Celebrating 100 years of providing safe, innovative and compassionate care for our communities.

Watch the video playlist above to hear from Archbold team members and community leaders
on Archbold's impact on our community and region throughout the last one hundred years.

Continuing a Legacy

John F. “Jack” Archbold donated $1.5 million to build John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital in memory of his father in 1923. Archbold was the owner of Chinquapin Plantation and a frequent visitor to Thomasville, and his gift was the first in a century-long tradition of fervent community support of healthcare in South Georgia. As it opened in 1925, Archbold remains a not-for-profit, community-led organization committed to the people of the region.

On this occasion, we invite and encourage you to support the Archbold Foundation and its mission to build and sustain a financial legacy that supports Archbold and healthcare access in our community.

GIVE TODAY

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A Century of Healing:

Centennial Reflections on the John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital

A leading aspect of our 100th Anniversary celebration is Archbold's centennial history book, A Century of Healing, carefully compiled by longtime Archbold physician and historian Dr. Chip Bragg. ​

A Century of Healing represents the most complete compilation of Archbold history ever published. The book's anticipated release date is April 2025. Your purchase will support the Archbold Foundation and allow you to participate in this exciting celebration.

COMING APRIL 2025

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Events

Archbold has grown significantly in 100 years, but our mission to provide cutting-edge care close to home has never changed—and we believe that is something worth celebrating. Archbold’s Centennial will be marked with a series of commemorations and events for employees, supporters, and community members.

Archbold Centennial Celebration

April 12, 2025
Friends and supporters of Archbold will celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary at Chinquapin, the former home of Archbold's founder John F. "Jack" Archbold. This elegant evening will feature dinner and live entertainment. Black tie. Ticket purchases will support the mission of the Archbold Foundation and continue a century-long tradition of fervent community support of healthcare in South Georgia that Jack Archbold initiated 100 years ago. For more information, call the Archbold Foundation at (229) 228-2924.

A Century of Healing Lecture with Dr. Chip Bragg

April 22, 2025 at 6:00pm
Join Dr. Chip Bragg, retired Archbold anesthesiologist and historian, for an interactive and entertaining lecture on Archbold's centennial and his new book, A Century of Healing: Centennial Reflections on the John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. The lecture will take place in Williams Auditorium at Archbold Memorial. The lecture is free and dinner will be served. To learn more and RSVP, please visit archbold.org/rsvp.

Archbold Historical Marker Unveiling

SAVE THE DATE - June 30, 2025
Archbold will unveil a historical marker along Gordon Avenue on the 100th anniversary of the official dedication of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. The entire community will be invited to join us for this special occasion. Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for more information later in the year.

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Centennial Shop

Whether you’re an Archbold team member or a community member, we invite you to commemorate the occasion with Archbold Centennial attire and collectibles. A stylish assortment of t-shirts, mugs, folios, and more specially designed for the occasion will soon be available at the Archbold Auxiliary Gift Shop. Currently, a small number of Archbold Centennial items are in stock in the Gift Shop. Stop by to see what is available today.

The Archbold Auxiliary Gift Shop is located off the main lobby of Archbold Memorial and is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Your purchase will celebrate your role in Archbold’s history and supports the mission of the Archbold Auxiliary.

Since John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital opened, there has been an active group of interested area citizens who give the hospital their support and assistance. Today, the men, women, and youth who make up the Archbold Auxiliary serve patients, welcome visitors, and fundraise to support the mission of the hospital.

Interested in volunteering? Click here to learn more.

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Share Your Archbold Story

The lives touched by Archbold in the last 100 years are immeasurable. Whether it was a job where you could make a difference, the Cancer Center where your mother became a survivor, or the Maternity Center where you first saw your child – Archbold has played a significant role in so many of our lives as South Georgia residents.

No matter why Archbold is significant to you, we would love to hear your Archbold Story. Using the link below, you can share how Archbold’s first 100 years made a difference in your life. We will share these collected stories online and in person throughout our centennial celebrations.

