Santa Clara County
Biographies
FRANK LA SPADA, M. D.
Noteworthy among the able and skillful physicians of San Jose is F. La Spada, M. D., who during the ten years that he has been located in this city has built up an excellent practice. A native of Italy, he was born May 10, 1864, in Messina, where his earlier years were spent. His father, Santi La Spada, was a musician by occupation, and a lifelong resident of Italy. When a young man he served in the revolutionary army for a few years. His wife, whose maiden name was Lavinia Scoglio, was born in Italy, and is now living. Of the children born of the union, but two survive, namely: John, and the special subject of this sketch.
Receiving his preliminary education in the public schools of his Italian home, F. La Spada lived there until 1880. Immigrating in that year to America, he located in Boston, Mass., where he found employment, and at the same time continued his studies under private tutors working hard to pay his educational expenses. He subsequently spent a year or two in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from there coming to California in 1885. Stopping but a short time in San Francisco, he went from there to Los Angeles, and thence to Pasadena, where he read medicine with Dr. Swearingen. Afterwards entering the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Chicago, Ill., Mr. La Spada was graduated from that institution in 1894 with the degree of M. D. Returning to the Pacific coast, Dr. La Spada immediately opened an office in San Jose, where he has since been in practice as a physician and surgeon, and has met with unquestioned success, being located in the Morganheiner building on West Santa Clara street. For three years he served most acceptably as city physician.
While living in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Dr. La Spada was made an Odd Fellow, and later served as noble grand of his lodge in Pasadena, Cal., and he still holds membership in Pasadena Lodge No. 324, I. O. O. F. He belongs to the Santa Clara County Medical Society, in which he takes great interest. In politics he is a stanch Republican. While in Pasadena the doctor was prominent in military affairs, serving in Company B, Seventh Regiment, California National Guards, and being corporal of his company, which was known as the Markham Guards.
Dr. La Spada was married in Santa Cruz and has one daughter, Lavinia La Spada.
Transcribed
Joyce Rugeroni.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 566-569. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Joyce Rugeroni.