MEMORIAL WALTER STUART McCLELLAN BY H. DUNHAM HUNT
Dr. Walter Stuart McClellan died in Bethesda, Md., October 27, 1974 after a long illness. His wife, Helen Salisbury McClellan, had died three weeks previously. They had moved to Washington, D.C. eight years before because of failing health and a desire to be near their two daughters. At the time of his death, he had been working on an autobiography which had taken him through his years of medical training. It is a fascinating story and gives one a better understanding of his retiring, self effacing and deeply religious nature. Dr. McClellan was born September 7, 1895 in the township of Kortright, Delaware County, New York. This was a remote farming area about 40 miles southeast of Cooperstown, settled in the early 19th century by his ancestors. He was an only child with no childhood playmates. Attending Church and Sunday School was his only outside contact. At the age of 7, he entered the one room ungraded school a mile away. His mother had been a teacher and had previously taught Stuart the alphabet and to read. He completed all the 8th grade subjects in 6 years and was certified for highschool. That summer he developed osteomyelitis of his right femur and was placed in New York City's Post Graduate Hospital. He remained there until the next summer when he returned home on crutches. While he was away, his father had sold their farm and retired. They moved to Scheneous a few miles away so that he might attend high school. The school had only three teachers including the principal. He took the typical college entrance courses, completing the four year course in three years and was awarded a Gold Medal for Scholarship. The only social life was associated with attending Church. In the Fall of 1912, he entered Colgate University, his family rented a small house about two miles from the campus so he might live at home. He walked back and forth to classes. His leg continued to drain during his first two years in college. Hazing in his sophomore year resulted in a large hematoma in his right thigh which caused considerable concern but apparently did no harm. His hip joint was never involved. College life with 400 students meant a big adjustment. He had no definite plans for the future, expecting he would probably teach, so majored in Latin. His college social life was about nil. What social life he did have centered around the Church. Although he could not dance, he did take a xli
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girl, one Helen Salisbury, who lived across the street to the Junior Prom. That fall Helen entered Syracuse University. They attended the Colgate-Syracuse football game in Syracuse which cemented a romance that never ended. He was graduated in 1916, Phi Beta Kappa and secured a position as teacher and principal of a combined elementary and high school. 1918 saw him inducted into the Army and assigned to Chemical Warfare Research in Washington, D.C. His Unit was deactivated that December. The experience made him decide to study medicine. He was accepted tentatively at Johns Hopkins and Harvard pending completing a year in Biology. Johns Hopkins also required a year of French so he accepted Harvard. Colgate permitted him to work in their Zoology laboratory where he achieved the required credit. In Sept. 1919, he entered Harvard living in a rooming house and having his meals in restaurants. The year is described as "work and more work." The next summer was spent as a desk clerk at the Lake Placid Club. During his second year, he lived in the home of a classmate and his third and fourth years in a fraternity. During his Junior year, he developed a painful arthritis in his back for which he was fitted with a brace and had his tonsils removed without benefit. He lost much time from work but managed to complete the year and was taken into A.O.A. In his Senior year, he was President of the Student Body. Social activities were at a minimum because ofhis financial status. His four years at Harvard was a total outlay of about $5000.00. He received no help from home, lived on his summer earnings and savings, graduating free from debt. Following graduation, he spent two years in Medicine on the House Staff at M.G.H. and took his medical Residency at Bellevue Hospital, New York City. In 1926, he was named a Research Fellow at the Russell Sage Institute of Pathology at Bellevue Hospital. This carried a stipend of $2500. In June 1926, he returned to Colgate for his 10th Reunion. Anticipating his state of affluence at Sage, he proposed to Helen Salisbury. He may have been bolstered by Helen having been graduated a Home Economics Major. They were married in August before returning to New York. The next six years were spent in New York doing Metabolism Research at Sage and as an Instructor in Medicine at Cornell University Medical School. In 1931, Dr. L. Whittington Gorham, Vice President of the Saratoga Springs Comission, and a past President of the American Clinical and Climatological Society, asked his friend Dr. Eugene Dubois if he could recommend a young physician for the position as Medical Director of the
