by James Mayo and his brother, William Worrall Mayo who emigrated from Salford, United Kingdom, to the United States in 1846 and became...
. As a child, William and his brother Charles frequently accompanied their father as he went about his business as a pioneer physician. They began by helping out with very menial tasks, and were gradually given more responsibility. Eventually, the boys were administering anesthesia and tying off blood vessels.
On a stormy night at the age of 16, Will accompanied his father to an abandoned hotel where one of the elder Mayo's patients worked as the caretaker. The patient had just died and Dr. Mayo was going to perform an autopsy. Will stood by and watched the procedure and after about an hour, it was time to go to another patient's home. Dr. Mayo asked his son to stay behind and clean up. "Sew up the incisions and then tuck the sheet around the corpse. When you finish, go right home." Will nervously began to stitch up the incisions on the body and recounted the incident many years later saying, "I'm about as proud of the fact that I walked out, instead of ran, as of anything else I ever made myself do".
Education and professional work
Mayo earned his medical degree from the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1883. Afterwards he returned to Rochester to practice medicine alongside his father and his brother Charles.
On August 21, 1883, a terrible tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
struck Rochester, killing 24 people and seriously injuring over 40 others. One-third of the town was destroyed, but young Dr. Will and his family escaped serious harm. The relief efforts began immediately with a temporary hospital being established at the town's dance hall. The Drs. Mayo were extensively involved in treating the injured who were brought there for help. Mother Alfred Moes and the Sisters of Saint Francis
Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota
The Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. The congregation was founded in 1877 by Mother Mary Alfred Moes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona...
were called in to act as nurses (despite the fact they were trained as teachers and had little if any medical experience).
William Worrall Mayo
William Worrall Mayo was a British medical doctor and chemist, best known for establishing the private medical practice that later evolved into the Mayo Clinic. He was a descendant of a famous English chemist, John Mayow. His sons, William James Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo, joined the private...
about establishing a hospital in Rochester. On September 30, 1889, the dream became reality as Saint Mary's Hospital
Saint Marys Hospital (Rochester)
Saint Marys Hospital is one of two hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota operated by the Mayo Clinic, the other being Rochester Methodist Hospital. St Marys has a 61-bed emergency department but no obstetrics department, while Rochester Methodist lacks an emergency department but contains an obstetrics...
opened its doors. Dr. W.W. Mayo (who by this time was 70 years of age) became the consulting physician and surgeon at the hospital, and his two sons began seeing patients and performing surgery with the assistance of the Sisters of Saint Francis
Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota
The Sisters of Saint Francis of Rochester, Minnesota is a Roman Catholic religious congregation for women. The congregation was founded in 1877 by Mother Mary Alfred Moes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona...
. William J. Mayo died in July 1939 of gastric carcinoma (stomach cancer) in Rochester, MN. Ironically, that tumor had been a major focus of his surgical practice. Dr. Mayo is buried near his parents and brother at Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester.
The United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
printed a stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
depicting him and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo
Charles Horace Mayo
-External links:*...
, on September 11, 1964.
The Dr. William J. Mayo House
Dr. William J. Mayo House
The Dr. William J. Mayo House was built in 1916. Also known as the Mayo Foundation House, it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975....
in Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Prediction of the future
In September 1931, Mayo and other prominent individuals of the time were invited by The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
to make a prediction concerning the world in eighty years time in the future, in 2011, to celebrate the paper's eightieth anniversary since its establishment in 1851. Mayo's prediction was that the life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
of developed countries would reach 70 years, compared to less than sixty years in 1931:
Contagious and infectious diseases have been largely overcome, and the average length of life of man has increased to fifty-eight years. The great causes of death in middle and later life are diseases of heart, blood vessels and kidneys, diseases of the nervous system, and cancer. The progress that is being made would suggest that within the measure of time for this forecast the average life time of civilized man would be raised to the biblical term of three-score and ten. |
Mayo's prediction was largely accurate; the average life expectancy in the United States is currently approximately 78 years as of 2010, and exceeds eighty in some countries such as Japan.