American Men and Women in Medicine, Applied Sciences and Engineering with Roots in Czechoslovakia: Practitioners - Educators - Specialists - Researchers

By Miloslav Rechcigl Jr.

No comprehensive study has been undertaken about the American learned men and women with Czechoslovak roots. The aim of this work is to correct this glaring deficiency, with the focus on men and women in medicine, applied sciences and engineering. It covers immigration from the period of mass migration and beyond, irrespective whether they were born in their European ancestral homes or whether they have descended from them.
This compendium clearly demonstrates the Czech and Slovak immigrants, including Bohemian Jews, have brought to the New World, in these areas, their talents, their ingenuity, the technical skills, their scientific knowhow, as well as their humanistic and spiritual upbringing, reflecting upon the richness of their culture and traditions, developed throughout centuries in their ancestral home. This accounts for their remarkable success and achievements of theses settlers in the New World, transcending through their descendants, as this publication demonstrates.
The monograph has been organized into sections by subject areas, i.e., Medicine, Allied Health Sciences and Social Services, Agricultural and Food Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Each individual entry is usually accompanied with literature, and additional biographical sources for readers who wish to pursue a deeper study. The selection of individuals has been strictly based on geographical vantage, without regards to their native language or ethnical background. Some of the entries may surprise you, because their Czech or Slovak ancestry has not been generally known. What is conspicuous is a large percentage of listed individuals being Jewish, which is a reflection of high-level of education and intellect of Bohemian Jews. A prodigious number of accomplished women in this study is also astounding, considering that, in the 19th century, they rarely had careers and most professions refused entry to them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665514972

Miloslav Rechcigl Jr.

Míla Rechcigl, as he likes to be called, is a versatile person with many talents, a man of science and organization professionally, and Renaissance man by breadth of his knowledge and scholarly interests. Born in Czechoslovakia to a son of the youngest member of the Czechoslovak Parliament, he spent the War years under Nazi occupation and after the Communist’s coup d’état escaped to the West and immigrated to the US. He received training as biochemist at Cornell University and later served as a research biochemist at NIH. Following his additional training he became a science administrator, first at the DHEW and later at US Department of State and AID. Apart from his scientific and science administrative pursuits, he served as an editor of several scientific series and authored more than thirty books and handbooks. Beyond that, he is considered an authority on immigration history, on which subject he had written extensively. He was also one of the founders of the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU) and for many years served as its President.

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2021 Miloslav Rechcigl, Jr. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/28/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1498-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-1497-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021901850

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

In affection, to my devoted wife Eva,

loving children Karen and Jack,

adorable grandchildren Kristin, Paul, Lindsey, Kevin and Greg,

dear daughter-in-law Nancy

and

in memory of our beloved parents

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Prologue

I Medicine

A. Pioneer Physicians

B. Allergists

C. Anesthesiologists

D. Cardiologists

E. Chiropractors

F. Dentists

G. Dermatologists

H. Emergency Medicine Specialists

I. Environmental & Occupational Physicians

J. Family Physicians & General Practitioners

K. Gastroenterologists

L. Geriatricians

M. Gynecologists & Obstetricians

N. Homeopaths & Naturopaths & Osteopaths

O. Internists

P. Nephrologists

Q. Neurologists & Neurosurgeons

R. Oncologists

S. Ophthalmologists

T. Orthopedists

U. Otorhinolaryngologists

V. Pediatricians

W. Physical Medicine, Sports & Rehabilitation Specialists

X. Podiatrists

Y. Preventive Medicine Specialists

Z. Psychiatrists

ZA. Pulmonologists

ZB. Radiologists

ZC. Rheumatologists

ZD. Surgeons

ZE. Urologists

II Allied Health Sciences And Social Services

A. Bioethicists

B. Clinical Psychologists

C. Dieticians

D. Environmental Health & Occupational Safety Specialists

E. Epidemiologists

F. Family & Consumer Scientists

G. Forensic Scientists

H. Gerontologists

I. Health Administrators

J. Neuroscientists

K. Nurses

L. Optometrists

M. Pharmacists

N. Physical Educators

O. Physical Therapists

P. Physician Assistants

Q. Public Health Specialists

R. Social Workers

III Agriculture And Food Science

A. Agronomists & Soil Scientists

B. Animal Scientists

C. Entomologists

D. Ichthyologists & Aquatic Biologists

E. Food Scientists & Food Technologists

F. Forestry Scientists

G. Horticulturists

H. Plant Breeders & Geneticists

I. Plant Nutritionists & Physiologists

J. Plant Biochemists

K. Plant Pathologists

L. Veterinary Scientists

IV Earth And Environmental Science

A. Atmospheric Scientists

B. Ecologists

C. Geodesists

D. Geologists

E. Hydrologists

F. Meteorologists

G. Oceanographers & Limnologists

H. Paleontologists & Geobiologists

I. Petrologists & Petrographers

J. Volcanologists

V Engineering

A. Acoustical Engineers

B. Aeronautical Engineers

C. Agricultural Engineers

D. Architectural Engineers

E. Bioengineers

F. Chemical Engineers

G. Civil Engineers

H. Computer Scientists & Engineers

I. Electrical & Electronic Engineers

J. Environmental Engineers

K. Industrial Engineers

L. Mastering Engineers

M. Materials Science Engineers

N. Mechanical Engineers

O. Metallurgical Engineers

P. Mining Engineers

R. Nuclear Engineers

S. Sanitary Engineers

T. Systems & Reliability Engineers

U. Water Resource Engineers

Abbreviations To Frequent References

Other Abbreviations And Acronyms

FOREWORD

This monograph provides another incredible compendium of the vast and truly outstanding learned American men and women in medicine, applied sciences and engineering with Czechoslovak roots. In reviewing this compilation one can only be amazed and exceedingly proud. Dr. Mila Rechcigl has again provided for the world a reference text that can be used by scholars, students, and individuals interested in knowing about the incredulous contributions of Czechoslovak learned men and women that have impacted almost every sector of life. In an earlier monograph, Dr. Rechcigl presented a compendium focused on scholars and social and natural scientists entitled, American Learned Men and Women with Czechoslovak Roots. Intellectuals – Scholars and Scientists who Made a Difference. (Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2020)

As I reviewed this monograph from the eyes of a 4 th generation Czechoslovak born in the United States, I was filled with pride. I was reminded about my ancestors, and the scores of other immigrants who arrived in America over 150 years ago. Their determination, struggles, and hardships paved the way for thousands of other Czechoslovaks who would come to the United States throughout the 20 th century. Czechoslovaks, including Bohemian Jews, who came to the United States were well suited to assimilate into American society. A large proportion of the nineteenth and twentieth century Czechoslovak immigrants were educated, much in part due to educational policies of the Austrian regime that made education compulsory to age 14 years throughout Bohemia and Moravia. Also, important to note is that these immigrants brought with them to American a love for liberty and social equality that influenced so many of the significant contributions that you will see in this monograph.

The influence of education throughout the region was always a golden thread woven throughout the lives of the people who came from the region that we know of today as the Czech and Slovak Republics. Charles University in Prague founded in 1346 is the oldest university in Central Europe. Czechoslovak immigrants brought to America this love for learning and a passion to become socially, scientifically, academically, artistically, and politically active and to make a real difference in the world. Their influence was, and continues to be, integrated throughout American society.

