San Francisco County
Biographies
NORMAN D.
MORGAN, M. D.
Prominent in the medical ranks of San Francisco is Dr. Norman D. Morgan, whose fine prestige is based on his proved ability, his notable war record, and his strict attention to the modern developments in medicine and surgery. He is a native of San Francisco, where his birth occurred December 9, 1885, and is a son of the late William M. Morgan and his wife, Elizabeth E. (Herlihy) Morgan.
William M. Morgan was born in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, was reared and educated in the dominion, and in the early ‘70s came to San Francisco, California. He was a building contractor during his life, in which vocation he was successful, and was affiliated with the republican party. He died in 1927, when he was seventy-nine years of age. His wife was born in County Cork, Ireland, and came directly to San Francisco when she was only fifteen years old. Here she met and married Mr. Morgan, and by this union she became the mother of four sons and two daughters, of whom Dr. Morgan is the fifth in order of birth. She survives her husband, and resides in San Francisco, now (1931) being seventy-nine years old.
Dr. Morgan attended the grade and high schools of San Francisco, then entered the Cooper Medical College, which has since been absorbed by Stanford University. He received the degree of Doctor of Medicine with the class of 1910. Prior to his graduation he was employed in the drug store of S. M. McDonald, which was to a great extent the determining factor in his choosing a medical career, and also enabled him to earn sufficient money to bear the expenses of an education. The ambition to be a doctor, however, had been present in his mind since boyhood. After his graduation, Dr. Morgan entered the United States army as a contract surgeon, in which capacity he served for one year. This led to an advancement to the position of surgeon in the army, with an assignment to the Pribilof Islands in the Bering sea off Alaska, where he remained during the year 1912. He then returned to San Francisco, having been honorably discharged from the military service, and here took up his private practice, specializing in surgical work. With the exception of the period when he was again with the colors during the World war, he has practiced with outstanding success in his own city. He has always been progressive in his work, and has been a close student of modern developments in his profession. He has written a number of articles for publication in medical journals, chiefly upon surgical topics about which his opinion is considered authoritative.
Dr. Morgan was married in 1917 to Mrs. Gertrude Blanchard, who died in 1930. On December 18, 1930, in Sacramento, California, Dr. Morgan married Miss Margaret Ahern, a native of San Francisco, and a daughter of Thomas and Ann Ahern. Their home is at 1299 Lombard street in San Francisco.
During the period when the United States was engaged in the World war, Dr. Morgan was overseas for eighteen months, in the French zone, and at the time of his honorable discharge he held the rank of major in the medical corps. After the close of the war, he received a special degree from the London Hospital in recognition of his valuable services in surgery. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Morgan is now a member of the veterans’ medical board of the Spanish-American War Veterans.
Dr. Morgan is a communicant of the Roman Catholic Church, and he has usually voted the republican ticket. He belongs to Stanford Parlor, Native Sons of the Golden West; the Olympic Club; the Lake Merced Golf and Country Club, and the Corinthian Yacht Club. His offices in San Francisco are in suite 1702-5 at 450 Sutter street. He has won wide popularity in his home town by his fine personal characteristics, and has been a participant in many local affairs, both of social nature and business character. Golf, and an occasional friendly game of cards have been his favorite diversions through his busy career.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 2 Pages 460-464.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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