Biography of Albert G. Rutherford, MD - McDowell Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 431-432 ALBERT G. RUTHERFORD, M. D., the able and efficient superintendent of Welch Hospital No. 1, in the City of Welch, McDowell County, was appointed to this respon- sible position on the 1st of July, 1921, and is giving an administration that attests to his professional ability and also his executive powers. In that part of Logan County, West Virginia, that later became Mingo County, Doctor Rutherford was born on the 25th of May, 1877, a son of Lewis and Arminta (Ferrell) Rutherford, and a grandson of Dr. Elliott Rutherford, who was gradu- ated in the Cincinnati (Ohio) Medical College and who for many years was a leading physician and surgeon at Matewan, now in Mingo County, where he died at the venerable age of eighty-five years, a noble and honored citi- zen who had devoted his life to the service of his fellow men. He was born at Guyandotte, Cabell County, Vir- ginia (now West Virginia), where his father, a native of Scotland, settled in the pioneer days. Doctor Rutherford gained more than local reputation in his profession and gave effective service as a member of the State Board of Health, besides which he represented his district in the State Legislature. He was one of the prominent and in- fluential citizens of the Tug River Valley, and served as a surgeon with the Confederate forces in the Civil war. Lewis Rutherford became one of the representative farmers and timber dealers of what is now Mingo County and was also the owner of 2,300 acres of coal land. He owned and operated a sawmill on Sprouse Creek, and sent many rafts of logs down to Tug and Big Sandy rivers. He was a signally vital and discriminating business man and was suc- cessful in his various operations, his home having been five miles west of Matewan. He was a democrat, and both he and his wife were earnest members of the Baptist Church. He was sixty-one years of age at the time of his death, and his wife passed away at the age of fifty-two years. They became the parents of eight sons, and of the number Doctor Rutherford of this sketch was the second in order of birth. One of the sons, Dr. Lafayette Rutherford, is engaged in the practice of medicine at Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and is president of two or more banking institutions in that state, he being a graduate of the University of Louisville, Ken- tucky. Dr. Grover Rutherford, another of the sons, was graduated in the dental department of the University of Louisville and engaged in the practice of his profession at Muskogee, Oklahoma. He died in Muskogee on October 3, 1919. Dr. Albert G. Rutherford is indebted to the public schools of his native county for his early education, and in 1897 he was graduated in Marshall College at Huntington. At Matewan he taught the first graded school in Mingo County, and through his successful work as a teacher during a period of four years he earned the funds to defray the expenses of his course in the medical department of the University of Tennessee at Nashville, in which he was grad- uated as a member of the class of 1900. After thus ob- taining his degree of Doctor of Medicine he took a post- graduate course in surgery in the celebrated New York Polyclinic in 1905, and in 1910 he did post-graduate work in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania. Since that time he has taken special post-graduate work each successive year, and has availed himself of the ad- vantages of leading medical colleges and hospital clinics in Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City. In 1900, shortly after his graduation, Doctor Ruther- ford engaged in the general practice of his profession at Williamson, judicial center of Mingo County, where he re- mained two years. He then removed to Thacker, that county, where he became official physician and surgeon for the Thacker Coal & Coke Company and the Thaeker Coal Mining Company, besides serving as local surgeon for the Norfolk & Western Railroad. In these connections he had charge in a professional way of the service at eight or more different coal mines, besides which he served twelve years as health officer of Mingo County and as president of the Board of Health of that county. At the time when he assumed his present office at Welch he was president of the Mingo County Medical Society, and he has been made an honorary member of the McDowell County Medical Society. He is actively identified also with the West Virginia State Medical Society, the Southern Gynecologieal Society, the American Medical Association and the American Railroad Surgeons Association. In the period of the nation's partici- pation in the World war Doctor Rutherford served as medical examiner of the Draft Board of Mingo County. The Doctor is a director of the Commercial National Bank of Williamson, of which he was one of the organizers. He is a stalwart republican and he and his wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Doctor Rutherford is a past master of O'Brien Lodge No. 101, A. F. and A. M., at Williamson, where he is affiliated also with the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, his chivalric affiliation being with Ivanhoe Commandery No. 10, Knights Templars, at Bramwell, Mercer County, and his Scottish Rite affiliations being maintained at Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a member of the Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Charles- ton, the Lodge of Elks at Bluefield and