Library Collections: Visual Still: Enlargement

Page 2: Photographs of "Edgar F. Allen" and the "Gates Hospital for Crippled Children - 1915" Page 3: "Why the Rotary?" explains the need for and founding of the Ohio Society for Crippled Children



Visual Still Information

Title: Why Rotary?
From: Care Of The Crippled Child
Original caption: Edgar Allen
Gates Hospital for Crippled Children -- 1915
Why Rotary?
A brand new hospital -- "Gates" -- doors open, staff ready to give care -- but few patients!. . .
There was need but why didn't the parents bring their children for treatment?. . .
It may have been a false sense of shame, or guilt, on the part of many parents; too many crippled children were "hidden" in those days. . .
It may have been a lack of funds (even at $1.00 per day for care!). . .
It may have been doubt. . .lack of knowledge of this source of help. . .
Whatever it was, Edgar Allen, who joined Rotary in 1919, felt that something should be done about it, and that Elyria Rotarians could help. . .
What was needed, he felt, was some organization to "span the gulf between the parents and the hospital". . .
In April 1919, with the encouragement of Sam Squire (Charter Member -- Elyria Rotary), Rotarians from Elyria, Cleveland and Toledo formed the "Ohio Society for Crippled Children", composed entirely, at the time, of Rotarians. . .
By the end of 1919 the Ohio State Legislature had passed the "Comings Bill" (submitted by William R. Comings, superintendant of schools in Elyria), providing for hospital care for Crippled Children.
Creator: n/a
Date: 1973
Publisher: Elyria Rotary Club
Source: Elyria Rotary Archives