Flashback: 200 Years Since the Birth of Dr. William Worrall Mayo
2019 marks two centuries since the birth of William Worrall Mayo, M.D., on May 31, 1819. Learn more about Dr. Mayo’s humble beginnings in Salford, England.
On
May 31, 1819, William Worrall Mayo, M.D., was born in Salford, England. In the
two centuries that have passed since then, the medical practice Dr. Mayo and
his sons William J. Mayo, M.D., and Charles H. Mayo, M.D., eventually
established in Rochester, Minnesota, has grown into a world-renowned
organization dedicated to excellence in patient care, research and education. But
at the time of Dr. Mayo’s birth, there was little to indicate the far-reaching
influence he and his family would have on health care.
Rooted in history
Salford,
where Dr. Mayo was born, is located near Manchester, England, which was the
epicenter of the Industrial Revolution during his youth. As he grew, Dr. Mayo
witnessed the opportunities and the oppression of rapidly changing economic
conditions. This inspired him with what became known among the Mayo family as
the “give-back” philosophy.
“Our
father recognized certain definite social obligations,” Dr. William J.
Mayo wrote many years later. “He believed that the important thing in life
is not to accomplish for one’s self alone, but for each to carry his share of
collective responsibility.”
Humble beginnings
Dr.
William Worrall Mayo’s father, a skilled cabinetmaker, died when young William was
just 7 years old. There was no free public education in England at the time. His
mother could not afford tuition for primary and middle school, let alone
university, so Dr. Mayo trained as a tailor, demonstrating skill with his hands
that later served him well as a surgeon.
“The up-to-date and exacting Mayo Clinic of today is a reflection of my grandfather’s personal style as a doctor. He was a perfectionist who was … always delighted at any opportunity to improve medicine.”
Charles W. Mayo M.D.
Seeking
further opportunities, Dr. Mayo left England for the U.S. in 1846. In the years
that followed, he earned two degrees and pursued a wide range of jobs, since it
was difficult to make a living in medicine. He married Louise Wright, his
life’s partner and an astute businesswoman. The Mayos started a family and
settled in Rochester, where Dr. Mayo finally became a full-time physician.
Later,
Charles W. Mayo, M.D., Dr. William Worrall Mayo’s grandson and a highly
respected surgeon, wrote of his grandfather: “The up-to-date and exacting
Mayo Clinic of today is a reflection of my grandfather’s personal style as a
doctor. He was a perfectionist who was … always delighted at any opportunity to
improve medicine.”
Honored in his birthplace
Although
he traveled far from England to make his name, Dr. William Worrall Mayo still is
well-remembered in his birthplace. In 1929, the Mayo brothers made their first
joint overseas trip, where they received honors from the British Medical
Association. At that time, they dedicated a stained-glass window in the church
in Salford, where their father was baptized 110 years earlier.
In
the window, Francis Spear, an acclaimed London artist, used traditional
symbolism to tell the story of the elder Mayo’s life. During
World War II, Manchester was bombed heavily, but the Mayo window survived
intact. In June, Mayo Clinic patient and visitors will have an opportunity to
view the window’s artwork when an
original chalk illustration of the window, created by the internationally
recognized artist and Salford native Harold Riley, will be displayed in Heritage Hall at Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus.
There
is even a Mayo Building in England. In 2009, marking the 190th anniversary of
Dr. William Worrall Mayo’s birth, the Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, one
of Britain’s premiere medical centers, opened a facility named in his honor.
The Mayo Building provides advanced services for medical education and research
— a fitting tribute for the first Dr. Mayo, whose international outlook and
commitment to excellence helped shape Mayo Clinic.
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