Evening star., 1949-12-06
Physician, 81, Is Named Doctor of Year

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lean Medical Association.
A collateral descendant of Ly-
man Hall, one of the signers of
the Declaration of independence.
venerable DR.. Hall has practiced
in Mount Vernon. in southern
Illinois. for nearly so years. His
family has had a dozen physicians,
including his own three sons.
DR.. Hall was not in the conven-
ton session when the award came
to him on a second ballot. To win,
he received 104 votes as against SO
for DR.. Thomas Edward Rhine. 73,
of Thornton. Ark. On the first
ballot, DR.. Hall received "a votes,
DR.. Rhine. So. and DR.. Lyle Hare,
64-year-old Spearfish Is. Dak)
doctor, IS.
In a natty gray suit. shiny
maroon and blue tie, DR.. Hall
popped into a hastily called press
conference with a vigor belying
his years. He also popped an
swers as quickly.
He escaped" malaria in the
Philippines. typhoid in Cuba and
influenza during his military serv-
ice. II haven't been sick much
in my life" His general rule for
his own obvious good health:
Regular habits. I am usually
in bed at 8 and up at 6. never
eat too much. never smoke or
chew and I never drink any
whisky of any consequence.
The most. whisky I ever had
was when I was 10 years DID," he
smiled. That was when I had
the measles the smile grew
broader-"in those days they
thought that the measles wouldn't
break out unless they fed you
whisky"
Hits Socialized Medicine.
DR.. Hall had sharp observation
on socialized medicine. There
are only two places where social
lied medicine will work. "One is
Heaven, where they don't need it,
and the other is He'll. where they
already have it,
DR.. Hall, who has delivered an
estimated 5000 babies In his 60
years Of practice, was playing with
his two grandchildren at his sons
home, 1918 North Evergreen street.
Arlington. when he received notice
of his election. His son is Col.
Wilfred Hall of the Army Medical
Corps, now on temporary duty in
South America. and the children
are Ronald, 4, and Carol Lynne,
10 months.
His daughter -in-law. Mrs. Hall,
said:
His work has always meant so
much to him. He was so thrilled
and pleased he could hardly say
tanything." &<E
For the selection DR.. Hall will
receive the American Medical As
sociation's gold medal for "out-
standing service as a family doc
tor" A native Of Illinois. DR.. Hall
saw military service in the Span
ish- American War. the Philippine
Insurrection and World War I.
He was chairman of the Medical
Board of Appeals under selective
service in Illinois during World
War II and is a former director
of the Illinois State Department
of Public Health.
The medical influence in DR..
Halls family is directly trace
able to his mothers brother. John
Mclean. who lost foot at Shiloh
and decided to become a doctor. :
DR.. Hall followed two brothers
to Northwestern University and to
Rush Medical College. He was
born in Flanagan Township. Ham
ilton County. ILL.,. January s, 1865.
His father, 1t. Col. Hiram Hall,
fought with Illinois forces at
Vicksburg. Shiloh, Missionary
Ridge and was on Sherman's
march to the sea.
Recalls Early Schooling.
| DR.. Halls first few years of
schooling came IN one-room log
building. Memory of his early
teachers is still sharp and clear,
particularly Miss Betty Turn
tine"
"She found me drawing horse
on my slate in spelling class one
day and liked to whip the tail of
me-" he grinned. To-day they
hire people to teach the kids to
draw"
His community service-aside
from his practice-was varied
enough to include personal inter-
vention in a holdup and subse-
quent capture of the bandit. In
1918, looking from his office win
dow one day. he watched the ban
dit come out Of bank across the
street, a pistol in hand.
DR.. Hall borrowed a gun from a
dentist next door, cranked up his
car, pursued the robber to the
outskirts of the city and disarmed
him.
When he established his first
Office in Mount Vernon in 1890,
he recalled, Il got little encour-
agement from my fellow physi-
clans" There were eight physi-
clans in the city then and 80
in the entire county. DR.. Hall
has outlived all of them.
II told them when I opened
business that I didn't expect them
to send me any Of their good
paying patients, DR.. Hall said,
but suggested that If they had
any dead beats and scalawags'
to let me have them and maybe
I could build up a practice
Seven years later, DR.. Hall was
elected Mayor of Mount Vernon.
Served as Dentist.
His early practice was in the
horse and buggy days, yet he often
hoped a train and cut across the
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