Harvey N. Middleton facts for kids

Harvey N. Middleton (born February 15, 1895 – died March 18, 1978) was a doctor who specialized in heart conditions, known as a cardiologist. He lived and worked in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is remembered for helping black doctors get the chance to work in Indianapolis hospitals. He also did a lot of good work for his community.

Middleton was born in Denmark, South Carolina. He earned a college degree from Benedict College in 1919. He then went to medical school at Boston University and later at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He became a medical doctor in 1926. He continued his training by taking special courses at famous universities like Harvard University and the University of London.

In 1928, Middleton started working at Saint Johns Hospital in Anderson, Indiana. Around 1935, he moved to Indianapolis. There, he opened his own medical office. He also volunteered at Indianapolis General (City) Hospital's heart clinic. In 1942, he was finally accepted as a full staff member at City Hospital. He also joined the medical teams at other Indianapolis hospitals.

Middleton was a member of many important medical groups. These included the American Medical Association and the American Heart Association. He also wrote several articles about heart health for medical journals. Beyond his medical work, he was very active in community service. He held leadership roles in the YMCA and helped raise money for the United Negro College Fund.

Early Life and Education

Harvey Nathaniel Middleton was born on February 15, 1895, in Denmark, South Carolina. He earned his first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1919.

Middleton later shared that when he was young, he noticed that black people often received "inferior medical treatment." This experience made him decide to become a doctor. To save money for medical school, he worked briefly as a Pullman car porter in the summer of 1919. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War I.

He continued his studies at Boston University from 1920 to 1922. Then, in 1923, he moved to Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his medical degree (M.D.) from Meharry Medical College in 1926. Because he was very interested in heart diseases and electrocardiography (which uses machines to check heart activity), he kept learning. He took special courses at Harvard University in Boston, the University of London in England, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago.

Medical Career

After finishing medical school, Middleton briefly practiced medicine in Springfield, Tennessee, in 1928. He then moved to Anderson, Indiana, where he joined the staff at Saint Johns Hospital.

Around 1935, Middleton moved to Indianapolis. He tried to get a job at Indianapolis General (City) Hospital, but he was not successful at first. So, he opened his own private medical office in Indianapolis. In his practice, he performed electrocardiograms and focused on treating irregular heartbeats. He also volunteered his time at City Hospital's outpatient heart clinic on Saturdays. Finally, in 1942, he became a full member of the hospital staff. City Hospital was later renamed Wishard Memorial Hospital in 1975. A new hospital, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital, replaced it in 2013.

Middleton also joined the medical teams at other Indianapolis hospitals. These included Saint Vincent, Methodist, Community, and Winona hospitals. He also worked with the Lilly Research Division at City Hospital. One of his articles, "Phonocardiograph Studies on Heart Disease," was published in a medical journal in 1943. It was based on the patient cases he saw in Indianapolis.

Middleton was a member of many important medical groups. These included the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association. He wrote several articles about heart conditions for medical journals. He also served as the general secretary of the Hoosier State Medical Society from 1953 to 1958.

Personal Life

Harvey Middleton married Easter Goodnight in 1947. They had four children together: three daughters named Zenobia, Ettra Marie, and Brenda Pandora, and one son named Harvey N. Jr.

Community Service

Middleton was a very active leader in his community. He volunteered his time for many charitable and social groups in Indianapolis. He was especially known for his leadership roles in the Indianapolis YMCA. In 1929, he joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a group that works for equal rights.

When he lived in Anderson, Indiana, he was a local Boy Scout leader. He also got involved with the National Negro Health Week, which promoted health awareness in black communities. After moving to Indianapolis in 1942, Middleton became the main chairman for National Negro Health Week.

Middleton was involved with the YMCA for over fifty years. He was especially dedicated to the Indianapolis Senate Avenue YMCA and its newer location, the Fall Creek Parkway YMCA. He joined the Senate Avenue YMCA board in 1945. He also led their membership campaigns in 1938 and 1947. In 1951, he became the president of the Senate Avenue YMCA. He played a big part in raising money for a new YMCA branch, which opened on Fall Creek Parkway in 1959. Middleton later became the chairman of the Fall Creek Parkway YMCA. He also served on state-level YMCA committees and was a member of the national council. In 1955, Middleton and his family traveled to Paris, France. There, he was a representative at the International YMCA Conference.

Besides his work with the YMCA, Middleton was involved with the United Negro College Fund. He helped lead their fundraising campaign in Indiana from 1950 to 1951. He also stayed connected with his medical school, Meharry Medical College. He served as a class agent for five years and helped organize his class's 50th reunion in 1976. He was also active in the Zeta Phi chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and was a member of the Mount Paran Baptist Church in Indianapolis.

Death and Legacy

Harvey N. Middleton passed away on March 18, 1978, at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. His funeral services were held on March 23, 1978, at the Mount Paran Baptist Church in Indianapolis. He is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis.

The Indiana Historical Society honored Middleton by recreating his 1939 medical office. This display was part of their "You Are There" exhibitions at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.

Honors and Awards

• Inducted into the Indiana State Medical Association's 50-Year Club in 1976.
• Named Man of the Year by the Fall Creek YMCA in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1977.

Works

Middleton wrote several articles that were published in medical journals:

• "True Congenital Dextrocardia with Situs Inversus Corroborated by Electrocardiographic and X-Ray Findings", Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association (October 1937)
• "Phonocardiograph Studies on Heart Disease", Journal of the National Medical Association (July 1943)
• "The Electrocardiographic Diagnosis and Treatment in Recent Coronary Occlusion", Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association (February 1943)
• "Diagnoisis and Prognosis of Bundle-Branch Block", Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association (February 1945)
• "Electrocariographic Studies of Gunshot and Stab Wounds of the Heart", American Heart Journal (December 1947)
• "Electrocardiographic Diagnosis and Prognosis of Recent Coronary Thrombosis or Occlusion", Journal of the Indiana State Medical Association (July 1947)
• "The Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Arrhythmias", Journal of the National Medical Association (March 1949)
• "The Value of the Electrocardiogram in Digitalis Therapy", Annual Bulletin of the Hoosier State Medical Association (August 1954)