It is no easy task to compile such a listing of Learned Men and Women with Czechoslovak Roots. This monograph serves as a foundation for future research on Czech and Slovak individuals and the impacts of their work from past, present, and future contexts. As one thoroughly reviews this book, one comes away with a sense of amazement and pride on the myriad of contributions in so many disciplines that affect everyone in some way during a lifetime. Another important message this monograph provides is the recognition of the Czechoslovak footprint throughout America. It is so important for Czech and Slovak Americans to connect to their culture, to preserve it, and to share and celebrate it. We pass on to children traditions and stories from the past. It is equally important to pass on to children and for all generations the stories of these great learned men and women with Czechoslovak roots. If we are of Czechoslovak heritage, we should never forget it. We should strive to preserve it and pass it on for future generations. If we are not Czech or Slovak, we can learn so much from these great men and women and we can pass it on and learn from it. The region of what is now the Czech and Slovak Republics is so small but the contributions of those who came from there and from those who have ancestral ties are so great.

I hope that everyone who reads this monograph will take inspiration from it. May we see each day as one filled with opportunities to make an impactful difference and challenges to overcome to make a better world for everyone. Considering this wonderful resource compiled by Dr. Rechcigl, the words of John Amos Comenius (1592-1670), the father of modern education from Moravia, seem most appropriate:

"If we examine ourselves, we see that our faculties grow in such a manner

that what goes before paves the way for what comes after."

Cecilia Rokusek, Ed.D., M.Sc., RDN

President and CEO

National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library

PREFACE

As pointed out in my earlier publication, ¹ no comprehensive study has been undertaken about the American Learned Men and Women with Czechoslovak roots. The aim of this work is to correct this glaring deficiency, with the focus on immigration from the period of mass migration and beyond, irrespective whether they were born in their European ancestral homes or whether they have descended from them. Whereas in the mentioned earlier monograph, the emphasis has been on Scholars and Social and Natural Scientists, the present compendium deals with Men and Women in Medicine, Applied Sciences and Engineering.

Just as in the previous work, Czech and Slovak immigrants, including Bohemian Jews, have brought, in these areas, to the New World their talents, their ingenuity, the technical skills, their scientific knowhow, as well as their humanistic and spiritual upbringing, reflecting upon the richness of their culture and traditions, developed throughout centuries in their ancestral home. This accounts for their remarkable success and achievements of theses settlers in the New World, transcending through their descendants, as this publication demonstrates.

This monograph has been organized into sections by subject areas, i.e., Medicine, Allied Health Sciences and Social Services, Agricultural and Food Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Each individual entry is usually accompanied with literature, and additional biographical sources for readers who wish to pursue a deeper study. The selection of individuals has been strictly based on geographical vantage, without regards to their native language or ethnical background.

Some of the entries may surprise you, because their Czech or Slovak ancestry has not been generally known. What is conspicuous is a large percentage of listed individuals being Jewish, which is a reflection of high-level of education and intellect of Bohemian Jews. A prodigious number of accomplished women in this study is also astounding, considering that, in the 19th century, they rarely had careers and most professions refused entry to them.

PROLOGUE

Very few people are cognizant of the fact that the earliest Czech immigration to the New World commenced with scientists and technically-trained individuals, from, the then ancient Kingdom of Bohemia.²

First Czech Colonists and Immigrants in the New World - All evidence seems to indicate that the first visitors from the Czechlands to the Western Hemisphere were sent there because of their particular technical or scientific skills. This was the case of the Jáchymov miners, employed by the banking house of the Welser family, who were dispatched, before 1528, to Little Napes (the present Venezuela) in order to establish silver mines there.³

Latin America was opened for missionary work to Bohemian Jesuits in the second half of the 17th century. At least half of these missionaries were skilled craftsmen or members of learned professions, including scientists.⁴ The most important among them was Valentin Stansel (1621-1705), professor of rhetoric and mathematics at Olomouc and Prague. In 1656, he came to Brazil, where he was attached to Jesuit College and Seminary of San Salvador (Bahia) and where he filled the position of Professor of Moral Theology and later that of Superior of the College. He was an astronomer of note who made extensive observations, particularly on comets, the results of which were published under his assumed name of ‘Estancel.’⁵

The first documented instance of a Bohemian setting foot on North American shores is that of Joachim Gans of Prague, who came to Roanoke, North Carolina in 1585, with the expedition organized by Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618). Gans was a scientist of note and a metallurgist who mastered the skills of dressing and smelting copper.’ Master Youngham,’ as he was affectionally called by the English, was held in considerable esteem by his fellow colonists, which is not surprising, considering his extraordinary knowledge of metallurgy and the fact that one of the goals of the expedition was to search for exploitable deposits of precious metals.⁶

Interestingly, the first Bohemian, who permanently settled in America, was also an individual of scientific training and background. He was Augustine Heřman (1621-1686), who, by his own account, was a native of Prague, who, for sentimental reasons, always signed his name as Augustine Herman Bohemiensis. He was a surveyor and skilled draftsman, successful planter and developer of new lands and shrewd and enterprising merchant, a bold politician and eloquent and effective diplomat, fluent in a number of languages. One of his greatest achievements was his celebrated map of Maryland and Virginia, commissioned by Lord Baltimore, which took ten years to complete. Lord Baltimore was so pleased with the map that he rewarded Herman with a large estate, named by Herman, ‘Bohemia Manor,’ and also the hereditary title ‘Lord.’⁷

The last pioneer to be mentioned here was a bona fide scientist, Thaddaeus Haenke (1761-1817), a native of Chřibská, Bohemia. This noted botanist and explorer made numerous trips along the coast of South America, Central America, and North America, as far as Alaska. From 1789 to 1794, he also sailed, across the Pacific to the Marianas, the Philippines, the east coast of Australia and Tonga Archipelago to Callao (1789-94). He commenced to cross South America from Lima, Peru to Buenos Aires, Argentina and settled in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in 1796. He collected flora in Guam, explored regions in internal South America, collected and described plants and their significance to agriculture, medicine and technology in Cochabamba and was initiator of the Chilean saltpeter industry (potassium nitrate).⁸

The first significant wave of Czech immigrants to America was that of Moravian Brethren who began arriving there in the first half of the eighteenth century. They became not only successful farmers in their new country, but they became known throughout the land as skillful tradesmen, including blacksmithing, carpentry, and pottery making. Most of them acquired their technical knowhow and skills in their native land which may have been a precondition for their immigration to America, to be ready for their missionary work. They became known for making some of the finest products available in the colonies. Additionally, the Brethren’s boarding schools and academies were recognized for providing the highest quality education, for both girls and boys.⁹

Czech Scientific, Technical, Scholarly and Spiritual Tradition - People knowledgeable of Czech history would readily recognize that these pioneering efforts of Czech immigrants were the reflection of the Czech culture and traditions, developed throughout centuries in their ancestral home. The industrial nature, skill, workmanship, and precision were attributes that made the Czech tradesmen famous throughout Europe. To become a tradesman or craftsman required on the job training, schooling, as well as apprenticeship with a master tradesman or craftsman and usually several years of experience abroad. Until 1859, craftsmen and artisans in the Czechlands were organized in guilds (cechy) which enjoyed special privileges.¹⁰

As for science, Czechs have had a long tradition in this area, just as Czech scholarship, and their education.¹¹ One of the chief characteristics of science is its universality.¹² Just as with music, whose universal nature has made Czechoslovakia famous throughout the world, similarly, the universality of science accounts for at least some of the accomplishments Czechs have made in this area, in spite of all obstacles they have encountered throughout their turbulent history.¹³

From the 12th to the 14th centuries, their capital city Prague was the alchemical and mystical center of Europe. Situated equidistant between Eastern and Western Europe, situated strategically between Rome, Paris, and Constantinople, it was considered the ‘heart of the continent.’ It was here that Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, and the King of Bohemia of the new Luxembourg dynasty, made his home, growing it into the third largest city in Europe at the time. Their famous Charles University which bears Charles IV’s name, was established in 1348, being the first university in Central Europe.

