Biography of 	DOWLING, Oscar, M. D., Montgomery, AL., then Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller Auust 1998

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Dowling, Oscar, M. D., president Louisiana state board of health, New
Orleans, La., was born at Montgomery, Ala., Oct. 29, 1866; son of Rev.
Angus and Laura L. (Boswell) Dowling, the former of whom was a native of
Dale county, Ala., and the latter of the locality in which the son was
born.  The Dowling family contributed largely to the cause of the Southern
Confederacy during the Civil war.  Four of the paternal grandfather's sons
served in the Confederate army throughout the period of the war, and one of
these uncles, John W. Dowling, was advanced to the rank of captain for
gallant conduct in action.  Another of the father's brothers, G. P.
Dowling, now president of the First National Bank of Ozark, Ala., served
the people of Dale county as probate judge during four years.  The paternal
great-grandfather, John Dowling, did heroic service as a soldier of the
Colonial army during the Revolutionary war.  Some years after the death of
Dr. Thomas C. Boswell, father of the subject's mother, the grandmother was
married to Hon. Julius C. Alford, who represented a Georgia district in the
National house of representatives, where he became known as "War Horse
Alford."  Oscar Dowling received his early education at the public schools
of Alabama.  Later he attended Athens Collegiate institute, of Ramer, Ala.
When his academic education had been completed he entered the medical
department of Vanderbilt university, Nashville, Tenn., from which
institution he in due time graduated with the degree of M. D.  Following
his graduation, Dr. Dowling did post-graduate work in New York, New
Orleans, and Chicago polyclinic, the New York Eye and Ear infirmary, and
clinics of London, Berlin, Paris, and the City of Mexico.  He served as
house surgeon of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat hospital at New Orleans from
1896 to 1897, as senior resident surgeon from 1897 to 1898, and as
assistant to surgeon in charge from 1898 to 1899.  He has served as oculist
and aurist of the Shreveport Charity hospital during a term of 10 years.
The doctor maintains an office at Shreveport, and is senior member of the
medical firm of Dowling & Scales, in the latter city.  He served as a
member of the Louisiana state hoard of health from 1906 to 1908, inclusive,
and was appointed president of that board in Nov., 1910.  He discharged the
duties of his office with distinguished ability, and in Nov., 1912, was
reappointed to succeed himself, being at this time incumbent of the
important station of president of the state hoard of health.  The doctor is
associated with the democratic party.  He is a trustee of the American
Medical association, a director in the Southern Commercial Congress, a
member of the International Sanitation Bureau, associate editor of the
Southern Medical Journal, and a member of the New Orleans Association of
Commerce.  During his incumbency of the office of president of the
Louisiana state board or health, Dr. Dowling has been very active in
bringing about improved conditions in sanitation through out the state.
Indeed, the effects of his rigorous campaign in the interest of sanitation
have been co-extensive with a very large part of the United States, if, in
fact, the beneficial results of his thorough and tireless work in that
direction have not covered the whole country.  Shortly after his
inauguration as president of the state board of health he began a most
unique, thorough, and  far-reaching "clean-up campaign," which was
promulgated throughout all parts of the state and a large part of the
country by means of two exhibit cars equipped with apparatus for the
education of the people in hygiene and sanitation.  Since touring Louisiana
with this equipment Dr. Dowling has been invited to various parts of the
United States, with these cars, and has everywhere been enthusiastically
received and his work accorded the most hearty commendation.  Without
doubt, Dr. Oscar Dowling is at this time the best-known health officer in
the South, and one among the most noted in the United States.  The doctor
is not married.

Source:  Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, volume 3, pp.
755-756.  Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit. D.  Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association.