Shobal Vail Clevenger Jr. facts for kids
Shobal Vail Clevenger Jr. was an American doctor who helped people with brain and mental health problems. He was born on March 24, 1843, and passed away on his birthday, March 24, 1920.
Contents
His Life Story
Early Life and Adventures
Shobal Vail Clevenger Jr. was born in Florence, Italy on March 24, 1843. His father, a sculptor named Shobal Vail Clevenger, died the same year Shobal Jr. was born.
Shobal Jr. went to school at a Jesuit college in New Orleans. Later, he graduated from the Chicago Medical College.
In 1860, he worked at a bank in St. Louis. But he soon left that job to travel to New Mexico. He even crossed the wide plains to get there!
Serving His Country
When the American Civil War began, Shobal Jr. joined the U. S. Army. He worked in the engineer corps, which means he helped build things like bridges and forts for the army. He became a first lieutenant, which is an officer rank.
After the war, he worked as a surveyor in Montana and Dakota. A surveyor measures and maps land. He even became a U. S. deputy surveyor. Later, he built the very first telegraph line through Dakota. For a while, he was also the chief engineer for the Dakota Southern Railroad.
Becoming a Doctor
In 1873, Shobal Jr. started studying medicine. He learned from army doctors at Fort Sully. At the same time, he worked as a civilian meteorologist for the U.S. Signal Service, studying the weather.
In 1879, he moved to Chicago. After finishing his medical studies, he became a specialist. This means he focused on helping people with nervous system problems and mental health issues.
He worked as a pathologist at the Chicago County Insane Asylum for several years. A pathologist studies diseases. He also advised doctors at Michael Reese Hospital and Alexian Brothers' Hospital about his specialties. Besides medicine, he taught anatomy (the study of the body's structure) at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Scientific Groups and Legacy
Shobal Clevenger was part of many scientific groups. These included the American Neurological Association, which studies the nervous system, and the American Microscopical Society, which uses microscopes to study tiny things.
He passed away on March 24, 1920, on his 77th birthday. He was buried in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.
Today, many of his important papers are kept at the National Library of Medicine.
His Books
Shobal Clevenger wrote many articles for scientific magazines. He also published several books, including:
- Treatise on Government Surveying (New York, 1874) - This book was about how to survey land for the government.
- Comparative Physiology and Psychology (Chicago, 1885) - This book compared how bodies work and how minds work.
- Lectures on Artistic Anatomy and the Sciences Useful to the Artist (New York, 1887) - This book taught artists about the human body.
- The evolution of man and his mind (Chicago, 1903) - This book explored how humans and their minds developed over time.
