The Thomas D. Dee Hospital

The Thomas D. Dee Hospital BY JOHN V. BLUTH, FIRST COUNSELOR IN THE PRESIDENCY OF THE NORTH WEBER STAKE

The Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital, at Ogden, Utah, erected a little over four years ago, has now been acquired by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through the presi- dencies of the Weber, North Weber and Ogden stakes. The hospital was erected by the widow and children of Judge Thomas D. Dee, as a monument or memorial to his memory. Ground for the building was broken July 19, 1910, and the struc- ture was completed during that year and dedicated on December

THE DEE HOSPITAL, OGDEN 29, 1910.The Dee family had incorporated under the name of the Thomas D. Dee Company, and this company donated $90,000 to- wards the erection locally, funds amounting to $8,360 were con- ;

tributed, and additional money was borrowed to equip the insti- stution according to the most modern and up-to-date requirements. New and additional equipment has been added during the past four years making the total cost about $125,000. The Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital Association was in- corporated with a board of twelve trustees, and to this associa- tion the property was conveyed, and the board has had the insti- tution in charge since that time. The institution has been prac- tically self-sustaining, but the trustees found themselves unable to liquidate the original indebtedness. After four years of effort, those in charge felt that unless some arrangement could be made

JUDGE AND MRS. THOMAS D. DEE for the payment of this debt, and provisions made for the an- nual deficit which always threatened the board when they sought to keep the hospital abreast of the times, the necessity would arise compelling them to close or convey it to some other organization. At this time the presidencies of the Weber, North Weber and Ogden stakes came to the rescue and, after consultation with the First Presidency of the Church, made a proposition to take over the hospital, clear off the indebtedness and continue the hospital for the use of the public. The proposition was accepted by the Thomas D. Dee Company, the only reservation made being that of the per- petuation of the Thomas D. Dee Memorial. The articles of in- corporation of the Hospital Association were amended to suit the new arrangement, the board of trustees was reduced to seven, the former board resigned, and the following board of trustees was nominated by the Trustee-in-Trust, of the Church, and ap- proved by the stake presidencies who had initiated the transfer of the property : Lewis W. Shurtliff, president of the Weber stake James Wotherspoon, President of the North Weber stake ;

Thomas B. Evans, President of the Ogden stake Judge Henry H. ;

Rolapp, Dr. R. S. Joyce, Wm. H. Wattis and Mrs. Maud Dee Porter. Of these, Judge Rolapp was elected president and Mrs. Porter, a daughter of Judge Dee, Secretary-Treasurer, and on April 1, 1915, the institution became a possession of the Church. The number of patients treated at the hospital during the four years since its opening to the public, shown in patient days, is as follows 1911 12,999 1912 14,156 1913 17,256 1914 15,676

682 IMl'K< iVEMENT ERA

Judge Thomas 1). IA-e, whose thrift and business ability ac- cumulated the fortune that .made it possible for his family to erect such a useful and permanent memorial as the Dee Hospital, was horn in Llanclly, Carmarthenshire, South Wales, November 10, 1844. His parents became converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1856, in their native land and in 1860 the ;

entire family emigrated to Utah, and settled in Ogden, where Judge Dee resided until his death, July 9, 1905. On April 10, 1871, he married Miss Annie Taylor, at Salt Lake City, Utah. Of this union there were born two sons and six daughters, of which seven are still living, their names being: Mrs. Richard B. Porter, Mrs. A. A. Shaw, Mrs. F. E. Higginbotham, Mrs. Edith Dee Mack, Mrs. George S. Barker, Mrs. Joseph F. Barker, and Law- rence T. Dee. Judge Dee early became identified with the business life and the educational interests of Ogden city and Weber county, and for nearly forty years was a great factor in the growth and develop- ment of his home city and county. He was one of Ogden's public-spirited men, and his whole business career was singularly free from any blemish and consequent criticism. Personally, he was a man of broad mind, liberal in his views and most loyal to his friends. His family has closely followed him in his views as shown by the manner in which they have sought to perpetuate his memory. They are to be complimented on what they have accom- plished. It is a source of congratulation that their laudable effort has not been permitted to be in vain because of financial difficul- ties, but that the hospital has been saved to the people, and the Memorial perpetuated for all time. OGDEN, UTAH

MRS. R. B. PORTER