Author, Educator. Oliver Wendell Holmes began his long career at Harvard University as an educator as well as a prolific author. He thought about studying law, but changed his mind and became a physician instead. He earned a BA at Harvard University in 1829 and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1836 before studying in Europe and eventually working as a general practitioner for ten years. Starting his career in education, he was offered the chair of anatomy and physiology at Dartmouth University, then two years later at Harvard University where he also served as dean of the medical school until 1882. His most noticed contribution to medicine was identifying puerperal fever, which is called childbed fever, as being contagious, meaning the bacteria spreads from patient to patient without simple handwashing. In addition to his passion for medicine, Holmes was also a lover of the written word composing dozens of poems, humorous essays on life and living, biographies of two of his fellow writers, and three novels. His most famous poem was the classic "Old Ironsides," which was used as part of the protest against the destruction of the USS "Constitution" and would help to give the ship a half-century more of existence. One of his better-known works was the "Breakfast Table" series of collected essays, a fictional account of the discussions taking place around the breakfast table in a Boston Boarding house. In 1857, he was one of the several cofounders of the successful magazine, the "Atlantic Monthly." Perhaps Holmes' greatest achievement was that he would practice these careers concurrently for nearly forty-seven years. His contemporaries recognized Holmes as a true patriot with a deep respect for the American people and the American way of life. He married and the couple had three children with the oldest becoming Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Author, Educator. Oliver Wendell Holmes began his long career at Harvard University as an educator as well as a prolific author. He thought about studying law, but changed his mind and became a physician instead. He earned a BA at Harvard University in 1829 and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1836 before studying in Europe and eventually working as a general practitioner for ten years. Starting his career in education, he was offered the chair of anatomy and physiology at Dartmouth University, then two years later at Harvard University where he also served as dean of the medical school until 1882. His most noticed contribution to medicine was identifying puerperal fever, which is called childbed fever, as being contagious, meaning the bacteria spreads from patient to patient without simple handwashing. In addition to his passion for medicine, Holmes was also a lover of the written word composing dozens of poems, humorous essays on life and living, biographies of two of his fellow writers, and three novels. His most famous poem was the classic "Old Ironsides," which was used as part of the protest against the destruction of the USS "Constitution" and would help to give the ship a half-century more of existence. One of his better-known works was the "Breakfast Table" series of collected essays, a fictional account of the discussions taking place around the breakfast table in a Boston Boarding house. In 1857, he was one of the several cofounders of the successful magazine, the "Atlantic Monthly." Perhaps Holmes' greatest achievement was that he would practice these careers concurrently for nearly forty-seven years. His contemporaries recognized Holmes as a true patriot with a deep respect for the American people and the American way of life. He married and the couple had three children with the oldest becoming Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Bio by: Catharine
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Holmes memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
