John M. Watson (1796-1866) biographical file

Collection

Identifier: EBL-0927

Staff Only

Abstract

File contains biographical sketches including photocopies from The Centennial History of the Tennessee State Medical Association,Southern Practitioner Journal, and Nashville Journal of Medicine and Surgery,

Dates

1876 - 1930

Notes about Access to this Collection

All collections are subject to applicable VUMC privacy and confidentiality policies.

Reproduction Rights

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Historical or Biographical Note

Dr. John McClaran Watson served as one of the founding professors of the Medical Department of the University of Nashville in 1850 where he held the chair of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children. He was born November 20, 1798 in Wentworth, Rockingham County, North Carolina son of Peter and Elizabeth Watson. Following the death of his father, he moved as a child with his mother to Williamson, County, and Tennessee. He trained with Dr. David Housack in New York and received his medical degree from Columbia University in 1823. He practiced for a time in Williamson County and later Murfreesboro, TN before relocating to Nashville in 1850. In 1851, he was elected as president of the Medical Society of Tennessee. Well regarded by his profession, he was a frequent contributor to the Nashville Journal of Medicine and Surgery. He was also known for his devotion and service as a preacher in the Primitive Baptist Church. He died of stomach cancer September 19, 1866 in Nashville.