Perrell Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Thacker, of which he is a past noble grand. In 1903 Doctor Rutherford wedded Miss Minnie Harris, daughter of William A. Harris, of Whiteport, Kentucky. They have no children. In the closing paragraphs are given a resume of Welch Hospital No. 1, of which Doctor Rutherford is the efficient superintendent. One of McDowell County's biggest assets is the Welch Hospital No. 1, located in this city. This institution is sup- ported and maintained by the state and was established by an act of the Legislature in 1899. While this hospital is known as the "Miner's" hospital, it is not operated ex- clusively for the benefit of those who are connected with the mining industry, but stands as a ministering angel for all who are in need of medical care and attention. Situated in the center of 3 1/4 acres of land in the western portion of the city it is the city's real beauty spot. The institution is located on land donated by the citizens of Welch, another example of the generosity of the people. The ground is level and well located. The buildings are of brick construction and consist of the main building which is three stories high, the nurses' home, the homes for employes, the power plant and the laundry. In the main building are located the administration offices, the operating room, the sterilization room, private rooms, with wards in either wing. On the first floor is located the administration office with private offices for the superintendent and the superintendent of nurses, a wait- ing room for relatives and friends of patients; wide, spacious, well ventilated corridors, a laboratory, the X-ray room, as well as the various wards, of which there are eight. The second floor is given over entirely to private rooms. On the third floor is located one of the most modern oper- ating rooms in the state. Recent improvements made on this floor put it on a par with many of the country's lead- ing institutions. A new sterilization room and instrument room adds greatly to the facilities. On this floor is also located a bandage room in which the nurses prepare ban- dages and dressings. Present plans include further improve- ments on this floor devoting one room entirely to tonsil operations. The capacity of the wards and private rooms at the present time is about -one hundred although in an emergency this can be increased to one hundred and twenty-five. The Welch Hospital has the most complete X-ray equip- ment obtainable and in this department is better equipped than most of the leading institutions in the country. This equipment was just recently installed and one section of the main building is given over to work of this nature. If the Welch Hospital is well able to meet every emer- gency from an equipment standpoint it is also well equipped from the standpoint of personnel. The institution is now in charge of Dr. A. G. Rutherford, who took charge in July, 1921, following the resignation of Dr. C. F. Hicks, who was dearly beloved by the people of this community. Doctor Rutherford is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and since receiving his degree at that institution has taken extensive post-graduate work in different parts of the country. He was with Mayo Brothers at their clinic as well as taking extension work at the University of Penn- sylvania. The staff was recently reinforced by the arrival of Dr. George Edward W. Hardy, of Baltimore, Maryland, where he was associated witli Dr. J. N. T. Finney, the celebrated surgeon who was consulting surgeon of the A. E. F. Doctor Hardy is a graduate from Johns Hopkins, receiving his A. B. degree in 1913 and his M. D. in 1917. He is a native of Baltimore and at the close of his school work entered the service as a first lieutenant. He was assigned to Camp Meade as sanitary inspector and later assigned to Rockefeller Institute in New York City, where he was sta- tioned for fourteen months. This was a demonstration hos- pital and much of his time was given to experimental work with the Carrell-Dakin treatment. While at this hospital Doctor Hardy was in charge most of the time. Following his discharge from the army with a rank of captain, Doctor Hardy returned to his native city and was given a post at the Union Memorial Hospital as assistant to Doctor Finney. Welch is extremely fortunate to have a man of the caliber of Doctor Hardy connected with one of its institutions. Dr. W. W. Wilson is the hospital's X-ray, expert. Pol- lowing his graduation from the University of Maryland he entered the Bayview Hospital at Baltimore as surgical interne. While at school he was resident interne of the Maryland state prison. Doctor Wilson came to the local institution in October and later returned to Baltimore to take extension work on the X-ray under the exports, Batjer and Waters. Miss Rose Fuller is superintendent of nurses of the local institution and is assisted, by Miss Virginia Barnett. Both women are graduates of Lewis Gale Hospital of Roanoke. Miss Fuller is particularly proud of her nurses' training school. At the present time there are fifteen girls in train- ing, but within a short time this number will be increased to twenty-five. Regular school sessions are held following the regular hospital duties, lectures being delivered by Doctor Rutherford, Doctor Hardy, Doctor Wilson, Dr. J. Howard Anderson, Dr. F. B. Quincy and Dr. H. G. Camper. Submitted by Valerie F. Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for personal use only. ****************************************************************