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DR. GEORGE WRIGHT DIES, 50-YEAR PRACTICE ENDS
Dr. George Irving WRIGHT, one of the oldest members of the Klamath County Medical Society, who practiced his profession here for more than half a century, died at Hillside Hospital May 18. He was 82.
Dr. Wright, a humanitarian during his life work, had continued attending his patients in the Medical Dental Building until he was past 80.
He was a native of Oregon born Dec. 23, 1879, in Jacksonville. He came to Linkville, now Klamath Falls, on June 16, 1880. His father, William A. Wright, was a pioneer druggist in Klamath County. His mother, Jennie Letitia Martin, crossed the plains from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to California in 1850.
Dr. Wright attended both grade school and high school in Klamath Falls and was the first and only graduate of the Klamath County High school in 1895. He graduated from Northwester University Pharmacy in 1899, medical school in 1908, interning at St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, the following year.
He was licensed to practice in Illinois before he came to California and Oregon. He opened his Klamath Falls office in September 1909, and was married a few months later to Annette Vahldieck, a graduate of St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing.
Together they attended the births of hundreds of infants, answered calls day and night by horse and buggy to outlying parts of Klamath County, and performed surgery on kitchen tables by lamp or lantern light.
He introduced the first use of rubber gloves for operation and obstetrics at Klamath Falls.
In his later years he confined his practice to his office. He was a charter member and a ruling elder for 18 years at the First Presbyterian Church and continued to attend services in a wheel chair until the last three or four months. He was a charter member and president of the Klamath County Medical Society, a life member of the Northwestern University Medical Alumni, St. Luke's, Hospital Chicago, Illinois. He assisted with the administration and held offices on the Hillside and Klamath Valley hospital Board of Directors at one time. He was Klamath County health officer during his early practice.
Dr. Wright was a life Hospital of the Red Cross and lent his effort and financial support to all major health groups. From 1916 to 1950 he served without pay as physician for athletic groups at Klamath Union High School and was timekeeper for the Pelican squads of basketball and football home games and for OTI's home football games.
Wright Field on the KUHS campus was named for him. He was particularly a friend of youth and assisted with the organization of Boy Scouts in the Klamath Basin.
He was a member of Masonic bodies, Hillah Temple Shrine, Klamath Falls Lodge, AF and AM 77, York Rite, and had served as chaplain of the local Shrine Club. He attended the 50th reunion of his graduating class from Northwestern a few years ago, and was named Doctor of the Year by the Klamath County Medical Society, and his name placed in competition for Oregon's Doctor of the Year.
Mrs. Wright died in 1960. One daughter, Mrs. Henrietta Thayer and grandchildren of Chicago survive.
Funeral services will be held in the First Presbyterian Church at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, with the Rev. Robert C. Groves officiating. Final rites will be in Klamath Memorial Park with O'Hair's Memorial Chapel in charge.