George Ben Johnston / [Beverly Randolph Tucker].

  • Beverley R. Tucker
Date:
[1924]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: George Ben Johnston / [Beverly Randolph Tucker]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Reprint from SURGERY, GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS August, 1924, pages 245-248 GEORGE BEN JOHNSTON By BEVERLY R. TUCKER, M.D., Richmond, Virginia DR. GEORGE BEN JOHNSTON was born July 25, 1853, in Tazewell, Virginia. His ancestors were noted pioneers, honored statesmen, famous warriors, and distinguished physicians. His mother, Nicketti Buchanan Floyd, was the daughter of Dr. John Floyd, who was a physician of prominence as well as a governor of Virginia. Dr. Johnston’s father was Honorable John W. Johnston, United States senator from Virginia. To these may be added many illustrious relatives, among them Patrick Henry, who was a great-great uncle, and General Joseph E. Johnston of Confederate fame. Born of this brilliant and sturdy stock and reared among the mountains of southwest Virginia, where the Alleghanies mound in foliage-covered ranges high toward the heavens, or suddenly break into wonderful gaps through which some clear stream works its way toward the ocean after giving liquid sustenance to beautiful and fertile bluegrass valleys, George Ben Johnston grew strong in mind, body, and soul. In youth, Dr. Johnston’s associates were whomever he might happen to meet in a day’s journey. He was the intimate friend of the village blacksmith, the mountain trapper and hunter, the town wag and the county scapegoat, as well as of the dignitaries. The boys of the mountains mostly settled their own disputes and difficulties either by a certain kind of embryo politics or by fist fighting. Young Ben Johnston—he was never called George or Benjamin—was an expert at both. Equipped with a fine memory, splendid reasoning power, patience, deliberateness and withal great attractiveness, sympathy, and far-sightedness, he naturally be¬ came a leader in matters open to argument. Handsome, well knit, strong, quick, and fearless, there were but few that could equal him in physical skill or endur¬ ance. Although not a quarrel picker he had many Anglo-Saxon fist fights. Dr. Johnston’s education was begun at the Abingdon Academy. Later he went to St. Vincent’s, in Wheeling, West Virginia. From St. Vincent’s he went to the University of Virginia. Here, for two years, he took academic work and then, following his natural bent, he devoted his third year to the study of medi¬ cine. Leaving the University of Virginia he went to the University of the City of New York to finish his medical education, and there he received his degree in 1 Published by Surgical Pub. Co., Chicago, U.S.A.