Related Page

            Newton Memorial Hospital

Dorset Spurgeon – My Early Days in Rotary

This was his speech at the celebration of his 50 years, in Rotary, in 1983.

Dr Spurgeon was president 1950-51 and a long time local physician 

He attended the University of Missouri and then Harvard Medical School where he received his M.D. in 1929. He then trained in Boston hospitals for three years.

He came to Newton, in 1932 as an associate with Dr Blasé Cole and joined Newton Rotary at that time.

This was the height of the depression. People worked for 25 cents an hour and medical fees were $1.50/visit;  $2.00 for house calls (in town) and $3-$5.00 out of town. Major surgeries were $100-$150 and OB deliveries were $35.00.

He arrived 4 months after the hospital was opened and only planned to stay a few years.

In 1933 Newton Rotary was 10 years old and had less than 40 members. Lunch at the Cochran House was 50 cents. The hotel was very popular and usually served several hundred  dinners on Sundays and holidays. A fellow Rotarian, Charles Hendershot, owned it after purchasing it from Bob Snook.

During this early period, the Club was well known for having a singing quartet. In fact, they were in demand at other clubs, as well as this one.

One of the memorable meetings that he remembered occurred when the speaker was a Russian visitor. When the speaker began  praising communism,  more than 50% of the members  walked out.

His proudest recollection, however, was when his twins arrived, in 1939. The Club celebrated the event by having every  twin, from the Newton schools , as guests of the Club.

This guy had to be very special.