Doctors Coleman, Prominent Navasota Physcians
Father and son, Dr. Solon D. Coleman and Dr. Leonard Coleman, are names well remembered among local Navasota residents. Many were their well served patients.
There is a regional physician, Dr. John I. Walker, who writes a blog entitled, “The Time of Your Life” and recently wrote about the Drs. Coleman.
Dr. Walker opens the blog with, “Leonard Coleman’s father, Solon Douglas Coleman, was a true Texan—dedicated, passionate, and rhetorical. Easily moved both to anger and to tenderness; he laughed and yelled a great deal and had little talent for patience.” And then he added, “A boisterous, boyish, hearty man he enjoyed the foibles of others, but also found entertainment in his own idiosyncrasies. His outsized personality and his extraordinary tenderness drew people to him.”
Young Dr. Coleman commented, “My Dad was quick to heat up, quick to cool down,” Leonard said. “When he did chew out a nurse or anyone, he usually apologized later in person or with flowers, with a gift or a card. Just about everybody knew that lightning and thunder would be followed by a rainbow and bright sunshine. He was also tender and loving.”
Immediately after graduating from high school, son Leonard wanted to join the Navy, so he could contribute to the World War II effort. Leonard’s mother was reluctant to sign the papers, but his father supported Leonard’s decision. He said, “Son, your mom will probably cry and may become hysterical, but don’t worry, I can handle her.”
When the time arrived for Leonard to depart for basic training his mother and father went with him to the train station. As they waited for the train, Leonard talked with his mother. When the train arrived, Leonard began looking around for his father. Just as the train was about to leave, Leonard found his father behind a post “crying his eyes out.”
The elder Dr. Coleman, born in 1901, graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 1924. The following day, June 2, he married Miss Mabelle Outlar and shortly began a six-month internship at Scott & White Medical Center in Temple. Next he was in New Orleans for a one-year surgical residency at Charity Hospital.
In 1925, Dr. Coleman opened a practice in Navasota in partnership with Dr. Walter Wilson. Their first office was above the John D. Quinn Drug Store at La Salle and Washington. He quickly realized there was a need for a Navasota Hospital. At that time, patients had to drive to Waco, Temple, or Houston for hospitalization. In 1929, Dr. Coleman borrowed $20,000, a fortune at that time, to build the Brazos Valley Sanitarium on South Judson Street. Dr. Coleman “persuaded”
Dr. H. L. Stewart, a medical school roommate to relocate from Longview to Navasota bringing to the area its first eyeear-nose-and throat specialist. Dr. E. T. Ketchum also soon joined the group.
Jump forward to 1947, these physicians opened the Medical Center on Washington Avenue. By 1955 they welcomed Dr. Coleman’s son-in-law, Dr. W. S. Conkling, a pediatrician, and four years later Dr. Coleman’s son, Dr. Leonard Coleman, a surgeon, joined the group.
In 1962, the elder Dr. Coleman’s right leg was amputated above the knee due to “severe arteriosclerosis.” During recovery Dr. Coleman “wrapped a big red ribbon around the stump and toured Grimes County seeking support for a $500,000 bond issue to expand the hospital.” The bond carried, and the new Grimes Memorial Hospital formally opened in December 1963.
Dr. Coleman practiced medicine up to his final illness. He died May 16, 1968 of a myocardial infarction.
(Written by Betty Dunn, Two Rivers Heritage Foundation. See www.tworiversheritage foundation.org for more info and membership).