Do you know someone who might like to share their Archbold Story? We encourage you to pass along this opportunity to them.

SHARE YOUR ARCHBOLD STORY

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Born at Archbold?

On July 11, 1925, the first baby was born at John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. The ceremoniously named John Archbold Golden began a long history of new life at Archbold.

Archbold has earned a reputation for providing the highest quality maternity experience throughout the entire process of prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. More than 860 families trusted Archbold maternity centers with their newborn delivery in 2023. With the opening of Archbold Memorial’s new maternity center, we’re proud to further our commitment to mothers, newborns, and families once again.

Were you or a loved one born at Archbold? Share your baby photos!

Each member of our community who was born at Archbold is a significant piece of our story and the story of the place we call home. Please use the link below to submit your baby photos. We’ll share these photos with the community and recognize you and your family for the role you’ve played in Archbold’s proud history.

SHARE YOUR ARCHBOLD BABY PHOTO

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Our History

A Gift and Its Legacy

John Dustin Archbold, the son of a Methodist Episcopal Minister, was born in Leesburg, Ohio. He served as the first president of the Standard Oil Company and was the closest associate of John D. Rockefeller.

Thomasville, then a booming resort town, attracted the Archbold family and many other prominent northern families with its friendly demeanor, fresh pine air, and ample sporting opportunities in the Red Hills.​​

John D. Archbold’s son, John F. “Jack” Archbold, built his home at Chinquapin Plantation in Thomas County in 1910. In 1923, he donated the funds to build John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital in memory of his father. Archbold has him to thank for its iconic Spanish design and tradition of community-led philanthropic support.

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Archbold’s Beginnings

On June 30, 1925, John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital was officially dedicated. Archbold opened as a modern, 100-bed general hospital, treating patients that came from South Georgia and North Florida. The medical staff that was assembled for the new hospital set the stage for a long-standing tradition of excellent physicians caring for this region.

The first three floors of the west wing of the hospital opened in December 1958, adding 56 beds. During this time, improvements were made to surgery, delivery rooms and the nursery, while the X-ray department was expanded. A cafeteria for staff and patients, along with a pharmacy, was also completed during the expansion.

Archbold Health Services began offering home health care in 1973. In-home care was offered as an alternative to acute hospital care or extended care facility placement.

Over the years, Archbold Health Services has grown to include Archbold Hospice, Archbold Pinetree Pharmacy and Archbold HomeCare Store.

A Period of Exponential Growth

The 1980s was a period of growth for the health system. Archbold Grady, Archbold Brooks, Archbold Mitchell, Archbold Living–Camilla and Archbold Living-Pelham all become part of Archbold’s network between 1985 and 1990.

Since then, Archbold Specialty Clinics have opened in Bainbridge, Cairo, Camilla and Quitman.

Archbold purchased a magnetic resonance imaging unit (MRI), the first of its kind in Georgia south of Atlanta and in North Florida.

In 1988, the Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center became the region’s first comprehensive cancer facility. It opened with the latest diagnostic and treatment equipment and offered a unique approach to cancer care through the combination of medical oncology, chemotherapy and radiation therapy under one roof. The center also offered ancillary services, including patient education, nutrition counseling, rehabilitation and social services.

Archbold’s Outpatient Surgery Center opened in May of 1989 as an addition to the West Wing with its own entrance for patients. It was built in conjunction with the complete renovation of the hospital’s inpatient surgical department.

The New Millennium

In 2002, the Archbold Ambulatory Care Center opened and provided the community with the Ambulatory Surgery Center, Imaging Center, Women’s Center, and a relocated Preadmission Testing department.

The center gave patients access to cutting-edge technology including the most powerful MRI available at that time, and the GE Lightspeed CT scanner, which produced vital diagnostic images in under a minute.

Archbold became the third hospital in Georgia to acquire the Gamma Knife in 2003. This technology allowed physicians to treat brain tumors, lesions and malformations in the brain without a scalpel or the usual risks associated with surgery.

The Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center moved into a newer and larger building in August of 2010. It provides patients with private, semi-private and open-area options for infusion treatments. Patients also have access to clinical trials, a patient navigator program and a scalp cooling treatment system to help chemotherapy patients retain their hair during treatments. And most recently, added a new weapon in their fight against cancer. In October of 2020, the Varian TrueBeam System, the lastest most powerful and precise cancer fighting technology available, replaced an 18-year-old Varian Accelerator making it just over a $3.4 milliion investment for Archbold. ​

Archbold’s North Tower – the largest single construction project in Archbold’s history – opened in May of 2012. The tower houses the Emergency Department, the surgery department and the intensive care unit.

Archbold Therapy and Sports Medicine opened a new free-standing facility in early 2021. The new building allowed therapy staff to expand their physical, occupational and speech therapy services to patients and a sports medicine program catering to student athletes in Thomas County.

Archbold's Loudermilk Heart and Vascular Center expanded in 2021 and opened a fifth cath lab. The expansion and subsequent improvements to the space allow physicians to treat more patients in a timely manner.

Looking Towards the Future

In 2022, the “One Archbold” initiative introduced a revitalized Archbold brand. A refreshed logo and unified names were introduced at facilities around the region. While Archbold’s facilities across South Georgia had always shared a mission, they now shared a common identity.

Archbold opened as a modern, 100-bed hospital in 1925 and is now a robust healthcare system that includes four hospitals, four nursing homes and over 200 specialty physicians and employs nearly 3,000 staff members. Our service lines include a state-of-the-art cancer center, life-saving cardiology care, minimally-invasive surgery, a soon-to-open new maternity center and more.

One hundred years on, we are proud of the impact Archbold has made on the region and thankful for the countless current and former team members who have served their communities with such consistency. With continued community support and the growth of our area, Archbold is destined for another century of region-leading healthcare.

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Today in Archbold History

Memorial Portrait of John F. “Jack” Archbold Unveiled in Hospital Lobby

January 19, 1932

John F. “Jack” Archbold, son of Archbold Memorial’s namesake, John D. Archbold, was recognized on this day in 1932 when a memorial portrait of him was unveiled in the hospital's main lobby.

John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital was a gift made to the Southwest Georgia community by Jack Archbold in memory of his father. The elder Archbold was a close confidant of John D. Rockefeller and later served as president of the Standard Oil Company.

Jack Archbold was born in New York and first came to Thomasville as one of the region’s many wealthy northern visitors. He eventually purchased land on the Ochlockonee River in Thomas County and established Chinquapin Plantation.

Jack Archbold's impact on Archbold and our greater community is seen every day. He saw a need in the community, purchased land on Gordon Avenue, donated money for the cutting-edge building’s construction, and saw to its proper management for the rest of his life. Archbold has him to thank for its iconic Mediterranean Revival design and tradition of community-led philanthropic support.

Archbold died in January 1930, but his legacy remains throughout our region. Soon after his death, a memorial portrait was commissioned to hang beside his father’s painting in the hospital’s lobby.

Jack’s daughter, Frances, unveiled the memorial portrait on January 19, 1932. It was painted by renowned New York society portrait artist Kyohei Inukai. Although some of his friends didn’t think it sufficiently captured his cheerful demeanor, the Thomasville Times-Enterprise said it was “a marvelous piece of work.”

Next time you are in the main lobby at Archbold Memorial, take a moment to think about the incredible impact Jack Archbold had on our community. In the words of Archbold historian Chip Bragg, “Jack Archbold was not just another rich Yankee, but someone who truly loved Thomasville and was involved in the community.”

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Archbold Remembers Dr. John A. Davis-James

February 2025

Dr. John A. Davis-James is considered the first Black member of the Archbold medical staff. Today, Archbold recognizes his service to the community that paved the way for all those who followed him.

Dr. Davis-James, a native of Guyana, was educated in England and South America before coming to the United States. He attended the City College of New York where he reportedly was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa key.

After his 1928 graduation from Meharry, he completed his internship in 1929 at Archbold. “In view of his known professional capabilities,” Davis-James was subsequently invited to practice medicine and obstetrics in the hospital among Black patients.

Dr. Davis-James also served as a member of the visiting staff at the Florida A & M College Hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. He practiced medicine in Thomasville until he died in 1939. He is buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Thomasville. His gravestone notes his career as an M.D. and that he was the "loving father of Joyce & Antoinette."

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Another significant trailblazer at Archbold was Dr. John Zeigler. Dr. Ziegler was the first Black physician to serve in any capacity at Archbold. He served a year’s internship in the wing of the hospital serving Black patients from 1926–1927 before moving on to private practice elsewhere.

Special Thanks to the Jack Hadley Black History Museum for the photograph of Dr. John A. Davis-James.

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Archbold Primary Care Holds Grand Opening in Thomasville

February 7, 2012

While Archbold has provided the region with healthcare for a century, Archbold’s primary care practices are much younger. For much of the last 100 years, general practice physicians practiced primarily independently from larger healthcare organizations. When John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital first opened, the majority of doctor’s visits were house calls. By the 1980s, house calls made up just 1%.

Today in Archbold history, on February 7, 2012, Archbold Primary Care opened its new practice in Thomasville. Then, located on Mimosa Drive, the original providers included Dr. Jason Griffin, Dr. Phillip Jansen, and physician assistant Bruce Allen, PA-C. Now located on Pinetree Boulevard, Dr. Griffin and Bruce Allen still diligently serve patients and the team has grown to include Dr. Rachel Anderson, Dr. Jackson Hatfield, Dr. Dale Wing, Dr. Kaylee Day, nurse practitioner B. Michelle Dees, FNP-C, Kaycie Langston, NP-C, and Jessica Smith, FNP-C.

Archbold Primary Care has since expanded to four locations to serve the people of Southwest Georgia. Archbold Primary Care offers primary care services in Thomasville, Cairo, Camilla, and Pelham. Our providers across the region include Jason NeSmith, MD, Stephen Rubendall, MD, nurse practitioner Sarah C. Brooks, FNP-C, Sarah Sumner, NP-C, Magan Gilliam, FNP, Anna C. Gray, FNP-C, and Jenna Roberts Garrett, FNP-C.

To learn more about Archbold Primary Care, please visit www.archbold.org/services/primary-care/.

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East Tower Opens at Archbold Memorial

February 2006

The construction of the East Tower represented a 90,000-square-foot addition to Archbold Memorial. It has been the entrance for so many of Archbold’s hardworking team members each day, the site of many significant Archbold events, and the center of Archbold’s vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. This month in Archbold history, in February 2006, the building opened to the public.

On the ground floor, the Thomas Lyle Williams, Jr., Auditorium and adjacent classrooms have provided significant opportunities for staff education, medical staff collaboration, and community outreach events.

Most significantly, the East Tower represented the creation of the R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Heart and Vascular Center, centralizing heart and vascular services in one location and more than doubling the space for diagnostic and interventional procedures, with a new Cardiac Progressive Unit for patient care just above other cardiac services.

The East Tower also provided a new patient care floor for the Nephrology Unit, meeting a significant need in our community for inpatient dialysis services and acute care for patients with kidney disease.

Archbold Memorial Hospital President James Story, MD, and Chief Operating Officer Perry Mustian, who would later serve as President & CEO, cut the ribbon to mark the building's ceremonial opening. T-shirts were distributed during the opening festivities, and one is preserved in the collection of the Thomasville History Center.

"These fine new facilities make it possible for heart patients here in our community to stay at home for treatment rather than traveling to large cities,” said Sally Bain, director of Archbold Cardiovascular Services at the time.

The East Tower’s construction is a testament to Archbold’s consistent efforts to offer Southwest Georgia the most modern and efficient healthcare services.

To learn more about Heart & Vascular services at Archbold, please visit www.archbold.org/HEART.

