John Ralston Williams
Encyclopedia
John Ralston Williams was a Canadian-American
physician who was an instrumental figure in the public health of Rochester, New York
.
Williams was born in Renfrew, Ontario
, Canada in 1874, one of nine children of a baker. After several moves, the family settled in Rochester when Williams was a teenager.
Despite not finishing high school, and a series of miscellaneous jobs as a young adult, Williams wanted to be a doctor. He saved his money, and he eventually was accepted at the University of Michigan
at the age of 25. He graduated in 1903 at the top of his class. Armed with his medical degree, he opened an office in Rochester in 1904.
One of his early successes was an extensive study into the safety of milk supplies in Rochester. He found that many homes had insufficient refrigeration, and suppliers were using inefficient methods of distribution. Although Rochester never fully adopted his suggestions, his study was influential nationally in the effort to improve refrigeration standards.
By 1916, he had been appointed chief of medicine at Highland Hospital
, where he spearheaded the establishment of the first hospital division dedicated to the study of diabetes and other metabolic disorders. In 1922, Williams became the first American physician to administer insulin
, ordering a supply from Frederick Banting
in Toronto. Williams' patient was James D. Havens
, aged 22, who would go on to become a well-known woodcut artist. Havens was the second American to receive insulin treatment, the first to do so without traveling to Canada.
Williams would remain at Highland for thirty years; during those years, and after stepping down, he was also a force in Rochester civic life. In 1932, for instance, he took a strong interest in the then-fledgling Rochester Municipal Museum. He joined and chaired the Rochester Museum Association, an organization formed to ensure the museum's survival. In 1935, after the effort was successful, he became chairman of the Municipal Museum Commission, remaining in that position until just a few years before his death. The museum later became the Rochester Museum and Science Center
, and Williams was chairman of the committee that oversaw the design and erection of the museum's current building on East Avenue.
Williams was also responsible for placing tens of thousands of oak and other trees at the current site of Oak Hill Country Club
, when the country club moved from Oak Hill near the Genesee River to a new space in Pittsford
(in a land swap with the University of Rochester
). The land had been farmed-out when the swap occurred, and while Williams didn't design the courses, he did extensive research into trees and which ones would thrive best in the local climate; many, if not most, of the majestic oaks that today make Oak Hill's courses so challenging and scenic were grown from seedlings in Williams' back yard.
Williams had two sons by his wife Ethel.
Canadian-American
A Canadian American is someone who was born or someone who grew up in Canada then moved to the United States. The term is particularly apt when applied or self-applied to people with strong ties to Canada, such as those who have lived a significant portion of their lives in, or were educated in,...
physician who was an instrumental figure in the public health of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
Williams was born in Renfrew, Ontario
Renfrew, Ontario
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...
, Canada in 1874, one of nine children of a baker. After several moves, the family settled in Rochester when Williams was a teenager.
Despite not finishing high school, and a series of miscellaneous jobs as a young adult, Williams wanted to be a doctor. He saved his money, and he eventually was accepted at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
at the age of 25. He graduated in 1903 at the top of his class. Armed with his medical degree, he opened an office in Rochester in 1904.
One of his early successes was an extensive study into the safety of milk supplies in Rochester. He found that many homes had insufficient refrigeration, and suppliers were using inefficient methods of distribution. Although Rochester never fully adopted his suggestions, his study was influential nationally in the effort to improve refrigeration standards.
By 1916, he had been appointed chief of medicine at Highland Hospital
Highland Hospital (Rochester, New York)
Highland Hospital is located in Rochester, New York, and is an affiliate of the University of Rochester Medical Center , which is part of the University of Rochester.http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/hh/...
, where he spearheaded the establishment of the first hospital division dedicated to the study of diabetes and other metabolic disorders. In 1922, Williams became the first American physician to administer insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
, ordering a supply from Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the main discoverers of insulin....
in Toronto. Williams' patient was James D. Havens
James D. Havens
James Dexter Havens was a printmaker and painter in Rochester, New York, who is considered part of the color woodblock revival in America. He has works in the collections of the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Memorial Art Gallery of the University...
, aged 22, who would go on to become a well-known woodcut artist. Havens was the second American to receive insulin treatment, the first to do so without traveling to Canada.
Williams would remain at Highland for thirty years; during those years, and after stepping down, he was also a force in Rochester civic life. In 1932, for instance, he took a strong interest in the then-fledgling Rochester Municipal Museum. He joined and chaired the Rochester Museum Association, an organization formed to ensure the museum's survival. In 1935, after the effort was successful, he became chairman of the Municipal Museum Commission, remaining in that position until just a few years before his death. The museum later became the Rochester Museum and Science Center
Rochester Museum and Science Center
The Rochester Museum and Science Center, or RMSC, is a museum in Rochester, New York that features many exhibits related to science. These include AdventureZone, the newly expanded Expedition Earth, How Things Work, and other traveling interactive exhibits, in addition to the permanent historical...
, and Williams was chairman of the committee that oversaw the design and erection of the museum's current building on East Avenue.
Williams was also responsible for placing tens of thousands of oak and other trees at the current site of Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill Country Club, located in the Town of Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester, has a rich history of golf. It started out in 1901 as only 9 holes on 85 acres on the banks of the Genesee River in Rochester. The clubhouse was no more than a converted farm house...
, when the country club moved from Oak Hill near the Genesee River to a new space in Pittsford
Pittsford (town), New York
Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States and is an affluent suburb of Rochester. The population was 29,405 at the 2010 census....
(in a land swap with the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
). The land had been farmed-out when the swap occurred, and while Williams didn't design the courses, he did extensive research into trees and which ones would thrive best in the local climate; many, if not most, of the majestic oaks that today make Oak Hill's courses so challenging and scenic were grown from seedlings in Williams' back yard.
Williams had two sons by his wife Ethel.