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newly organized Spa at Saratoga Springs. Dr. McClellan was recommended. He was then 35. The State was launching a $5,000,000 program at the Spa. No one in this country knew very much about Spa therapy. Dr. McClellan's first two years were spent largely in studying spas in this country and in Europe. He was a visiting Fellow at Kerckhoff Institute for heart research in BadNauheim, Germany and a visiting Fellow at Rudolph Virchow Krankanhaus, Berlin, Germany in addition to visiting other Spas throughout Europe. Mrs. McClellan and their young daughter, Nancy, accompanied him much of the time. They came to Saratoga Springs to live in the Spring of 1933. They made an enviable place for themselves in the community. Dr. McClellan was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and Superintendent of the Sunday School, a Director of the Rotary Club, the YMCA, and the Library. He was greatly beloved by his associates and employees at the Spa which numbered about 200 at the height of season. He knew most of them by their first names. They came to him with their personal problems as well as their medical problems. He was in great demand as a speaker. He went to Albany regularly for teaching where he held the rank of Associate Professor. He was a consultant at the Saratoga Hospital, the State Veterans Rest Camp at Mt. McGregor, and Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Saratoga V.A. Hospital. He was President of the Saratoga County Medical Society, the American Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a Member of the American Physiological Association, The American Society of Clinical Investigation and many others. He was author of 81 articles. In 1953, Dr. McClellan retired as Director of Saratoga Spa after a distinguished career. They moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to enjoy retirement. He had long been a collector of old manuscripts and books especially those dealing with mineral waters and Saratoga. Some time before his death, he gave his old manuscripts, books, and many old prints to the Saratoga Public Library. These became a nucleus of a collection in what is known as the Saratoga Room, and dedicated to the memory of Dr. and Mrs. McClellan who will long be remembered in
Saratoga Springs. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Robert A. (Nancy) Brooks, Cranford, New Jersey and Mrs. Norman (Laura) Montry, Luray, Virginia and 7 grandchildren.
Dr. Walter Stuart McClellan died in Bethesda, Md., October 27, 1974 after a long illness. His wife, Helen Salisbury McClellan, had died three weeks previously. They had moved to Washington, D.C. eight years before because of failing health and a desire to be near their two daughters. At the time of his death, he had been working on an autobiography which had taken him through his years of medical training. It is a fascinating story and gives one a better understanding of his retiring, self effacing and deeply religious nature. Dr. McClellan was born September 7, 1895 in the township of Kortright, Delaware County, New York. This was a remote farming area about 40 miles southeast of Cooperstown, settled in the early 19th century by his ancestors. He was an only child with no childhood playmates. Attending Church and Sunday School was his only outside contact. At the age of 7, he entered the one room ungraded school a mile away. His mother had been a teacher and had previously taught Stuart the alphabet and to read. He completed all the 8th grade subjects in 6 years and was certified for highschool. That summer he developed osteomyelitis of his right femur and was placed in New York City's Post Graduate Hospital. He remained there until the next summer when he returned home on crutches. While he was away, his father had sold their farm and retired. They moved to Scheneous a few miles away so that he might attend high school. The school had only three teachers including the principal. He took the typical college entrance courses, completing the four year course in three years and was awarded a Gold Medal for Scholarship. The only social life was associated with attending Church. In the Fall of 1912, he entered Colgate University, his family rented a small house about two miles from the campus so he might live at home. He walked back and forth to classes. His leg continued to drain during his first two years in college. Hazing in his sophomore year resulted in a large hematoma in his right thigh which caused considerable concern but apparently did no harm. His hip joint was never involved. College life with 400 students meant a big adjustment. He had no definite plans for the future, expecting he would probably teach, so majored in Latin. His college social life was about nil. What social life he did have centered around the Church. Although he could not dance, he did take a xli