Apart from alchemy, it was astronomy that made Prague famous. It was there, where the canon of Vyšehrad recorded in the first half of the 12th century into his chronicle some observed astronomical and meteorological observations. Centuries later, Johannes Kepler’s astronomical findings in Prague have reached a starry fame in his treatise Somnium se De astronomia Lunari.¹⁴ Even before Kepler, a prominent Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe moved to the Imperial Bohemian Court in 1599 whose work in developing astronomical instruments and in measuring and fixing the positions of stars paved the way for future discoveries.¹⁵

As for their technical knowhow in the Czechlands, that was not limited to their skillful tradesmen and artisans. Czech engineers have had a world-wide reputation. At the higher education level, the Czech Technical University in Prague was the oldest technical university in the world, dating back to 1707.¹⁶

Among technical fields, two areas deserve mentioning, mining and metallurgy, which were suited for a country rich in gold, silver, and other precious metals. The famous silver mines in Kutná Hora and later the Jáchymov mines had become renowned for their silver pieces coined there. In fact, the American word ‘dollar’ has its origin in the famous Jáchymov ‘thaller. Early Bohemians pioneered new scientific approaches to agriculture, brewing and aquaculture, which were the envy of other nations. Typified by German saying Schäfereien, Bräuhauser and Teich machen die böhmischen Herren reich." Industry in the Czechlands, generally, has had a world-wide reputation and, even under the Habsburg domination, Bohemia was the heart and the power house of the Austrian Empire, which could not have lasted without its existence.

It was not just scientific and technical tradition the people in the Czechlands possessed, it was also their humanistic, scholarly, pedagogical, and spiritual tradition, woven with democratic and moral ideology they endured. The famed Jan Amos Komenský (John Amos Comenius) (1592-1670)) was a best personification of that. This eminent Czech philosopher, pedagogue and theologian is considered the father of modern education. He served as the last Bishop of the Unity of the Brethren before becoming a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica Magna. As an educator and theologian, he led schools and advised governments across Protestant Europe through the middle of the seventeenth century. Comenius was a man ahead of his time. Many of his ideas such as integrated learning, collaborative teaching, and the concept of developing the life-long learner are part modern day pedagogy in teacher-training programs. He also believed that the teacher is essential to the education process and needs to be respected and justly compensated. Most of his ideas were not well received during his lifetime and were not universally accepted. He also wrote some of the first texts containing illustrations.

Comenius was, in effect, the culmination of the Renaissance and Reformation movements, many of which had their beginnings in Bohemia, due to the efforts of Jan Hus, a Czech theologian and philosopher, who became a church reformer and inspirer of Hussitism, a key predecessor of Protestantism and seminal figure in the Bohemian Reformation. He promulgated his ideas, way before Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli. In 1415, he was burned at the stake for heresy against the doctrines of the Catholic Church.¹⁷

Czech eminent philosopher Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), the future President of the Czechoslovakia, has gone further, adding humanity to the heritage of the Czech Reformation, pointing out that the former should be understood in religious context. "Humanity is our national task, elaborated and handed down to us by our Unitas fratrum. The ideal of humanity is the full meaning of our national life." ¹⁸

Mass Migration to America - With the onset of mass migration from the Czechlands to the US, in the middle of the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of immigrants came to seek better economic conditions and greater political freedom or to escape conscription into the Austrian army. Most of these were immigrants of humble origins and limited schooling who had to perform menial jobs to support their families. Being of the ‘old school,’ they believed in the importance of education and put much of their savings into educating their children. It is not surprising to find a relatively large number of college graduates among the first generation Czech Americans, some of whom attained prominence in various fields of human endeavor, including the sciences. The number of learned people dramatically increased in the following generations.¹⁹

As for the Slovaks, their mass migration began some 25 years later, although a few individuals from Slovakia appeared in America earlier.²⁰

Mass migration of Czechs and Slovaks to the US practically stopped after the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1918 and the advent Congressional restriction of immigration in the mid-1920s. A renewed emigration from the Czechlands was precipitated by the Nazi occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938 and the rest of Bohemia and Moravia in March 1939. Another large exodus of refugees occurred after the communist coup in 1948. Still another arrived in 1968 and 1969, when Soviet forces crushed the liberalized Dubček regime. These last three waves of immigration were largely political and included a high proportion of professionals and intellectuals. At that time, some of the best Czech and Slovak scientists and engineers came to America, where they continued their distinguished careers, with relative ease.²¹

Learned America Men and Women with Czechoslovak Roots - Apart from a few articles, no comprehensive study has been written about the learned men and women in America with Czechoslovak roots.²² That’s what this compendium is all about, with the focus on immigration from the period of mass migration and beyond, irrespective whether they were born in their European ancestral homes or whether they have descended from them. This publication is a sequel to the brilliant vanguard efforts of the early scientists and technically-trained individuals, discussed above, bringing the endeavors of their learned successors up to date, be they scientists, scholars, or educators.

Czech immigrants have brought their talents, their ingenuity, their technical skills, their scientific knowhow, and their humanistic and spiritual upbringing, their enthusiasm and perseverance to the New World which accounts for the remarkable success and achievements of the

Pioneer settlers in their new homeland. Their descendants inherited all these traits and maintained the historic traditions of their ancestors.

As for the coverage, Slovak Americans are also included here, considering that many of them were raised and trained during the era of the Czechoslovak Republic and, beyond that, despite their nationalistic tendencies, a number of them preferred to be known as Czechoslovaks rather than Slovaks. Considering that the Slovaks lived under the Hungarian domination for most of their turbulent history, some 1000 years, it is nothing but astonishing that they were completely emancipated during the short duration of the First Czechoslovak Republic (1918-1938).

Bohemian Jews have frequently been omitted in much of the ethnic literature. As the reader will note, they have constituted a formidable part among of the American learned men and women of Czechoslovak ancestry. Frankly, more often than not, they overshadowed the other population groups in their achievements.

Learned American women of Czechoslovak ancestry, who are properly represented here, as they should be, would hardly be found in the midst of the 19th century America. In the early days, it was not dignified for women to work outside their home. The upper-class and middle-class women were, in fact, not expected to earn their own living. It was virtually impossible for women to become doctors, scientists, engineers, architects or even accountants. Apart from prejudice which may have been held against them, the fact that they were not admitted to colleges and other institutions of higher learning, was undoubtedly the major cause.

Before the colleges and universities opened their doors to them, which in some Ivy League schools did not occur until after the midst of the second half of the 20th century, women were necessarily self-educated or taught at home by private tutors. Once the colleges permitted their entry, it did not take long for women to start filling professions that have not been accessible to them before, such as medicine and law. Simultaneously, they began entering practically every field of higher learning - humanities, social sciences, and biological and physical sciences, engineering as well as entrepreneurship. This compendium demonstrates that many of them became prominent in their field, some clearly achieving distinction and attaining success above their fellow men. This is truly remarkable, considering that this happened within one generation.

