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Individual Record for: Morris Meyerovitz (male)

     Full Name: Morris Meyerovitz MD

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GEDCOM file imported on 2 Apr 2006

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Autobiography of Doctor Morris Meyerovitz

It is my wish that after my death a copy of my Autobiography be given t o my children and grandchildren, to be framed and kept in a desirable p lace.

I, Doctor Morris Meyerovitz, was born in a small town in Retovo Russia, c apitol state of Kovno, on the 28th day of September in the year 1860.

My father died when I was five years old, my mother was left a poor wid ow. She was unable to raise me and I was taken over to an uncle of mine b y name of Libe Appel in Kovno.

He raised me and gave me a Hebrew and Public School Education.

After graduating from Public School, I took up a Self General Education f or reason not being able to enter into higher schools of learning.

At the age of sixteen I entered in the Jewish Hospital in Kovno, ?Bikur C holum? under the direction of Doctor Theodore Meyerovitz, Chief Surgeon o f the Hospital, a relative of mine. After serving at the Hospital five y ears I passed the examination for a Russian Feldsher, which means in Ru ssia an Assistant Physician. Realizing that I could not take up the stu dy of Medicine in Russia! First -- I had no means. Second -- Because on ly three percent of Jewish students were admitted to the Russian Univer sities.

At the age of twenty-one I married Alta Grelovitz of Kovno.
Four children were born in Kovno. Namely:
1. Abraham Jeshuah
2. Mordechai (Max)
3. Abbie
4. Rose

Having no future prospect for me and my family to remain in Russia, I d ecided to emigrate to America, leaving the family in Kovno.

I landed in New York on North German Vessel ?[T] erra? in the month of M ay , 1888. I stopped for a short time at Aunt Libby Epstein's home, but t hey were unable to help me financially.

After living five months in New York and could not find a position to m ake a living or a possibility of study, upon the request and advice of y our dear mother Alta, I have decided to return back home to Kovno.

While coming out from Yarmolofsky's ticket office in New York going to t he ship top sail next day to Bremen, Germany, on my way home, as I step ped out of the ticket office I met at the doorway Meyer Kantar of Chica go, a relative of mine, passing by with Kantar Israel Michalofsky, ?Can tor of Paris?. Meyer Kanter recognized me, he stopped me, asking me whe re am I going?

I told him that I am going home to Kovno. Well, he said, how long have y ou been in America? I told him four months only. This is what he said:

?Durakeiner! What will you do in Russia?? ?Nein,? he said, ?you better g ive your ticket back to the Steamship Company and come with me to Chica go. There I will help you and you will be able to study medicine.

He took me over to his Hotel, treated me with a fine dinner, bought me a r ailroad ticket to Chicago, and directed me to stop at his home and wait t here for him until he returned to Chicago, which I did.

When I cam e to Chicago he asked me what I used to do. I said that I wo uld like to study medicine. He said good, go right ahead and I will hel p you all I can. I had $125.00 with me. I entered the College of Physic ians and Surgeons, now the Medical Department of the University of Illi nois. I had my room and board free at Kanter's house and a special room t o study. Not knowing the English language, it became very difficult for m e to make rapid progress in my studies. But with courage and powerful a mbition I have succeeded in learning the English language. I soon was a ble to recite and spelled it right in our written examinations.

Suddenly, Dave Kanter, the youngest son of Mayer Kantar, decided to tak e up the study of medicine. He entered the same medical school and we s tudied together at his home where I was rooming. All at once he made a c omplaint before his mother stating that the ?greenhorn? disturbs him fr om his studies and therefore would like to see me move out from his roo m. His mother came down and said, that means ?look for another place.? W ell, you can imagine how I felt not having any means nor books to study f rom no shelter and no food. I was compelled to appeal to Jacob Kanter, t he butcher, who lived at the time at 23 S Kramer St., asking him to tak e me in their home and to give me board and room until I will graduate, a nd when I do graduate I will pay them five dollars a week for the whole p eriod of three years. This was agreeable to his mother. I moved to thei r home and from there I graduated on the 23rd day of May 1890, from the C ollege of Physicians and Surgeons, now the Medical Department of the Un iversity of Illinois.