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This Month in Archbold History: First Edition of Arch-ives, Predecessor of Archbold Magazine, Published

March 1962

Archives, now known as Archbold Magazine, has been a familiar periodical to Archbold employees and community members for more than a half-century. The first edition, published in March 1962, hit breakrooms 63 years ago this month.

While Archbold Magazine is a dependable sight in mailboxes throughout the community today, it originally began as the hospital’s internal newsletter. It was originally titled “ARCH-IVES,” “Arch” for Archbold and “Ive” meaning belonging to.

The hospital newspaper transitioned from an employee publication to a widely distributed publication throughout the community. In 2023, the publication was renamed Archbold Magazine to more clearly demonstrate its mission to share news and health information from Archbold.

Today, Archbold Magazine shares exciting news from within the health system and healthy living information for its readers. The magazine is distributed regionwide to approximately 35,000 homes.

Look out for the Summer issue of Archbold Magazine, and visit www.archbold.org/magazine to catch up on past issues.

For more Archbold historical facts and centennial information, please visit www.archbold.org/100.

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Today in Archbold History: North Tower Topping Out Ceremony

March 17, 2011

Archbold’s North Tower was a transformational undertaking that reshaped healthcare at Archbold and in our community. When construction crews installed the building’s highest steel beam on March 17, 2011, fourteen years ago today, the building was established as the tallest in the region.

The eight-story, 225,000 square foot addition, was thoughtfully designed to complement the original appearance of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. It substantially increased operating space and brought about modern replacements for the Emergency Department, Surgical Department, Intensive Care Unit, and other key hospital services.

“With the input of architects, engineers, physicians, administrators and staff, the North Tower was designed to optimally serve patients, staff and physicians and will be a point of great pride for the community,” read a hospital press release.

The topping out ceremony marked a major milestone in the construction process and celebrated the placement of the highest steel beam. Archbold employees and the construction crew signed the beam, and a crane hoisted it into place at the event atop the steel framework. An American flag, along with an evergreen tree, signifying the life and growth of the building, were attached to the 28-foot beam.

“The North Tower is the largest single construction project in the history of our healthcare system and the Thomasville community,” said Perry Mustian, Archbold President and CEO at the time. “The project is a $110 million investment in our region and we’re proud to have worked with local companies, such as Cives Steel and Cleaver Brooks, on this important addition for enhancing patient care.”

The North Tower opened in 2012 and has played an integral role in the healthcare of our community. The signed beam remains in place at the hospital’s highest point as a reminder of the Archbold team members who worked to make the building a reality and dedicated their careers to the well-being of their neighbors.

For more Archbold historical facts and centennial information, please visit www.archbold.org/100.

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Archbold Remembers Dr. Mary Josephine Erickson

Mary Josephine Erickson, MD, was the first female member of the John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital medical staff. Today, Archbold remembers Dr. Erickson and her trailblazing career.

Mary Josephine Erickson was born on July 2, 1892. She graduated from the University of Michigan School of Medicine in 1917 and joined the medical staff of the City Hospital in 1923. City Hospital, a predecessor of Archbold, was located at the corner of Hansell Street and Gordon Avenue in Thomasville.

Dr. Erickson was an original member of the Archbold medical staff, serving patients since the hospital’s opening in 1925. She received the American Cancer Society’s Certificate of Achievement and was an honorary member of the American College of Physicians.

According to Archbold historian Chip Bragg’s research, Dr. Erickson was occasionally called upon to provide anesthesia services, in addition to her primary role as Archbold’s pathologist.

In 1930, the trustees of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital allocated $300 to send her to Baltimore to find out how maggots were cultured at Johns Hopkins for use in treating bone infections and to determine whether or not the necessary equipment could be reasonably obtained and brought home to Thomasville.

“She accomplished both tasks,” said Bragg. “Several times, she threatened to resign from the medical staff for various reasons, her salary being one of them, but she was such a valued staff member that the board of trustees always negotiated for her to stay,” he added.

Dr. Erickson married local physician Dr. Charles H. Ferguson in 1937. She was active in the Thomasville community and was a member of the Killarney Queen Garden Club.

