From the beginning, the history of Mayo Clinic has been the story of doctors, nurses, scientists, and countless others, all working together to benefit humanity.
Benefactors like you are part of this story, too!
Mayo Clinic’s
History of Healing
In a way, you could say the first benefactors of Mayo Clinic were Dr. W.W. Mayo himself and his wife Louise. In 1869, they mortgaged their own home to buy a microscope in order to provide the best care for his patients.
In 1883, a giant tornado devastated Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Mayo and his sons, Dr. Will, who had recently graduated from medical school, and Charlie, a high school student, joined forces with the Sisters of St. Francis to provide care to survivors.
The Sisters were key benefactors of Mayo Clinic, too. They raised funds to build a new hospital in Rochester where Dr. Mayo and his sons would provide care. Out of that agreement, St. Marys Hospital opened in 1889.
The Mayo brothers create a bold new concept: integrated, multi-specialty teamwork, which revolutionized health care. Their colleagues, including chief pathologist Dr. Louis B. Wilson, helped transform medical education and research in service to patients.
By 1919, the Mayo brothers and their wives transformed Mayo Clinic into a not-for-profit medical organization. They and their wives signed a Deed of Gift that said “the ultimate success” of Mayo Clinic, “past, present and future must be measured by its contributions to the general good of humanity.”
Research at Mayo Clinic has benefited patients around the world. In 1944 a 21-year-old patient at Mayo Clinic, became the first person in history to be cured of tuberculosis through the use of streptomycin.
Other Mayo Clinic researchers discovered and applied the clinical use of cortisone. Millions of patients have benefited from this breakthrough, for which Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Edward Kendall and Dr. Philip Hench were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1950.
Starting in 1955, Mayo Clinic had the world’s first successful series of open-heart surgical procedures, starting with a 5-year-old girl. This advance revolutionized the surgical treatment of heart disease.
In 1986, Mayo Clinic opened in Jacksonville, Florida. The Davis family provided leadership support and encouraged others to join them in this visionary expansion. So much of what we do at Mayo Clinic begins with the commitment of generous benefactors like you.
Barbara Woodward Lips provided a generous gift in her will to support Mayo Clinic in the early days of genomic research. This investment helped Mayo Clinic to become the world leader in this dynamic field of medical discovery.
Other visionary benefactors helped establish the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, where experts from many specialties collaborate to improve health care for everyone.
As Mayo Clinic looks to the future, your generosity allows us to provide the unparalleled experience and trusted knowledge we have been known for throughout our history. When we work together like this, our teamwork advances Mayo Clinic’s expertise within patient care, research, and education … for the benefit of all humanity!
Now, Tell Us YOUR Story!
You’ve seen some of the highlights of Mayo Clinic’s history, but there’s more to tell … and it includes you!
Please take a moment to share YOUR Mayo Clinic story.
We’d love to hear it!
