Dr. Bourland, Sr. was born in Hannibal,
Missouri. He took a B.A. degree from Baylor University
in Waco in 1891 and earned his M.D. degree at the
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
in 1895. He served an internship at the Elizabeth
General Hospital in New Jersey and a residency in
the Obstetrical Department of the New York Infant
Asylum.
He began practice as a general practitioner in 1897
in Dallas where his father was the Pastor of the First
Methodist Church. Dr. Bourland later served on the
Board of Stewards of this church for over 20 years.
Mrs. Bourland was the daughter of Judge John Bookout,
a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas.
Two of their sons, Drs. Wilbur, Jr. and John were
associated with their father in the practice of Obstetrics
and Gynecology and became partners in the Dallas Medical
and Surgical Clinic.
On the professional side, although Dr. Bourland began
as a general practitioner, in about 1915, he became
one of the first Dallas physicians to confine his
work to gynecology and obstetrics. It was in the latter
field that he achieved a deservedly notable reputation.
His personality – calm, low key, and confident
– was ideally adapted. Early on, he developed
a prototype of what was to become the sorely needed
incubator for premature infants. During his long career,
Dr. Bourland delivered several generations of the
most prominent families in Dallas.
Dr. Bourland was an early President of the Dallas
County Medical Society. He had the distinction of
being a Professor of Obstetrics at 4 different medical
schools in the area: the original Southwestern, SMU,
Baylor, and the Southwestern of today. For many years,
Dr. Bourland served on the 5-person Board of Managers
of Parkland Hospital, its governing body. Other posts
included President of the St. Paul medical staff and
the Texas Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology
as well as being a Founding Member of the American
Board in his specialty and the Central Association
of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Bourland joined
the Dallas Medical and Surgical Clinic in its move
to Live Oak and Haskell in 1922 and was one of its
most distinguished staff members until his retirement
in 1954. He was revered by his patients and respected
by his colleagues.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Bourland had considerable
financial acumen. It was said that one could tell
the state of the economy and the closing price of
U.S. Steel on the stock market by the spring in Dr.
Bourland’s gait as he came to work. In his later
years, he took up oil painting, in which he had more
than a little talent. His work was exhibited in several
galleries.
Dr. Bourland died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage
in his 87th year as he was leaving a family dinner.
He had been engaged in the active practice of medicine
for well over half a century.
Excerpted from The
Dallas Medical & Surgical Clinic by Harry M. Spence,
M.D.