The selection of individuals was strictly based on geographical ground, without regards to their native language or ethical background. This was because under the Habsburg rule the official language was German and any nationalistic aspirations were not tolerated. Consequently, it would be virtually impossible to determine their innate ethnic roots or how the respective individuals felt. Doing it in any other way would be mere guessing, and, thus, less objective.

This monograph has been organized into sections by subject areas, i.e., Medicine, Allied Health Sciences and Social Services, Agricultural and Food Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Engineering. The most prevalent area among these learned men and women is Medicine, followed by Engineering. Then comes Allied Health Sciences and Social Services. Least numerous is the area of Earth and Environmental Sciences, followed neck and neck by the area of Agricultural and Food Science. However the differences among the latter are not significant.

Each individual entry is usually accompanied with literature, and additional biographical sources for readers who wish to pursue a deeper study.

Bird’s Eye View of the Listings - A number of listed individuals may surprise you, because their Czech or Slovak ancestry has not been generally known. Some illustrative examples of selected individuals in various areas are given below.

Medicine

The oldest Bohemian physician in America, was a dentist Elias Wolin (aft. 1710-?), referred to, by now, an archaic term, as chirurgeon (surgeon), who had his practice in New York City in 1740. The second oldest physician of Czech extraction was probably Samuel Shober (1761-1797), a Moravian Brother, who was an eminent physician in Pennsylvania.

Among the legendary Augustine Heřman’s descendants was George Edward Mitchell (1781-1832) who had practiced medicine in Elkton, MD and served in the War of 1812 and later becoming a noted politician, having been elected to the 18th and 19th Congresses.

Among the early physicians was also Constantine Hering (orig. Hrinka) (1800-1880), of Olschatz, Saxony, of Moravian ancestry, who is considered an early pioneer of homeopathy in the US.

William Taussig (1826-1913) from Prague, Bohemia, who received initial training in medicine and chemistry in Prague, settled in St. Louis and started a medical practice, after attending additional lectures at Pope Medical College. During the cholera epidemic in 1849, he served the city as assistant physician and apothecary at quarantine.

Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch (1837-1905), b. Prague, Bohemia, was a physician who was best known as the personal physician of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and the inventor of the blood pressure meter (also known as sphygmomanometer).

Arpad G. C. Gerster (1848-), b. Košice, a surgeon, was a pioneer in the use of aseptic and antiseptic methods. Gerster’s book The Rules of Aseptic and Antiseptic Surgery was published, published in 1888,was the first book published in the United States on the subject

Carl Koller (1857-1944) of Sušice, Bohemia, an ophthalmologist by training, introduced cocaine as a local anesthetic for eye surgery.

Olga Sadilek Stastny (1878-1952), a native of Wilber, NE, whose parents hailed from Bohemia, an obstetrician by training, among other, assisted with refugee health care during a typhus epidemic in Greece. for which she received the Cross of St. George.

Arthur Steindler (1878-1959), of Kraslice, Bohemia, became very influential in the development of orthopedics during the twentieth century.

Milton C. Winternitz (1885-1959), b. Baltimore, MD, of Czech immigrant doctor, was a physician and pathologist. As its first Dean (1925-35), he laid the foundation of the modern School of Medicine at Yale University.

Helen Brooke Taussig (1898-1986), a native of Cambridge, MA, of Bohemian ancestry, considered the founder of pediatric cardiologist, is credited with developing the concept for a procedure that would extend thousands of lives of children suffering from blue baby syndrome.

Stanislav Grof (1931-), from Prague, Czech., is a noted Czech American psychiatrist. He is one of the founders of the field of transpersonal psychology and a researcher in the use of non-ordinary states of consciousness for purposes of exploring, healing, and obtaining growth and insights into the human psyche.

Suzanne Oparil (1941-), raised on a dairy farm in Elmira, NY, became a clinical cardiologist of note and Distinguished Professor of Medicine T Alabama-Birmingham Medical School. She served as the President of the American Heart Association, the American Society of Hypertension, and the American Federation for Medical Research.

George J. Hrůza (1956-), a native of Prague, Czech., is a noted dermatologist, currently a Professor of Dermatology at Washington University, St. Louis. Among other, he was president of American Society for Dermatologic Society and American Academy of Dermatology Board, and Editor of a number of dermatology journals.

Bohdan Pomahač (1971-), of Ostrava, Czech, is a noted Czech American plastic surgeon. He led the team that performed the first full face transplant in United States and the third overall in the world.

Allied Health and Health Services

W. F. Severa (1853-1938), of Doubravice, Bohemia, in US since age 15, without money or a command of English, learned the trade of trunk making. He then went to work as a drug store clerk, became a pharmacist and soon opened his own drug store in Cedar Rapids. Having given a patent for certain medicine, he established a highly successful W. F. Severa Co., manufacturers of proprietary medicines.

Alfred Adler (1870-1937), from Vienna, of Moravian mother, a medical doctor, was a noted psychologist and founder of the School of Individual Psychology.

Joseph Goldberger (1874-1929), of Giraltovce, Slovakia, was an American physician and epidemiologist in the US Public Health Service (PHS). He discovered the cause of pellagra and stepped on a number of medical toes when his research experiments showed that diet and not germs caused the disease.

Cecil Kent Drinker (1887-1956), a native of Philadelphia, of Moravian ancestry, a physician, specializing in industrial medicine and hygiene, was the founder of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Naomi Deutsch (1890-1983), born in Brno, Moravia, a professional Registered nurse, was the organizer and director of the Public Health Unit of the Federal Children’s Bureau of the Department of Labor of Washington, DC.

Adolph Weinberger (1891-1977), b. Slovakia, a pharmacist, was the founder and president of nation-wide chain of drug stores -Weinberger Drug Stores, Inc.

Philip Drinker (1893-1972), from Haverford, of Moravian ancestry, was a noted industrial hygienist, reputed for his research on occupational hazards in the workplace. He was also an inventor of iron lung,, a device that induced artificial respiration.

Bruno Bettelheim (1903-199), a native of Vienna, with roots both from Slovakia and Bohemia, was an American psychologist, known for his work in treating and educating emotionally disturbed children.

Louis Lowy (1920-1991), b. Munich, German, of Bohemian ancestry, raised in Prague, was a leader in gerontology and social work education and a pioneer in advancing international social work education.

Miloš Jeníček (1935-), a native of Prague, Czech., a physician, is noted as epidemiologist and hygienist and public health specialist, associated with McMaster University and the University of Montreal. Authored some 15 textbooks.

William E. Suk (1945-), b. Bronx, NY, of Czech ancestry, is a noted environmental health scientist. He has been associated with the NIH’ National Institute of Environmental Health, as a Director for Risk and Integrated Sciences.

Skip Palenik (1946-), from Chicago, IL, of Czech ancestry, is a noted analytical microscopist and forensic scientist. He is most famous for providing trace evidence analysis and forensic microscopy for many high-profile cases including the Oklahoma City Bombing, Unabomber investigation, Hillside Strangler investigation and the JonBenet Ramsey case.

