Dr. Woods – Ophthalmologist
July 1944Dearest Reader,
“I would like to get you under Dr Woods who, I understand, is the head of the Wilmer Institute”
Dr Alan Woods was one of the most respected ophthalmologists of the mid-20th century and a leading figure in American eye medicine. A graduate of Johns Hopkins, Woods trained under the pioneering ophthalmologist William Wilmer and went on to become his successor. In 1934, Woods was appointed Director of the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, the nation’s first university-based eye hospital devoted entirely to research and training in ophthalmology. By 1937, he was placed at the forefront of clinical and academic innovation in eye disease. Under his leadership, Wilmer became the premier center for diagnosing and treating complex ocular disorders.
Dr Woods specialized in the most challenging eye conditions. His research contributed to advancements in corneal disease, optic nerve disorders and visual impairment. He was the physician to see when an eye condition needed authoritative assessment. In 1944, my grandmother wanted my father to be assessed by Dr Wood, so that his condition could be seen, heard and diagnosed by one of the foremost ophthalmologists of the era.
Dr. Nancy Watson
Rambling With Nan
Washington
Read More From Nancy
Information from an Envelope
In October 1942, my grandmother’s letters to my father were address to Battery B, 264th Coast Artillery, Fort Worden, Washington. This places my father within the coastal defense system, of the Pacific Northwest during World War II. Fort Worden is located at Point Wilson in Port Townsend, Washington, guiding the entrance to Puget Sound. Along […]
Winged Victory
In a letter dated September 3, 1944, a friend of my father wrote from wartime California. The letter location was written, Santa Ana, California. Santa Ana Army Base was one of the largest Army Air Forces training and processing centers during World War II. Thousands of young men passed through its barracks for classification and […]
Restricted Rails
My parents were married in May of 1944 while my father was home on furlough, a brief pause in the turmoil of a world at war. The letters they left behind include tender notes between two young newlyweds and the steady, pleading correspondence from my grandmother to her only son. These letters form an intimate […]