Dr. Mary Josephine Erickson Ferguson retired from active medical practice in 1944. She died at her home on Love Street on May 3, 1970, and was buried in Michigan.

For more Archbold historical facts and centennial information, including details about Chip Bragg’s soon-to-be-released book on Archbold’s history, please visit www.archbold.org/100.

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Today in Archbold History: Archbold Introduces Robotic Surgery Program

March 29, 2011

Since its founding, Archbold has prioritized bringing the most advanced technology to Southwest Georgia. Archbold introduced the DaVinci system, a physician-controlled robotic surgery system, on March 29, 2011, fourteen years ago today.

Like all robotic surgery technologies that followed, the first DaVinci system offered reduced hospitalization costs and trauma to patients. Many traditionally open surgeries could now be minimally invasive as surgeons operated through small, dime-sized incisions.

The DaVinci was used by surgeons at Archbold to treat general, urological and gynecologic surgery conditions. Archbold surgeons at the time praised the technology for its benefits to patients and physicians alike.

Since 2011, Archbold has invested in new generations of the DaVinci system and other minimally-invasive technologies. Thousands of patients have benefitted from Archbold’s focus on these technologies and the expert training of our physicians.

To learn more about surgical services at Archbold, please visit www.archbold.org/services/surgical-services/.

For more Archbold historical facts and centennial information, please visit www.archbold.org/100.

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Today in Archbold History: North Tower Officially Dedicated

April 15, 2012

After years of planning and the largest construction effort in hospital history, the North Tower was completed in the Spring of 2012. At the conclusion of several celebrations and community events, the North Tower was officially dedicated on April 15, 2012, thirteen years ago today.

Archbold’s North Tower was a transformational undertaking that reshaped healthcare at Archbold and in our community. The eight-story addition substantially increased operating space and brought about modern replacements for the Emergency Department, Surgical Department, Intensive Care Unit, and other key hospital services. The 1,200 tons of locally purchased steel and 51,300 terra cotta tiles were just some of the materials required to complete the monumental addition.

Community members gathered that Sunday afternoon for the dedication ceremony and tours of the North Tower. Speakers included Perry Mustian, President and CEO of Archbold Medical Center; Dr. Gregory Patterson, South Georgia Surgical Associates; Dr. Clark Connell, Medical Director of South Georgia Emergency Medicine Associates; Dr. Karen Bramblett, Chief of the Archbold Medical Staff; and United States Senator Saxby Chambliss.

Earlier in the week, employee walk throughs were held to give Archbold team members a sneak peek of the completed project. That weekend, a Grand Opening Gala was held to celebrate the culmination of years of work and thank Archbold’s dedicated supporters.

Private support was integral to the construction of the North Tower, including a $16 million matching pledge given by the Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust to support capital projects at Archbold. The Adrian & Jessie Archbold Charitable Trust represents the largest donor in Archbold’s history, having contributed more than $25 million since the trust was established in 1975.

Thanks to a gift from the trust, the North Tower was officially named the John F. “Jack” Archbold North Tower in the fall of 2014.

“It is fitting and proper that the North Tower addition to John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital be named in memory of the original donor, Jack Archbold—and serve as a lasting tribute to a man whose singular gift helped transform the level and quality of healthcare in South Georgia,” read the dedication program.

For those interested in continuing the century-long tradition of fervent community support of healthcare in our community, which was begun by Jack Archbold and continues today, please visit www.archbold.org/foundation.

For more Archbold historical facts and centennial information, please visit www.archbold.org/100.

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Dr. Ed Hall Completes His 1000th Robotic Surgery at Archbold

April 28, 2023

The introduction of robotic surgery at Archbold represented a significant step forward in patient care at Archbold. Ed Hall, MD, FACS, CWS, has been a member of the Archbold medical staff since 1986. He was the second Archbold physician to complete a robotic surgery case and never looked back. Two years ago today, on April 28, 2023, Dr. Hall reached a significant milestone–his 1000th robotic surgery.