Mark J. Horacek (1960-), b. US, of Czech ancestry, is a pioneer physical therapist. He was one of the founding members of the very first Department of Physical Therapy in the country, at Creighton University, he founded the Physical Therapy Department at Missouri State University and was Department Head at Winston Salem State University.

Jiri Volek (1968-), b. Lapeer, MI, of Czech ancestry, was trained as a dietician and exercise physiologist. A world-renowned expert in low carbohydrate research, currently, he holds the position of Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the Ohio State University.

Agricultural and Food Science

Frank (František) Kral (1892-1980), a native of Albrechtice, Bohemia, was an noted veterinary scientist, who gained worldwide fame, especially after emigrating to the US in 1948. He is considered the founder of veterinary dermatology.

Frank Reinelt (1900-1979), from Moravia, was an amateur horticulturist, who became known worldwide as a breeder and hybridizer of begonias.

Edward E. Janike (1910-2001), b. Nebraska, of Czech mother, was an animal husbandman who became Dean of extension at University of Nebraska.

Virgil Orville Wodicka (1915-2005), b. Sr. louis, MO, of Czech ancestry, a food scientist, became director of Burau of Foods, FDA.

Franklin Charles Cech (1919-2009), b. Cleveland, OH, of Czech ancestry, a forester, became widely known in forest genetics circles and as a silviculturist.

Fred Iltis (1923-2008), of Brno, Czech., was an American entomologist with the focus on the biosystematics and the life cycle of mosquitoes. He was also an exceptional photographer. Many photos of his vast archive document the Civil rights movement of the 1960s, student protests against the Vietnam War, the struggle of the Chicano agricultural workers led by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, as well as the strikes and boycott of American fruit companies.

Aleš Smetana (1931-), from Hradec Kralove, Czech., although trained as physician, he chose a career as an entomologist. He is an internationally recognized authority on world fauna of the rove beetle subfamily Staphylininae, and on systematics, phylogeny and bionomics of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) of Eurasia and North America.

Bruce B. Hronek (1936-), from Indiana, of Bohemian ancestry, a forester, with the most unusual assortment of degrees, who spent 33 years with the US Forest Service, is known nationally and internationally for his seminars on legal liability, philanthropy, recreation and natural resource management.

Stanislav Navratil (1936-), from Semily, Czech., a Canadian silviculturist and forester, is a noted university educator and project leader for the Canadian Forest Service. He also a noted nature photographer, whose images were published in his two photographic books.

Pavel Jelen (1941-), from Prague, is a Canadian food technologist, specializing in dairy technology.

C. Wayne Hanselka (1944-), from Texas, of Moravian ancestry, a is a leader in comprehensive integrated rangeland management educational programs within the Texas A&M Extension Program.

Robert ‘Bob’ J. Kratochvil (1949-) a is a leader in comprehensive integrated rangeland management educational programs within the Texas A&M Extension Program.

John F. Karlik (1952-), of Minneapolis, MN, of Czech father, is an agricultural and environmental scientist, known for his studies of the culture of rose plants, the fate and transport of pesticides, and volatile organic compound emissions from green plants, contributing to photochemical smog and particulate formations.

David H. Picha (1954-), of Czech ancestry, is a postharvest physiologist, specializing in tropical and sub-tropical horticulture, international trade and market development.

John L. Kovar (1958-), from granite City, IL, of Czech ancestry, is an agronomist, known for his work on nutrient management, soil-plant relationships, root growth and development, soil testing methodology and water quality issues.

John Edward Rechcigl (1960-), b. Washington, DC, of Czech immigrant parents, is a professor of soil science and water quality at University of Florida. Since 2001, he has been a Director of a brand new, state-of-the-art, University’s Research and Education Center, at Balm, FL, reputable for tomato, strawberry, vegetables, and landscape crops. He also established a highly successful and widely attended annual Florida Agricultural Expo.

Robert ‘Bob’ A. Hrabik (1960-), from Omaha, NE, of Czech ancestry, is a fisheries management biologist and expert fish taxonomist. Since 1991, he assumed the role of supervisor of the then newly created Open river Field Station in Cape Girardeau.

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Vladimir J. Krajina (1905-1993), from Slavonice, Bohemia, was a Canadian botanist and ecologist. His major contributions to Canadian botany were to develop the ecologically based system of vegetation classification (biogeoclimatic zones) now widely adapted and used as the basis for forest management in BC and Alberta.

Irene Kaminka Fischer (1907-2009), from Vienna, of Czech ancestry, was a geodesist. She became internationally known woman scientist in the field of geodesy during the golden age of the Mercury and Apollo moon missions. It was her work on the lunar parallax, which was instrumental in conducting theses missions.

Vit Klemeš (1932-2010), from Podivín, Czech., was an outstanding Canadian personality in hydrology and water engineering, associated with the National Hydrology Research Institute of Environment Canada.

Petr Černý (1934-2018), from Brno, Czech., was a mineralogy professor at the University of Manitoba. Černý’s studies focus on pegmatite. He is best known for his geological mapping of Bernic Lake, Manitoba in the 1970s. The site has since hosted several tantalum-lithium-caesium mines.

Petr Vaníček (1935-), from Sušice, Czech., is a Canadian geodesist and theoretical geophysicist, who has made important breakthroughs in theory of spectral analysis and geoid computation.

František Hron (1937-1999), from Starý Klíčov, Czech., was a geophysicist with University of Alberta, specializing in theoretical seismology, computational seismology, numerical modeling and computer inversion of seismic data.

David William Schindler (1940-),from Fargo, ND, of Czech ancestry, is a limnologist, who developed an interdisciplinary ecosystem approach to study water and ecology. He is notable for innovative large-scale experiments on whole-lakes which proved that phosphorus controls the eutrophication of temperate lakes leading to the banning of harmful phosphates in detergents.

Kenneth Charles Jezek (1951-), from Chicago, of Czech ancestry, is a geophysicist. He led the NASA sponsored Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project which resulted in the first, high resolution radar map of the southern continent. He is actively involved in the development of new radar technology for imaging the land surface buried beneath the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets

Zdenka Saba Willis (1959-), from Washington, DC, of Czech ancestry, is a meteorologist and oceanographer. Since 2007, she has held the position of the director of the US Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS), the National Oceanic and atmospheric Administration (NOAA)..

Carol J. Ptacek (1959-), of Czech ancestry, is professor of hydrogeology and environmental geochemistry and a leader of the Groundwater Geochemistry and Remediation Group at University of Waterloo.

Brian Michal Hynek (1976-), from Cedar Rapids, IA, was an earth scientist. His recent research has focused on the geologic, geochemical, hydrologic, and climatic evolutions of the planet Mars.

Engineering

Abraham Gottlieb (1837-1894), of Domažlice, Bohemia, a civil engineer, became president of Keystone Bridge Co., one of the best known concerns of its kind in the US.

Andrew Rosewater (1848-1909), of Bukovany, Bohemia, was a city engineer of Omaha, NE, who planned and supervised the Omaha water-works system. He was also an engineer in charge of the construction of the Omaha and Northwestern Railway.

Gustav Lindenthal (1850-1935), of Brno, Moravia, a civil engineer, was a pioneer bridge builder, who designed the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City, among other bridges.

Henry Goldmark (1857-1941), of New York City, of Bohemian ancestry, was a pioneer in using steel for bridge construction. He was one of the builders of Panama Canal.

