En:The famous mayo clinic

The famous mayo clinic

Two of its founders were Freemasons

The Mayo Clinic is undoubtedly one of the most famous medical establishments in the world. Since its inception in Rochester, Minnesota, during the 1880s from the medical practice of Dr. William Worrall Mayo and his two sons, Dr. William James Mayo and Dr. Charles Horace Mayo, it has become the largest group practice in the world and is renowned for its comprehensive medical care.

During their lives, the Mayos influenced the medical community and have left a legacy that is still cherished. Freemasons can be justly proud that two of its founders were members of their Order.

William Worrall Mayo, born in Eccles near Manchester in 1819, immigrated to the United States in 1846. After travelling throughout the US, he gained his M.D. from Indiana Medical College in 1850. In 1863 he moved to Rochester where he was appointed examining surgeon for the Union Army Enrolment Board during the American Civil War. He was later to serve as Mayor of the city.

Within three months of arriving in Rochester, Dr. Mayo joined Freemasonry; he was initiated on 21 September 1863 and raised as a Master Mason on 19 October. He then joined Halcyon Chapter, No. 8, Royal Arch, first as a Mark Master Mason and, on 19 July 1865, as a Royal Arch Mason. In 1868, Dr. Mayo joined the masonic Order of the Temple in Home Commandery, No. 5, also in Rochester.

Dr. Mayo had two sons – William James Mayo (Dr. Will) and Charles Horace Mayo (Dr. Charlie). Dr. Will, born 1861, graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1883 and Dr. Charlie, born 1865, gained his M.D. from Chicago Medical College of Northwestern University in 1888. They both joined their father in medical practice soon after graduating, with Dr. Will eventually gaining a reputation as an experienced abdominal surgeon and Dr. Charlie as a general surgeon competent in ophthalmology, orthopaedic and neurological surgery.

Under his father’s influence, Dr. Charlie was initiated into Rochester Lodge on 24 January 1890. Like his father, he joined Halcyon Chapter, in 1890 and the masonic Templars six years later. In 1924, the Grand Master appointed Dr. Charlie Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota and on 7 August that year, he was appointed the Representative of the Grand Lodge of New York for the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. He also joined the Scottish Rite becoming a 32º mason in 1921. In 1935, he received the 33º from the Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction, and thus an Honorary Member of the Supreme Council.

Dr. Will had planned to become a Mason and, at the age of 59, petitioned Rochester Lodge on 12 January 1920. But he never joined because of his age and medical commitments. The Grand Master suggested that Dr. Will should be made a “Mason at sight”. Dr. Charlie objected, believing that Dr. Will should work for his membership of the Craft as others did.

Grand Orator of Minnesota

It was no secret that Dr. Charlie was a Freemason: when he famously delivered a long oration as Grand Orator to the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota on 21 January 1925, it was announced in The Clinic Bulletin. In that oration, Dr. Charlie spoke elegantly of the relevance of Freemasonry to daily life and of its many achievements, particularly extolling its role within education. That same year he was President of the American College of Surgeons and interestingly, during the oration, he mentioned a parallel between the masonic youth Order of DeMolay and the College:

We have started a candidate group on the same basis as the De Molay…to try and maintain the interest and ideals of life as we see them when we get older, in these young men.1

He believed deeply in the role of DeMolay in guiding and supporting young men through a rewarding and purposeful life in the service of others. His strong support of DeMolay was rewarded on 7 January 1936: membership of the Grand Council of the Order by founder Frank S. Land 33°, himself.

Dr. Charlie’s extremely busy personal and professional life limited his attendance at Masonic functions. Nevertheless, Freemasonry was very important to him and he practiced many Masonic virtues, particularly charity, throughout his life. That basic tenet of Freemasonry must have influenced Brother Charlie and his father for only those patients who could afford to pay for their medical treatment were charged; furthermore no patient at the Clinic was ever refused medical attention for having insufficient funds.

The Mayos’ charity was not limited to these generous acts. In 1919, the Mayo brothers dissolved their partnership and donated the majority of their personal fortune – an initial $1,500,000 followed by a further $500,000, to establish a Foundation at the University of Minnesota. This was the predecessor of the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. They felt an enormous social duty to ensure that “the money [should] go back to the people who gave it to us.”2

Dr. Charlie had two sons and both joined the Craft – Dr. Charles William Mayo (Dr. Chuck) in 1920 and Dr. Joseph Graham Mayo in 1924. Like his father, Dr. Chuck joined Halcyon Chapter and Home Commandery, was awarded the 32º of the Scottish Rite, and became the Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.

He was also awarded the Grand Lodge Medal for Achievement by the Grand Lodge of New York in 1958 and the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota in 1964. Dr. Joseph was tragically killed in an accident at the age of 34.

The Mayos were involved in the construction of Rochester’s first Masonic Temple in 1901, lending money to the local Masonic Temple Association for its initial construction and later, for its rebuilding after a fire in 1916 destroyed the original. Interestingly, the medical practice was housed within the Temple from 1901 to 1914.

The two Mayo brothers died in 1939, within two months of each other. Their family no longer has a direct involvement in the running of the Clinic, but their gift to humanity, medicine and science continues.

Experience of the modern clinic

Today, the Mayo Clinic is based at three main locations in the USA: Rochester (Minnesota), Jacksonville (Florida) and Scottsdale (Arizona). The Rochester site occupies about 11 million square feet with the main clinic, research, administration and medical school buildings are located in downtown Rochester. There are two hospitals that are part of the Mayo Medical Center – Rochester Methodist Hospital that connects to the buildings via a skyway and Saint Marys Hospital, a short journey away.

During the summer of 2001, I undertook a four-week clerkship in plastic surgery and was fortunate to be attached to the team led by Dr. Uldis Bite, a Consultant in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery with a particular interest in complex craniofacial reconstruction in adults and children – surgery for cleft lip and palate and reconstruction after trauma and cancer treatment.

I also saw some cosmetic surgery, breast reconstruction following cancer surgery, complex wound care surgery and skin cancer surgery. The team frequently uses a state-of-the art saline irrigation gun and a vacuum dressing system for wounds that do not readily heal. I was given the opportunity to scrub and assist with many cases, experiencing skin graft and other reconstructive techniques. I truly felt part of this most professional team. It was a proud feeling to attend a ward round and observe patients recovering after surgery in which I had assisted. Their gratitude was immense. I was reminded of Dr. Will’s view that “every human being has a divine right to look human.”

My clerkship was partially funded by the Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys and the Public School Lodges’ Council. I am most grateful to them and to the Mayo Clinic, not only for the medical experience, but also the spiritual awakening that I had at this surgical “Mecca”.

I was immensely proud to walk into a Mayo clinic where Freemasonry had an important role and I have been immeasurably influenced by this experience; I believe that I can transfer the central belief of the Clinic that “the best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered” to my future daily work as a Doctor.

References

• 1. Mayo, Charles H, “Oration Delivered by Charles H. Mayo, Grand Orator, Jan. 21, 1925”, in Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota 1925 (St Paul, 1925) pp.165-176.
• 2. Lost Oration by Dr. W. J. Mayo, ed. Fredrick A. Willis, Aphorisms (Rochester, 1997), pp.85-92.

Roger Stevens B.Sc. M.Sc. is a final year medical student at the University of Aberdeen and a former beneficiary of the Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. He belongs to the Old Cliftonian Lodge No. 3340, London, and the Jerusalem Chapter No. 686, Bristol. He was recently a Visiting Medical Student at the Mayo Medical School. He wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance of Mrs. Renee Ziemer of the Mayo Center for Humanities in Medicine and Mr. Douglas Campbell who is Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.