Title
Dr. Harvey Brown Searcy, 1885-1964
Subject
Hospitals
Physicians
Description
Dr. Searcy was a member of a pioneer Tuscaloosa family and a family of doctors. He was the third in a direct line and the fifth Dr. Searcy to practice in Tuscaloosa during a period that spanned 131 years. Dr. Searcy was an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist, but in the last years of his practice he limited his practice to eyes.
His father, Dr. J. T. Searcy, succeeded Dr. Peter Bryce as the second superintendent of the Alabama Insane Hospital, a post he held for 30 years.
The youngest of 12 children born to Dr. and Mrs. J. T. Searcy, Dr. Searcy was born in the home built by his father on the corner of 8th Street and what is now Lurleen Wallace south.
He said he had “seven brothers to emulate and four sisters to irritate.” Two of his brothers were physicians, one a dentist and one a druggist. All worked in Tuscaloosa.
His grandfather, Reuben Searcy, came to Tuscaloosa in 1826 and opened a school in Northport. While there, he saved enough money to attend medical school and received his MD degree in 1832. When he returned to Tuscaloosa, he worked as an assistant to Dr. James Guild, then opened an office in the T.R. Taylor Drug Building on Greensboro Avenue. His son, Dr. J.T. Searcy joined him at that location and it was the Searcy office for 60 years.
Dr. H.B. Searcy attended Stafford School, Verner Military Institute and the University of Alabama. He graduated from the University at the age of 18 and was accepted in the University of Michigan Medical School where he received his degree in 1907. He served as an intern at Bryce Hospital then went to Birmingham to practice with Dr. S. L. Ledbetter, eye ear, nose and throat specialist. Following two years of work as an assistant to Dr. E.C. Elliott in Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Searcy was certified by the respective boards as an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. He served in World War I in France. After the war, he reopened his office in Tuscaloosa in 1919.
Professionally, Dr. Searcy served as president of the Alabama Medical Association, an honor accorded his father and grandfather. In addition he served as first president of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and as president of the eye, ear, nose and throat section of the Southern Medical Association – the first Alabamian to head the 16-state organization.
Dr. Searcy was one of ten who organized the original Druid City Hospital and he helped plan and promote the building of the present Druid City Hospital.
He was named Tuscaloosa’s Citizen of the Year in 1961. That same year, he also published his autobiography, “We Used What We Had.”
Dr. Harvey B. Searcy died at 79 in 1964 at Druid City Hospital after a heart attack.
His father, Dr. J. T. Searcy, succeeded Dr. Peter Bryce as the second superintendent of the Alabama Insane Hospital, a post he held for 30 years.
The youngest of 12 children born to Dr. and Mrs. J. T. Searcy, Dr. Searcy was born in the home built by his father on the corner of 8th Street and what is now Lurleen Wallace south.
He said he had “seven brothers to emulate and four sisters to irritate.” Two of his brothers were physicians, one a dentist and one a druggist. All worked in Tuscaloosa.
His grandfather, Reuben Searcy, came to Tuscaloosa in 1826 and opened a school in Northport. While there, he saved enough money to attend medical school and received his MD degree in 1832. When he returned to Tuscaloosa, he worked as an assistant to Dr. James Guild, then opened an office in the T.R. Taylor Drug Building on Greensboro Avenue. His son, Dr. J.T. Searcy joined him at that location and it was the Searcy office for 60 years.
Dr. H.B. Searcy attended Stafford School, Verner Military Institute and the University of Alabama. He graduated from the University at the age of 18 and was accepted in the University of Michigan Medical School where he received his degree in 1907. He served as an intern at Bryce Hospital then went to Birmingham to practice with Dr. S. L. Ledbetter, eye ear, nose and throat specialist. Following two years of work as an assistant to Dr. E.C. Elliott in Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Searcy was certified by the respective boards as an eye, ear, nose and throat specialist. He served in World War I in France. After the war, he reopened his office in Tuscaloosa in 1919.
Professionally, Dr. Searcy served as president of the Alabama Medical Association, an honor accorded his father and grandfather. In addition he served as first president of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and as president of the eye, ear, nose and throat section of the Southern Medical Association – the first Alabamian to head the 16-state organization.
Dr. Searcy was one of ten who organized the original Druid City Hospital and he helped plan and promote the building of the present Druid City Hospital.
He was named Tuscaloosa’s Citizen of the Year in 1961. That same year, he also published his autobiography, “We Used What We Had.”
Dr. Harvey B. Searcy died at 79 in 1964 at Druid City Hospital after a heart attack.
Source
Tuscaloosa News Archive
Contributor
Brenda Harris (Description)
Type
Photograph
Identifier
797
Coverage
Tuscaloosa (AL)
Original Format
Photograph