Theodore von Karman (1881-1963), of Budapest, of Bohemian ancestry on his mother’s side an aeronautical engineer, was a pioneer in development of high speed aircraft and missiles and initiated research that developed plane to break sound barrier.

Karl Terzaghi (1883 -1963), of Prague, a civil engineer, was considered father of soil mechanics.

Karl Arnstein (1887-1974), of Prague, was one of the most important 20th century airship engineers and designers in the US.

Karl Guthe Jansky (1905-1950), b. Norman, OK, of Czech ancestry, was an American radio engineer, who in 1931 first discovered radio waves, emanating from the Milky Way. He is considered a founder of radio astronomy, a new science that greatly extended the range of astronautical observations.

Antonin Svoboda (1907-1980), from Prague, Bohemia, an electrical engineer, and experimental physicist, was one of the pioneers in the development of digital computers.

Frank J. Malina (1912-1981), b. Brenham, TX, of Czech parents, was trained as a mechanical engineer. He was a scientific pioneer in the early days of America’s efforts to develop rockets that one day would carry men into space and hurl robot probes into the outer regions of the solar system. He was a co-founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA and the Aerojet General Corp., America’s first manufacturer of rocket engines.

Charles Susskind (1919-2004), from Prague, Czech., was trained as an electrical engineer. His work on the intersection of engineering with biological sciences became a driving force for his advocacy of a bioengineering program at UC Berkeley

Miloš Novák (1925-1994), a native of Šumperk, Czech, a civil engineer with the University of Western Ontario, was considered one of the foremost world experts on dynamics of civil engineering structures and foundations.

George Michael Low (1926-1984), a native of Vienna, of Czech ancestry, trained as an aeronautical engineer, became a NASA Administrator and the 14th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Josef Dadok (1926-), b. Dĕtmarovice, Czech., an expert on chemical instrumentation with Carnegie Mellon University, is a pioneer of nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and an important figure in the NMR instrumentation and methodology worldwide. Josef Dadok’d National NMR Center in Brno was named in his honor.

Frederick Jelinek (1932-2010), from Prague, Czech., was a computer scientist, a pioneer in speech recognition.

Růžena Bajcsy (1933-), of Bratislava, Czech., is a computer scientist, specializing in robotics. She had been the head of the National Science Foundation’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate, with authority over a $500 million budget.

Eugene ‘Gene’ Andrew Cernan (1934-2017), from Chicago, IL, an electrical and aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot by training, became an American astronaut, who, as the commander of Apollo 17 (December 7–17, 1972), was the last person to walk on the Moon.

Zdenek Eisenstein (1936-2010), a native of Počátky, Czech., a civil engineer with the University of Alberta, was a world-renowned tunnel expert. He was instrumental in developing most of the world’s major tunnels.

Zdenĕk Bažant (1937-), from Prague, Czech,is a civil engineer, generally regarded as the world leader in research on scaling in the mechanics of solids. He is the author of six books dealing with concrete creep, stability of structures, fracture and size effect, inelastic analysis and scaling of structural strength.

Marie Zemánková (1951-), from Uherský Brod, Czech., is a computer scientist and mathematician, engaged by the National Science Foundation as a program director in the Information and intelligent Systems Division.

LISTINGS

I.

MEDICINE

A. Pioneer Physicians

Leopold Adler (1828-d.), b. Prachatice, Bohemia, was the first known Czech physician in Milwaukee, WI. He immigrated to the US, after the revolutionary events of 1848, and settled in Milwaukee, where he opened his medical practice in 1862.

Bio: Leopold Adler, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1893; Leopold Adler, in: Beyond the Sea of Beer, p. 471.

James Moat Anderson (1752-1820), b. MD, desc. f. Augustine Heřman, was a pioneer physician in Maryland. He was trained under his father, Dr. James Anderson, who emigrated from Scotland to Kent Co., MD, and at University of Edinburgh, remaining long enough to procure a certificate of merit, but not graduating. He returned to Maryland and opened an extensive medical practice at Chestertown. He was actively engaged in practicing medicine for more than 30 years. His practice was extensive and his services always in demand; he was fond of discussing his cases carefully in consultation and it was seldom that he erred in judgment.

Bio: James Anderson, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1893; James Moat Anderson, in: Medicine in Maryland, 1752-1920. See - https://mdhistoryonline.net/2018/06/02/md56323/.

Franz (František) J. Arzt (1844-1923), b. Česká Třebová, Bohemia, was a prominent St. Louis physician, who studied medicine in Vienna. In 1866, he arrived in America and initially settled in Cedar Rapids, IA. In 1867, he came to St. Louis, MO, where he opened his medical practice. His mansion in St. Louis, which he built in 1876, boasted the city’s first residential hot-water heating system, as well as its first natural air-conditioning system, made possible by a series of flues with both floor and ceiling vents. Although underground caves run through the Soulard area of St. Louis, none existed under Arzt’s home until he created them himself, complete with stalagmites and stalactites imported from around the world. Aside from his professional and architectural accomplishments, Dr. Arzt won accolades in his avocational field of botany. His greenhouse was one of the first built at a private residence. Dr. Arzt was a linguist of note, having at his command at least four languages - German, Bohemian (Czech), Slovak and Hungarian.

Bio: Franz J. Arzt, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1893; Franz J. Arzt, in Czechoslovak Jews, p. 48; Franz J. Arzt, in: Find A. Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29963109/franz-j_-arzt.

Adolph Barkan (1845-1935), b. Ľubotice, Prešov Dist., Slovakia, was a physician, specializing in ophthalmology. He came to the US as a young man of twenty-three and, after spending one year in Baltimore, went to San Francisco. He spent almost half his 91 years in a very successful career on the West Coast. He died as professor emeritus in ophthalmology at Stanford Medical School. His activities included intimate involvement in the development of a private medical school and with this school’s acquisition by Stanford University as its medical school. In retirement, he founded, financed, and stocked a large medical history library at that university.

Bio: Barkan, Adolf, in: American Science, 3; Adolph Barkan (1845-1935), European Ophthalmologist in San Francisco, JAMA Ophthalmol., 132, No. 3 (2014), pp. 346-340; Adolph Barkan, in: Slovak Americans, p. 133; Lawrence T. Pots, "Adolph Barkan, M.D., 1844-1935). See - https://www.ajo.com/article/S0002-9394(35)90584-0/pdf.

Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch (1837-1905), b. Prague, Bohemia, was a physician who was best known as the personal physician of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and the inventor of the blood pressure meter (also known as sphygmomanometer). Basch was educated at Charles University in Prague and the University of Vienna. In 1857 he studied chemistry at the laboratory of Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke in Vienna, and five years later began the practice of medicine. In 1864, Basch was appointed chief surgeon of the military hospital at Puebla, Mexico. Soon after that, he was appointed as Maximilian’s personal physician. Basch remained with Maximilian until the Emperor’s execution by firing squad at Querétaro on 19 June 1867.When Maximilian realized that a few days at the most would decide his fate, he commissioned Basch to keep daily records of all that happened. When the Emperor and his entourage were betrayed to Benito Juárez by Colonel Miguel Lopez on 14 May 1867, Basch rushed to saddle his horse, but was at once overpowered by the Mexicans. Basch lost most of his memoranda, saving only cursory notes. After the execution of Maximilian, he returned to Austria with the Emperor’s body, arriving on 26 November 1867 on the Elizabeth. In 1870 Basch was appointed lecturer on experimental pathology at the University of Vienna, and in 1877 assistant professor. He was ennobled by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria for his share in Maximilian’s enterprise.

