Evening star., 1939-06-29
Ground Broken
For New Naval
Medical Center
Officials Declare
} Structure Finest
OF Kind in World

"the finest establishment in the
world for the teaching and practice
sof military medicine" were made
today at the groundbreaking cere-
monies for the s4,85O,OOO project.
This will constitute an establish
ment of which the Navy can justly
. be proud" Assistant Secretary of
the Navy Charles Edison said. This
project includes not only new
naval hospital, but also medical
school, dental school, quarters for
personnel, nurses and hospital corps
men and subsidiary buildings which
will set new high standard for
centers of this kind"
Declared Looking Ahead.
Rear Admiral Ross T. McIntire,
surgean general of the Navy, said
that in establishing the new center,
the Navy was looking ahead so
years" He predicted that the new
center not only would result in
great good in the field of military
medicine but that it would benefit
civil aeronautics through develop
ments in aviation medicine and the
general field of medical science
through close cooperation with new
medical centers adjoining the site
Ground was broken by Rear Ad-
miral Perceval S. Rossiter, retired
surgean general, who was lauded by
the speakers for his nine-year fight
to bring the new medical center to
realization. With shiny new spade,
Admiral Rossiter went to work Wig
orously and finally cut out tough
sod at the point where the first hos
pital unit will rise.
This ceremony" Admiral RosSiter
said, lis the naturalization of
hope in the hearts and minds of the
members of the Medical Corps of
the Navy for long time. 1t has
been made possible through the
help of many people, among them
President Roosevelt and the late
Louis M. Howe, his secretary, Of
fcials and officers of the Navy and
members of the Senate and House.
Plans Are Drawn.
"1n 1880 it had become apparent
that the present Naval Medical
Center was obsolete and rapidly be-
coming inadequate for its purpose.
Plans were drawn for new center
in 1890 and 1881. With the begin
ming of the naval expansion pro-
gram in 1884 it became evident that
something must be done toward
providing more suitable medical
facilities and, following 1885 con-
terences between representatives of
the Navy, Treasury, Congress and
other agencies concerned, congress
sional authorization was obtained
in 1887"
Rear Admiral Ben Moreell, chief
of the Navy Bureau of Yards and
Docks, in charge of constructing the
new center, presided. He said that
the contract awarded last week for
construction of the foundation for
the first unit will be followed
toward the enc of the current
year" by contr act for the super
structure of the main hospital
building, with its 250-foot tower.
Construction is to be carried on
under a $4,850,000 Congressional
authorization, under which the in
itlal contract already has been
awarded. Work under this contract,
covering foundations for the main
hospital building and a temporary
construction Office, begins with to-
days ceremony. The contractor is
John McShain, Inc, of Philadel-
phia, which received the award on
its low bid of $98,200.
250-Foot Hospital Tower.
The Naval Medical Center project
Is expected to provide the NATIONAL
Capital with one of the nations
finest hospital units and a new sub
. urban landmark. The outstanding
architectural feature of the center
will be a 250-foot hospital tower
OF striking design which will DOM
tnate the landscape and be visible
for miles Construction of the
foundations for this tower will be
carried on as part of the current
contract.
81. The tower, to be constructed
over protests of the National Capt.
: tai Park and Planning Commission,
is intended to provide more health
ful conditions for the treatment of
certain types of pulmonary and
bronchial ailments, it was ex-
planned.
Is The Bethesda site for the new
center was selected by President
Roosevelt following personal in
spection of several of the scores of
sites in the District and vicinity
which were considered by the Navy
Department. Following designation
: OF the site last July acquisition of
land was begun at once, and the
Navy Department acquired title to
the final portion of the 230-acre
! area in January.
S# Trees Transplanted.
,S The site is bounded on the west
by the Rockville pike, along which
at extends for 2,783 feet; on the
south by the general line of the
Jones Bridge road, along which the
Z site extends eastward approximate
& ly 1,477 feet, and the Columbia
Country Club, along with it ex-
tends another 1,470 feet; on the
east by private property and Rock
Greek Park and on then orth by
the estate of George E. Hamilton.
Although today's ceremony marks
the start of formal work, the trans
planting of trees and native shrubs
has been in progress for some time
in preparation for the building pro-
gram. The site. on high, rolling
land, is heavily forested in the
eastern half and is regarded as one
of the most healthful locations in
the vicinity of Washington.
The present foundation work will
support the first building unit, a
6O0-bed hospital, so arranged that
it may be expanded in case of
emergency TO 1900 or 1900 bed