Los Angeles County
Biographies
DR. RALPH
HAGAN
HAGAN,
DR. RALPH, Surgeon,
During his early boyhood, Dr. Hagan’s father took him on an extensive tour, on which they visited many countries, and settled for a time at Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands. They resided on the beautiful Pacific island for a short time, during the reign of the celebrated Queen Liliuokalani, until they moved to Los Angeles. Dr. Ralph Hagan was educated in the public schools of Los Angeles and graduated from the high school. He then entered the Medical Department of the University of California and was graduated with the degree of M.D., June 4, 1895. The last two years of his college course he served as druggist in the Los Angeles County Hospital and upon graduation was made house surgeon of that institution.
He served at this post one year, and in 1897 was made police surgeon for the City of Los Angeles. This position he filled four years, giving it up in 1901 to begin private practice. Since that time he has devoted his time to his own work, the only public office held by him in the interim being that of Police Commissioner for Los Angeles, which duty he filled during the years 1904-05, under the administration of Mayor McAleer.
Dr. Hagan startled the medical profession shortly after he became Police Surgeon by performing a daring operation on one of his patients. The victim, a man, had received a terrible gunshot wound in the abdomen and all hope of saving his life had been given up. Dr. Hagan, however, performed an exceptional operation upon the man and the latter ultimately recovered. This was the first successful operation of its kind in the West and won for Dr. Hagan a firm position in the ranks of his profession.
For eight years after he left the office of Police Surgeon of Los Angeles, Dr. Hagan engaged in general medical practice, but at the end of that period he became a specialist in surgery and has devoted himself to that branch of the profession since that time. He is a man of manifold interests and, besides his private work is actively concerned in four large hospitals of Los Angeles, to each of which he devotes a great deal of personal attention. He is a stockholder and staff member of the Angeles, Pacific and Emergency Hospitals and consulting surgeon to the Sisters’ Hospital. As a member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Automobile Club of Southern California he has done much for the improvement of the city proper and in addition has been a leader in the plans for good roads and boulevard building. He is an enthusiastic sportsman and spends all of his spare time out-of-doors.
He is an expert reinsman and amateur driver and automobilist, and also is one of the best huntsmen in the West Shore Gun Club of Los Angeles.
Besides the clubs heretofore mentioned, Dr. Hagan holds a life membership in the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Los Angeles Athletic Club. He is a member of the Southern California Lodge of Masons, a life member and Past Exalted Ruler of Los Angeles Lodge No. 99, B. P. O. Elks, a member of the Sierra Madre Club of Los Angeles and of numerous medical and other scientific organizations.
Transcribed
4-30-11 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 644, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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