Dr. Doolittle was born in Ohio
in 1877, received his Bachelor’s degree from
Oberlin College, and obtained his M.D. from the University
of Michigan in 1902. He served as an intern at the
Northern Pacific Railroad Hospital at Brainerd, Minnesota
for a couple of years and then, for a year, was one
of the early Fellows of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota, where he formed lasting friendships
with Drs. Will and Charles Mayo, Starr Judd, and other
surgical greats of that era. He came to Dallas in
1905 to join Dr. C.M. Rosser, whom he had met on one
of the latter’s frequent visits to the Mayo
Clinic. Dr. Doolittle had a strong independent personality,
much like that of Dr. Rosser, from whom he soon departed.
This was followed by a partnership with Dr. R.W. Baird,
which eventuated in the formation of the Dallas Medical
and Surgical Clinic in 1922.
Dr. Doolittle was an excellent technical surgeon who
recognized the principles of gently handling tissues,
meticulous hemastasis, and what was becoming known
as the physiologic approach to surgery. However, it
was his superb judgment that set him apart from his
contemporaries. He knew when to and when not to operate.
At a time when there were no antibiotics, blood transfusion
a rarity, anesthesia crude, and a premium placed on
speed, he achieved remarkable results in what even
today would be considered complicated cases. He could
be bold but shunned showmanship and unnecessary maneuvers.
Baylor College of Medicine was in its formative years
when Dr. Doolittle appeared on the surgical scene,
first as Professor of Anatomy and later as Professor
of Surgery. For many years, he was Chief of Surgery
at Baylor Hospital. He did much teaching of medical
students and house officers, who were just beginning
to appear locally. After Baylor Medical School moved
to Houston in 1943, he was given the title of Emeritus
Professor of Clinical Surgery at Southwestern Medical
College before it was absorbed by the University of
Texas system.
He was an organizer and early President (1925) of
the Texas Surgical Society, which was formed in 1915.
He also was a founding member of the American College
of Surgeons and served on the local screening committee
where he did much to see that only bona fide, well-qualified
surgeons were admitted to the Fellowship. In 1932,
he became a Founding Member of the newly organized
American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Doolittle’s reputation as the outstanding
surgeon in this part of the state did much to further
the embryonic Dallas Medical and Surgical Clinic.
He participated actively in the organizational, as
well as the professional aspect of the group until
his death.
Dr. Doolittle had diabetes for a number of years,
but by leading an orderly, disciplined life, he got
along surprisingly well. He died at the age of 73
in the clinic hospital of cardiovascular complications
of the disease.
On the non-medical side, Dr. Doolittle was a good
business man and, for many years, served on the Board
of Directors of the Republic National Bank, in which
he was a substantial stockholder. He was a voracious
reader with tastes ranging from detective stories
to weighty historical tomes.
The resolution passed by the partnership of the Dallas
Medical and Surgical Clinic after his death is as
follows:
