Evening star., 1935-02-22
CAPT. MCDOWELL,
NAVY DOCTOR, DIES
Heart Ailment Is Fatal to
Senior Surgeon at Service
Hospital.

Capt. Ralph Walker Mcdowell, SEN
ior surgeon at the Naval Hospital
here, died today Of heart ailment at
the hospital. He had been i'll only
short time, going about his regular
duties until a few days ago. His
home here was at 1880 New Hamp-
shire avenue.
Capt. Mcdowell, who was So, is sur
vived by his widow, Mrs. Ruth Noyes
Mcdowell. to whom he was married
in 1918; three children, Mary. Dean
and Theodore Noyes Mcdowell; by
his mother. Mrs. Robert Mcdowell, of
Altoona. Pa, and by the following
brothers and sisters: Col. John NJ.
Mcdowell, U. S. A.; Earl Mcdowell.
Gail. Dean Mcdowell and Mrs. Lillian
Mcdowell Ryan.
Distinguished Career.
Capt Mcdowell, in addition to be-
ing chief surgeon at the Naval Hos
pital, was surgical consultant for the
Navy in the District of Columbia. He
had been attached to the local hos
pital since August, 1881, following a
distinguished career in the service,
which took him to many parts of the
world.
The Army bestowed the Dis
tinguished Service Medal upon Capt.
Mcdowell for his service overseas dur
ing the World War. when he was a
lieutenant commander in the Navy
Medical Corps.
During the latter part Of the war
he served with the 11th Regiment of
United States Marines overseas. Pre-
viously he had served with the outfit
at the Marine post at Quantico. Va,
when they were getting ready for
service in France.
The distinguished surgeon was born
in Altoona, Pa, February 4. 1883.
He was graduated from Jefferson
Medical College in 1905 and three
years later entered the service. He
was commissioned a captain in De-
cember, 1881.
Served at Annapolis.
At the outset of his naval career,
Capt. Mcdowell served at the Naval
Hospital in Philadelphia. He was
aboard the battleship Connecticut in
1909 as a medical officer and in 1911
he served at the Naval Academy at
Annapolis, Md. Subsequent duty
brought him to the Bureau of Medi-
cine and Surgery at the Navy De-
partment and also to the naval dis
pensary here. In 1912 he was on
temporary duty with the midshipmen
brigade.
Later Capt. Mcdowell served aboard
the U. S. S. Ozark and on the Fulton.
In 1917 and 1918 he was at the Ma
rine Barracks here, from there he
went to Quantico to prepare for over
seas service.
After the war Capt. Mcdowell was
at the Naval Hospital at San Diego.
Calf, from 1919 to 1922. His next
service was at the Receiving Bar
racks at Hampton Roads, Va.
Afterward, the captain returned
again to Washington. serving at the
Naval Medical School here. He was
aboard the hospital ship Relief and
then returned to the Capital to do duty
in 1925 and 1926 in the Naval Dis
pensary at the Navy Department.
Next came service at the Naval Hos
pital at League Island at Philadelphia.
From 1929 to 1881 he served at the
Naval Hospital at Pearl Harbor, T. H.,
and from that duty came to his latest
assignment in Washington.
In addition to the Army Distin-
guished Service Medal. Capt. Mcdowell
held the Chevalier. French Legion of
Honor, for his service during the war
Society Memberships.
Capt. Mcdowell was member OF
the American Medical Association, the
Philadelphia County Medical Society
and the Association of Military Sur
geons and a fellow in the American
College of Surgeons. He also was a
| member of the Metropolitan, Chevy
| Chase and Army and Navy Clubs here
where he had resided at intervals
since 1908.
He was a direct descendant of
Ephriam Mcdowell, early Colonial