Dr. Hall, who practices with Archbold South Georgia Surgical, has developed a strong reputation in our community in the last four decades for his attention to detail, compassionate care, cutting-edge outlook, and leadership.

“When I was in college, I got a job working at a hospital as an orderly. I got to see from the inside what medicine looked like, and I made a career change,” Dr. Hall shared. “I saw this as an exciting, interesting field and decided to go to medical school.”

Dr. Hall is originally from Bainbridge. He attended the Medical College of Georgia, where he later served on the faculty. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing and tying his own flies.

As a leader in cutting-edge medicine, Archbold was an early adopter of robotic surgery. Robotic surgery is an advanced, minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgery. Unlike open surgery, which often requires large incisions, the da Vinci robotic surgical system helps surgeons perform even the most complex operations through very small incisions, using computer technology and specially designed tools. As a result, patients benefit from faster healing and recovery, fewer complications, less discomfort, minimal scarring, and shorter hospital stays.

To learn more about surgical services at Archbold, please visit https://www.archbold.org/services/surgical-services/.

To learn more about Archbold’s Centennial and how you can get involved, please visit www.archbold.org/100.

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Today in Archbold History: Col. James Lung Bevans, Archbold’s First Director, is Born

April 29, 1869

James Lung Bevans served as the first director of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. A decorated U.S. Army veteran and close advisor of Archbold’s founder, Colonel Bevans was instrumental in the early days of our hospital. Colonel Bevans was born on April 29, 1869, 156 years ago today.

James Bevans was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, and attended the University of Michigan. He attended medical school at Northwestern University and completed post-graduate studies at the University of Edinburgh before beginning to practice in Decatur, Illinois.

Bevans was commissioned as a captain and assistant surgeon in the Illinois National Guard from May to October 1898 during the Spanish-American War. He was appointed to the Medical Corps of the United States Army on November 26, 1901. In the years before World War I, Bevans served on tours of duty in Alaska and Cuba. He took part in the famous Pershing Expedition into Mexico in 1916.

When World War I began, Lieutenant Colonel Bevans traveled to France with the 26th Infantry Division. He was eventually promoted to colonel and assigned to the post of Surgeon of the Third Army Corps. After the Armistice, Colonel Bevans made the March to the Rhine to care for the forces occupying Germany. Back in the States, Bevans was appointed assistant commandant of the Medical Field Service School at Carlisle Barracks.

For his service in the war, Colonel Bevans was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. “He showed marked administrative ability during the final phases of the Argonne-Meuse offensive, when, through his sound judgment and efficient supervision of the medical and sanitation services under his direction, many lives were saved,” read his award citation.

A few years after he retired from the army, Colonel Bevans accepted the role of Director of John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital. He brought his war-forged healthcare administration experience to the state-of-the-art facility opening in Thomasville. In the words of Archbold Historian Dr. Chip Bragg, “Bevans was the man who took all the moving parts and made them work together as a cohesive hospital.” Today, his position would be known as Archbold’s president & CEO.

Colonel Bevans was with the hospital from before its opening and throughout the 1920s. “He had his finger on everything from the buttons on the uniforms, to the dishes in the cafeteria, to the tables in the OR, and everything in between,” Dr. Bragg added.

The contributions of Colonel Bevans are woven throughout the foundation of our hospital and its early days. In the opinion of Dr. Bragg, “Except for Jack Archbold, who provided the funding, there is no person more important to the history of the hospital than Colonel Bevans.”

Colonel Bevans retired from Archbold in 1931 and made his home in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Dessie. For his service in defense of Freedom, the French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm. He was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Medical Association, and a member of the Association of Military Surgeons.

Colonel Bevans died on February 5, 1944, at Walter Reed Hospital and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

To learn more about Colonel Bevans’ career and Archbold’s history, consider purchasing A Century of Healing. This centennial history book compiled by Dr. Chip Bragg represents the most complete history of Archbold ever collected. More information on the book and centennial events is available at www.archbold.org/100.

Information Sourced from the April 1944 edition of “The Military Surgeon”

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