Bio: Samuel Siegfried Karl von Basch, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Siegfried_Karl_von_Basch; Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch, Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1893-1894; Singer, Isidore and Edgar Mels, Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch, in: Czechoslovak Jews, p. 48; Basch, Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von, in: JewishEncyclopedia.com. See - http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2606-basch-samuel-siegfried-karl-ritter-von; Samuel Siegfried Karl von Basch, in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Siegfried_Karl_von_Basch.

Ottilie Železný Baumrucker (1879-1963), b. Dobrapul, Bohemia, came to Chicago with her parents in 1885. She received her M.D. in 1908 from the Rush Medical Coll. of the Univ. of Chicago. She was in medical practice since then. She had been on the attending medical staff of the Women’s and Children Hospital since 1918. She was president of the Bohemian Women’s Clubs and a member of various other organizations.

Bio: Ottilie Železný Baumrucker, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1933; Ottilie Železný Baumrucker, Beyond the Sea of Beer, p. 699; Ottilie Železný Baumrucker, in: American Women, p. 154; Dr. Ottilie Zelezny Baumrucker, Chicago Tribune. See - https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18215022/chicago-tribune/.

Matej Benczur (1860-1928), b. Jasenová, Slovakia, was a physician, who practiced in Buenos Aires and on Punta Arenas, the southernmost town in Chile. He is a well-known novelist under the penname, Martin Kukučín. He went to Southern America in 1908. He became the first physician of the International Red Cross in Pantagonia. A polyclinic in Punta Arenas was named in his honor. In 1922-24 he was back in Slovakia and then he resided in Croatia. He was a Slovak nobleman, the most important representative of Slovak literary realism and the founder of modern Slovak prose.

Bio: Martin Kukučín, in: Wikipedia. See - https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_ Kukučín; Matej Benczur, in: Slovak Americans, p. 13;Matej Benczur de Jeszenova aka Martin Kukučín, in: Zaprášené príbehy slovenskej histórie. See - https://www.facebook.com/zaprasenepribehy/posts/2112215875666193/.

Benjamin Berger (1884-1968), b. Hrabovec, Slovakia, to Jewish family, was a physician in New York, specializing in dermatology and urology. He attended the Long Island College Hospital Medical School (M.D., 1906). He was instructor in dermatology and urology at University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College and Long Island College Hospital. He was chief of clinic in dermatology, Beth Israel Hospital and assistant in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital. He was actively affiliated with numerous Jewish charitable and educational institutions.

Bio: Who’s Who in American Jewry. New York: Jewish Biographical Bureau, 1926, Vol. 1., p. 45; Benjamin Berger, in: Czechoslovak Jews, p. 49; Benjamin Berger, in: Slovak Americans, p. 133.

Bernard Bettelheim (1811-1869), b. Bratislava, Slovakia, into a noted Jewish family, was trained as a physician, although initially he wanted to become a rabbi. He earned a degree in medicine from a school in Padua, Italy in 1836. He traveled much in these years, practicing medicine in a number of Italian cities, aboard an Egyptian naval vessel, and in a Turkish town called Magnesia, where, in 1840, he began studying Christianity. He converted to Christianity, and was baptized a short time later, in Smyrna. During his time in Turkey, he held theological debates with local rabbis and published pamphlets on the matter in French. After facing salary disputes in Constantinople and resigning his post, Bettelheim made his way to London, where he hoped to gain authorization from the Church of England to preach to the Jewish communities of the Mediterranean but was turned down. Following disputes with various Christian organizations, including the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, he accepted an appointment as medical missionary to Naha with the Loochoo Naval Mission. as the first Protestant missionary to Japan (1846-54). He arrived in Hong Kong in January 1846 and after several months, studying Chinese and mingling there with British missionary society. Bettelheim departed for Okinawa with his family in April 1846. While there, he translated portions of the Holy Bible into Ryukyuan, the common language of Okinawa, and Japanese. He also compiled a dictionary and grammar of the Ryukyuan language which is now preserved in the British Museum. Nevertheless, he was not welcomed there and to the relief of the government, the Bettelheims departed Okinawa in 1854. Dr. Bettelheim intended to return to England but eventually ended up in New York. After a few years he relocated his family to a farm in Illinois. From August to December 1863, he served as a surgeon in the 106th Regiment, IL Volunteer Infantry. After the American Civil War he relocated to Odell, Illinois and operated a drugstore, occasionally giving lectures about Okinawa and Japan. Later, the Bettelheims moved to Brookfield, Missouri.

Bio: Lincolns Hungarian Heroes, p. 48; Bernard Jean Bettelheim," in: Wikipedia. See - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Jean_Bettelheim; Bernard Bettelheim, in: American Slovaks, p. 133; Dr. Bernard Jean Bettelheim, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12107/bernard-jean-bettelheim.

Wenzel Blumrich (1812-1862), b. Frýdlant, Bohemia, was a physician, who graduated from Charles Ferdinand University, Prague (MUDr., 1839). He received three Latin diplomas, one each for medicine, surgery and obstetrics. He practiced in Chrastava, Bohemia for nine years, subsequent to his graduation, and then removed to the US, settling in Grand Rapids, MI in 1848, where he opened a medical practice. He was a highly educated man, proficient in Latin, German, French and Spanish.

Bio: Wenzel Blumrich, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, 1894; Dr. Wenzel Blumrich, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14294777/wenzel-blumrich; Wenzel Blumrich, in: History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. By Albert Baxter. New York and Grand Rapids: Munsell & Co., 1891, p. 700.

Emil Bories (1852-1907), b. Úvaly, Bohemia, was a family physician and pharmacist. He received medical training at the University of Vermont (M.D., 1885). He initially located his medical practice in Dayton, WA and then in Snohomish, WA, before settling in Seattle, WA, where he practiced till his death.

Bio: Emil Bories, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1934; Emil Bories, in: Czechoslovak Jews, p. 49; Irving A. Watson, Bories, Emil, in: Physicians and Surgeons of America. Concord, NH: Republican Press association, 1896, pp. 143-144; Obituary: Dr. Emil Bories, Northwest Medicine, Vol. 5 (1907), pp. 245-246.

Samuel ‘Semmi’ Brandeis (1819-1899), b. Prague, Bohemia, was trained as a physician at Univ. of Vienna, where he was a private pupil of the great anatomist, Professor Hyrtl. He completed his medical studies in 1845, then engaged in practice in his native city until May of 1849.. when for social and political reasons, he with a large number of his kin emigrated to the United States. He settled in Madison, Indiana, then a growing river town, was early married to Caroline Wehle of Prague, and rapidly acquired a flourishing practice, The prevalence of cholera in our midst at that time gave him the much longed for opportunity to show his skill and, from that point on, his position was assured. In April of 1852 he removed with his family to Louisville Kentucky in search of more fields to conquer and repeated his successful experiences in Madison. He in the course of years acquired a practice second to none at that time. His work was that of a general practitioner with a strong leaning towards obstetrics and gynecology and he was widely known and acknowledged as a diagnostician of rare skill. In 1860, he occupied the chair of Clinical Medicine in the Kentucky School of Medicine but discontinued that work at the outbreak of the Civil War. He served his country as visiting surgeon in the Government Hospitals in Louisville and later was given important work on the Examining Board of the Pension Department. He was the first man to import the hypodermic syringe and the laryngoscope into his adopted State. He was an active member of his local, state and National Medical Societies, at one time President of the Board of Health of Louisville, President of the Louisville Clinical Society, and Medical Examiner of several Insurance Companies, besides being a contributor to medical literature and a popular consultant.