I was left penniless. I went to Mr. L. Witzenberg, the baker on the cor ner of Canal & Liberty Sts., asking him to lend me twenty dollars, whic h he did. Out of this I gave five dollars to Mrs. Kantar for Easter, an d the balance of fifteen dollars I paid to Mr. Frank Chanoch, a custome r peddler for a suit of clothes which I took on payment.

I rented an office on the corner of Jefferson and 12th St., and some on e stole from me the suit of clothes. And again I was left without money a nd without clothes. But I succeeded in the practice of medicine and sur gery and within six months I brought my family from Europe. I became a v ery busy practitioner. In a year or two I paid up all my indebtedness, I p aid for my room and board and the rest of my indebtedness.

As my aim in life was to obtain a higher medical education and a greate r experience in practice, I continued my medical work at the College an d at the Dispensaries. I became a Clinical Teacher in ?Disease of the C hest? at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and kept on teaching fo r nearly eight years. Among my students when I was a teacher was Dr. Th eodore Sax, Superintendent of the Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium; Dr J oseph Beck, prominent throat specialist; and Dr. Richter, famous Surgeo n of Chicago.

In 1896 I was appointed Attending Physician at the Cook County Hospital s erving there for two years. My junior intern at the Cook County Hospita l in Ward 4 was Dr. Lichter, the famous Surgeon now of Chicago. In the s ame year I was appointed Chief Medical Inspector for the State of Illin ois by the State Board of Health top fight a severe epidemic of smallpo x in Chicago, and had seventy-five medical men under my supervision. Wi thin sixty days I had the epidemic of smallpox under control.

Later in 1896 again I was appointed a member of the Illinois State Boar d of Health by Governor John R. Tanner. I was appointed and reappointed , confirmed by the State Senate, and was on the Board for six years. Wh ile a member of the State Board of Health, I was Chairman of the Commit tee on the administration of the Medical Practice Act, and was in a pos ition to investigate all medical schools throughout the United States w ho were asking recognition by the Illinois State Board of Health.

At the same time I was the author and originator of the State Lodging H ouse Law for the purpose of improving the sanitary condition and the hy gienic surroundings of the unfortunate Hoboes. The new law was passed b y the legislature as a party measure. After explaining to the Governor t he purpose of the law, an appropriation of $25,000 was made. I was made C hairman of that committee which I carried out all the provisions of the S tate Lodging House Law, and was highly commended for this work by the e ntire press of the State of Illinois.

Later I was offered by the Sttae Board of Health to become Chief Physic ian for the Smallpox Hospital in Chicago, and have refused upon the req uest of my wife, Alta Meyerovitz.

At an annual meeting of the State Board of Health held in Chicago at th e Grand Pacific Hotel, we were notified that the California State Board o f Health has passed a laaw requiring an examination from all Doctors de siring to practice medicine in the State of California. Before the law w as signed by the Governor of California I have requested our Secretary o f the State Board of Health, John A. Egan, to wire to the Secretary of t he California State Board of Health asking him to issue to me a license t o practice medicine and surgery in California under the old law which w as granted to me. No requirements for my qualifications was demand by t he State Board of Health of California, they said, ?Being a member of t he Illinois State Board of Health is sufficient evidence of your qualif ications and no Diploma is necessary to be forwarded.? A license was is sued to me which I am still in its possession and in force.

In a short time I was also appointed Physician by the Chicago Surface L ine to take care of all the accidental; work on the West Side, which ca pacity I served for ten years. During that time I also served as a surg eon for the Chicago Sugar Refining Factory, where I took care of all th e accidental work for seven years.

I am exceedingly glad that I have taken interest in the functions and a ctivities of the various charitable institutions in the city of Chicago w hich will remain the greatest monument in the pages of Jewish History.

I am proud of having raised a family of nine children and provided them w ith the highest education American institutions of learning can produce , and made professional men and women out of them. And today they are o ccupying high positions in professional life and the industrial field, a n they are good Jewish and good American patriotic citizens.

At the conclusion, my dear children, I am very sorry that I can not lea ve you great wealth, but I am very glad that I can leave you and furnis h you with a rich Autobiography, and this is the best will I am able to l eave you.

Doctor Morris Meyerovitz
3136 Douglas Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois

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