Evening star., 1948-03-25
Something to Be Proud Of

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splendid new hospital that George
Washington University is putting into
public service this week end. It's design,
construction, interior furnishing and
equipment represent the latest and the
best in ideas and craftsmanship. There
Is probably no finer hospital plant of its
size anywhere in the world today.
But the physical form of this new
hospital is only one source of the salts
faction that Washingtonians should feel
In its completion. With its companion
project-the recently constructed George
town University Hospital-it stands as
fine achievement in cooperation between
the universities, the community and the
National Government 1t represents a
landmark at the close of one era and
the beginning of another that should be
full of promise.
1t was just little over century ago
that members of the faculty of the then
twenty -three-year-ol medical school of
George Washington University petitioned
Congress for use of the old Washington
Inf1rmary, which stood in Judiciary Square.
It had been built by the National Gov
ernment in 1906 as a "poorhouse," then
put to use as a jail. When alterations
for its use as an insane asylum brought
protests from the neighborhood, Con-
gress was willing to turn 1t over to
the medical school. The transaction made
1t one of the first teaching hospitals" in
the country, as well as the first general
hospital in Washington. Congress helped
support 1t. The medical school supplied
medical care and the Sisters of Charity
furnished the nursing. 1t reverted to the
Government with the Civil War and was
later destroyed by fire. a
But the magnificent building on Wash
ington Circle is the successor In a sense
to that first teaching hospital in Judiciary
Square President Roosevelt was per-
suaded to release Lanham Act funds for
its construction and for GeorgetoWns new
hospital because both of them would
supply needed hospital beds and combine
care of the sick with the medical education
OF future doctors. President Cloyd Heck
Marvin, In accepting the new hospital
from the Government on Tuesday, men,
toned some of those whose vision, courage
and confidence in the future enlisted Mr..
supplied funds for construction the two
universities threw in cash and other
assets toward repayment of the loans, and
the community and friends of the two
universities all over the land contributed
Both of these hospitals will play great
part in the development of Washington
And they have set pattern for hospital
construction soon to be followed elsewhere
Three of the city's voluntary hospitals
Emergency Garfield and the Episcopal
Eye, Ear and Throat-are combining for
construction, with loans and grants from
the National and municipal governments,
of the large hospital center to be built
near the Naval Observatory site. There
are indications that Congress will approve
at this session loans and grants already
authorized, to enable other voluntary
hospitals in Washington to enlarge and
modernize their plants.
With the Public Health Service institu-
tions at Bethesda, the Naval Hospital,
Walter Reed and st. Elizabeths, Washing
ton is thus becoming a great center of
medical treatment as we'll as educat ton and
research. DR.. Marvin spoke of the new
George Washington Hospital as merely
the first of other units in the neighbor-
hood which will be its affiliates. In a
world so preoccupied with fears of war
and destruction, these tokens of progress
in the arts Of healing and learning should
be we'll received