Bio: Samuel ‘Semmi’ Brandeis, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1894; Samuel ‘Semmi’ Brandeis, in: Czechoslovak Jews, p. 49; The Brandeis Family and Madison Indiana, in: Brandeis and Harlan Watch. See - https://brandeiswatch.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/the-brandeis-family-and-madison-indiana-part-one/; "Dr. Samuel Brandeis,’’ in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156897449/samuel-brandeis.

Jacob George Bruckman (1800-1885), b. Loštice, Moravia, of Jewish family, was a physician, trained in Prague, Bohemia. He emigrated to America in 1840 and settled in Salisbury, Somerset county, PA, where he practiced medicine for twenty-seven years. Thence he removed to Monroe township. He practiced medicine over fifty years.

Bio: Jacob George Bruckman, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1894; Jacob George Bruckman, in: Czechoslovak Jews, p. 49; Dr. med. Jacob George Bruckman, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Dr-med-Jacob-George-Bruckman/6000000003151108941; "Chapter 23, The Medical Profession,: in: History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania.. Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1884; Ancestors, Descendants 7 allied Lines of dr. Jacob George Bruckman 18800-1885 & Dr. Philip Bruckman 1797-1874, German Jewish Immigrant Physicians and Brothers from Böhmen, Austria (new Czech Republic).

Philip Bruckman (1797-1874), b. Loštice, Moravia. a brother of the above, was also a pioneer physician. He immigrated to New York, around 1842, where he opened a medical practice. He apparently had a large Bohemian clientele.

Bio: Philip Bruckman, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1894; Philip Bruckman, in: Czechoslovak Jews, p. 49; Dr. med. Philip Bruckman, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Dr-med-Philip-Bruckman/6000000021135094007?through=6000000003151108941.

Emil Bunta (1887-1965), b. Slovakia, was an early physician, Chicago. He received M.D. at Rush Medical College (1914). He was Intern, Cook County Hospital (1914-16), resident alienist, Cook County Psychopathic Hospital (1916), resident physician, Oak Forest Infirmary (1917-18), instructor in diseases of the nervous system, Loyola University Medical School (s. 1920), becoming clinical professor. For many years he was on the staff of the City of Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanatorium.

Bio: Deaths, in JAMA Network. See - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/655349; Dr. Emil Bunta, in: Find A Grave. See - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22432568/emil-bunta; Emil Bunta, in: American Slovaks, p. 133.

Julius Carmen (orig. Alfonz Zhorský (1868-1936); b. Levoča, Slovakia, had been in US since around 1890. He was a pseudo-doctor, with a diploma in pharmacy, residing in Detroit, MI. He was the author of a remarkable book - Domáci lekár a radca (Home physician and adviser) - of some 1200 pages, published around 1920, at a cost of $12 (some $150 in today’s currency). Despite its cost, it was the second most read book, after Bible, by Slovak Americans.

Bio: Prof. Igor M. Tomo, Július Carmen alias Alfonz Zhorský, in: Slovenské Slovo. See - https://slovenskeslovo.sk/slovenske-osobnosti/659-julius-carmen-alias-alfonz-zhorsky; Pavol, Vencel, Zabudnutý génius Július Carmen alias Alfonz Zhorský národovec alebo špión? Luferna, 2007; Julius Carmen, in: American Slovaks, p. 134.

Anton Hugo Chládek (1796-1873), b. Zámrsk, nr Vysoké Mýto, Bohemia, was a pioneer American physician. He studied medicine in Prague and Vienna. He graduated from the University of Prague, after spending thirteen years studying medicine and pharmacology. He received his M.D. degree and a degree in pharmacology at the same time. At this point in time a medical doctor was required to also be a pharmacist. He practiced medicine in Manitowoc, WI, Cedar Rapids, IA and finally Chicago, IL. Dr. Chladek opened his office over his drug store on Jefferson Street and De Koven Street in Chicago. He was kindly, empathetic, charitable and beloved by his patients, friends and neighbors. It was said that he was too busy to send bills to his wealthy patients and would never send bills to his poor patients. He was given a Presidential Citation for his untiring efforts in the cholera epidemic which ravaged Chicago after the Great Fire [of 1871]. It was told that he worked tirelessly around the clock for two weeks without being able to take off his clothes to rest and sleep for a night through.

Bio: Anton Hugo Chládek, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1894; Anton Hugo Chladek, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Anton-Chladek/6000000096607873879; Anthony Hugo Chladek, M.D., in: Our Family Genealogy Pages. See - http://bayoubohemia.net/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I9768&tree=basetree.

Siegmund Dembitz (1795-d.), b. Bratislava, Slovakia, was a physician. In 1899, he immigrated to Cincinnati, OH, where he opened his medical practice.

Bio: Siegmund Dembitz, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Dr-Sigmund-Dembitz/6000000009370051948; Siegmund Dembitz, in: Slovak Americans, p. 134; Siegmund Dembitz, in: GENi. See - https://www.geni.com/people/Dr-Sigmund-Dembitz/6000000009370051948; Josephine Goldmark, Pilgrims of ‘48: One Man’s Part in the Austrian Revolution of 1848; and a Family Migration to America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1930; Randy Schoenberg, The Bohemian Origins of Justice Louis Brandeis, in: Avotaynu Online. See - https://avotaynuonline.com/2016/05/4446/.

F. A. Deschauer (1857-1900), b. Chicago, IL, of Bohemian ancestry, was a dentist. He became associated with his uncle, Dr. Joseph Deschauer, one of the pioneer and leading dentists in the city. At the time of his death, he had been practicing in his native city for 28 years.

Bio: "F. A. Deschauer,’ in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 1894.

Joseph Deschauer (1822-1890), b. Cheb, Bohemia, was a pioneer dentist. His early years, until he reached the age of fourteen, were spent in the public schools of Cheb, and after passing through the high school, he entered the Polytechnic University, from which he graduated in his seventeenth year. After spending several years in travel through Germany and Switzerland, perfecting himself in his profession, he returned to Vienna, and then began the study of dentistry under the direction of Dr. Carabeli, of Vienna, with whom he remained three years, until the agitation incident upon the revolution in 1848 compelled him to leave that city. Returning home, he practiced until 1856, when he came to Chicago, where he had since resided. At the great fire he lost what he had accumulated, but since then again acquired a fortune.

Bio: Joseph Deschauer, in: Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, pp. 1894-1895; Joseph Deschauer, in: Peachridge Glass. See - https://www.peachridgeglass.com/2013/08/humboldts-german-bitters/.

Anthony Michael Dignowity (1810-1875, born nr. Kutná Hora, Bohemia, came to US in 1832 and read medicine at Natchez, MS, and Cincinnati, OH. After moving to Talequah, Indian Territory, he practiced there and then moved to Illinois Falls, AK. In 1846 he volunteered for service in the Mexican War and then practiced in San Antonio, TX. In the 1850s, his outspoken abolitionist views made him controversial. Possibly as