Los Angeles County
Biographies
HENRY GREEN BRAINERD
BRAINERD, HENRY
GREEN, Physician, Los Angeles, California,
was born at Londonderry, New
Hampshire, May 23, 1852, the son of Timothy Green
Brainerd and Lucinda R. (Dewey) Brainerd.
His family on both sides is a noted one in New England, his mother being
a cousin of Admiral George Dewey, hero of the battle of Manila
Bay, the engagement which gave the United
States its first great advantage over Spain
during the war of 1898. Dr. Brainerd was
twice married, his first wife being Alma Loomis, whom he married at Manchester,
Iowa, May, 15, 1879. Death called her May 10, 1882, and on
September 2, 1887, at Chicago, Illinois,
he took as his bride Fanny Howard. Two
children have been born of this union, Henry Howard and Fred Lindley Brainerd.
Dr. Brainerd
received his primary education in Halifax, Massachusetts,
but his family having removed to Iowa, he prepared for
College at the Iowa Academy,
Grinnell, Iowa, a
preparatory branch of Iowa College. Following this he went to Dartmouth
College and was graduated with the
degree of A. B. in 1874. He then entered
the medical department of the Iowa State
University, and later was appointed Assistant
Physician to the Iowa State
Hospital for the Insane at Mount
Pleasant, Iowa. He served there for a year and in 1876
enrolled as a student in Rush Medical
College, Chicago,
Illinois, and received his degree of M. D.
there in 1878.
Dr. Brainerd then
returned to Iowa and became Assistant Superintendent of
the Iowa Hospital
for the Insane at Independence, Iowa. He served in this capacity from 1879 to 1887,
except for an interval in 1882 and 1883, when he was in attendance at the New
York Post Graduate
School.
In 1887, Dr.
Brainerd relinquished his position at the Iowa
institution and moved to Los Angeles, California,
where he opened a private practice which he has continued down to date. From the time of his arrival in Southern
California Dr. Brainerd has held a prominent position in his profession.
The year he
located in Los Angeles Dr. Brainerd was appointed Superintendent of the County
Hospital and he filled that office
continuously from 1887 until 1892.
Simultaneously he was a member of the faculty of the College of medicine
of the University of Southern
California and while connected with the
institution was honored in various ways.
From 1887 to 1909, a period of twenty-two years, he occupied the Chair
of Neurology, but during that time he also held other important offices in the
University. From 1889 to 1896 he was
Secretary of the Faculty and from 1896 to 1902 was Dean of the College
of Medicine.
Since 1909 Dr.
Brainerd has been Professor of Neurology in the Los Angeles Department of the College
of Medicine, University
of California. While connected with the University
of Southern California, Dr.
Brainerd organized the Dental Department there and was the first Dean of the
Dental Faculty.
Dr. Brainerd’s
career has been one of honor and worthy accomplishment and he is to-day looked
upon as one of the foremost practitioners in the United
States.
He is a member of the leading scientific and professional organizations
and in many of them has served as officer.
He is an ex-President of the Los Angeles County Medical Association and
also held the same office in the Clinical and Pathological Society of Los
Angeles, an organization of limited membership, and made up exclusively of men
who brought honor upon the profession.
Dr. Brainerd is a
member of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, the Los Angeles Clinical
and Pathological Society, Southern California Medical Society, Medical Society
of the State of California and
the American Medical Association.
He is always
working for the advancement of his profession, taking an enthusiastic interest
in the work of the above organizations, and is an ardent supporter of all
professional efforts to further the science of medicine.
Although his life
has been one full of activity, Dr. Brainerd has found time to contribute to the
literature of the profession and has to his credit numerous papers on medical
subjects. His private life has been that
of a scholar, but he has at all times performed the duties of citizenship and
is one of the most patriotic men in the work of upbuilding
Los Angeles and the rich country
surrounding it.
He holds
membership in the California Club and University Club, both Los
Angeles institutions.
Transcribed 6-26-08
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 83,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2008 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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