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girl, one Helen Salisbury, who lived across the street to the Junior Prom. That fall Helen entered Syracuse University. They attended the Colgate-Syracuse football game in Syracuse which cemented a romance that never ended. He was graduated in 1916, Phi Beta Kappa and secured a position as teacher and principal of a combined elementary and high school. 1918 saw him inducted into the Army and assigned to Chemical Warfare Research in Washington, D.C. His Unit was deactivated that December. The experience made him decide to study medicine. He was accepted tentatively at Johns Hopkins and Harvard pending completing a year in Biology. Johns Hopkins also required a year of French so he accepted Harvard. Colgate permitted him to work in their Zoology laboratory where he achieved the required credit. In Sept. 1919, he entered Harvard living in a rooming house and having his meals in restaurants. The year is described as "work and more work." The next summer was spent as a desk clerk at the Lake Placid Club. During his second year, he lived in the home of a classmate and his third and fourth years in a fraternity. During his Junior year, he developed a painful arthritis in his back for which he was fitted with a brace and had his tonsils removed without benefit. He lost much time from work but managed to complete the year and was taken into A.O.A. In his Senior year, he was President of the Student Body. Social activities were at a minimum because ofhis financial status. His four years at Harvard was a total outlay of about $5000.00. He received no help from home, lived on his summer earnings and savings, graduating free from debt. Following graduation, he spent two years in Medicine on the House Staff at M.G.H. and took his medical Residency at Bellevue Hospital, New York City. In 1926, he was named a Research Fellow at the Russell Sage Institute of Pathology at Bellevue Hospital. This carried a stipend of $2500. In June 1926, he returned to Colgate for his 10th Reunion. Anticipating his state of affluence at Sage, he proposed to Helen Salisbury. He may have been bolstered by Helen having been graduated a Home Economics Major. They were married in August before returning to New York. The next six years were spent in New York doing Metabolism Research at Sage and as an Instructor in Medicine at Cornell University Medical School. In 1931, Dr. L. Whittington Gorham, Vice President of the Saratoga Springs Comission, and a past President of the American Clinical and Climatological Society, asked his friend Dr. Eugene Dubois if he could recommend a young physician for the position as Medical Director of the
MEMORIAL
xliii
newly organized Spa at Saratoga Springs. Dr. McClellan was recommended. He was then 35. The State was launching a $5,000,000 program at the Spa. No one in this country knew very much about Spa therapy. Dr. McClellan's first two years were spent largely in studying spas in this country and in Europe. He was a visiting Fellow at Kerckhoff Institute for heart research in BadNauheim, Germany and a visiting Fellow at Rudolph Virchow Krankanhaus, Berlin, Germany in addition to visiting other Spas throughout Europe. Mrs. McClellan and their young daughter, Nancy, accompanied him much of the time. They came to Saratoga Springs to live in the Spring of 1933. They made an enviable place for themselves in the community. Dr. McClellan was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and Superintendent of the Sunday School, a Director of the Rotary Club, the YMCA, and the Library. He was greatly beloved by his associates and employees at the Spa which numbered about 200 at the height of season. He knew most of them by their first names. They came to him with their personal problems as well as their medical problems. He was in great demand as a speaker. He went to Albany regularly for teaching where he held the rank of Associate Professor. He was a consultant at the Saratoga Hospital, the State Veterans Rest Camp at Mt. McGregor, and Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Saratoga V.A. Hospital. He was President of the Saratoga County Medical Society, the American Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and a Member of the American Physiological Association, The American Society of Clinical Investigation and many others. He was author of 81 articles. In 1953, Dr. McClellan retired as Director of Saratoga Spa after a distinguished career. They moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to enjoy retirement. He had long been a collector of old manuscripts and books especially those dealing with mineral waters and Saratoga. Some time before his death, he gave his old manuscripts, books, and many old prints to the Saratoga Public Library. These became a nucleus of a collection in what is known as the Saratoga Room, and dedicated to the memory of Dr. and Mrs. McClellan who will long be remembered in
Saratoga Springs. He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Robert A. (Nancy) Brooks, Cranford, New Jersey and Mrs. Norman (Laura) Montry, Luray, Virginia and 7 grandchildren.
