Maumee Valley & William Roche Memorial Hospitals, MSS-249, ca 1930s-1970s

Size: 8 linear ft.

Provenance: University of Toledo Health Science Campus

Access: Open

Collection Summary: Collection contains correspondence, minutes, scrapbooks, and other documentation concerning Maumee Valley Hospital. Also included are a pair of architectural drawings of Maumee Valley Hospital and William Roche Memorial Hospital, respectively.

Subject: Medicine and Health

Related Collections: Maumee Valley Hospital Advancement Trust Collection, MSS-255; floor plans and survey drawings for Maumee Valley Hospital and William Roche Memorial Hospital can be found in Toledo State Hospital, Lucas County Infirmary, and Maumee Valley Hospital Architectural and Survey Drawings, MSS-221

Processing Note:

Copyright: The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns. Researchers bear full legal responsibility for the acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code. The Ward M. Canaday Center for Special Collections may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.

Completed by: Desiree Swicegood, Spring 2011; updated by Tamara Jones, September 2014

Historical Sketch

The history of the Maumee Valley Hospital begins in 1922, with the sale of Toledo’s Municipal Hospital (located at Superior and Lafayette) to Lucas County. The Municipal Hospital became the Lucas County Hospital, which was opened as a branch of the Lucas County General Hospital. One year later, Lucas County Hospital, which would later become Maumee Valley Hospital, relocated to the upper floor of the Squire Apartment Building at Washington and Ontario. In 1931, the hospital moved to a new building on Arlington Avenue, replacing Lucas County General Hospital. It would remain at this location until its closure in 1978.

Over the years, the hospital received numerous gifts from philanthropic groups and individuals. In 1939, Lucas County Hospital received oxygen tents, six “gastroevacuators,” a resuscitator, and an Iron Lung. In spite of charitable donations, the hospital still faced financial difficulties. As a result, on May 15, 1943 the hospital became independent from the Lucas County Home Board of Trustees. In 1944, the hospital changed its name to the Maumee Valley Hospital, suggested by Ralph E. Phelps, a member of the Toledo Blade staff, in a naming contest. For the remainder of its existence, the hospital was managed by a bi-partisan Board of Trustees. In 1947, Maumee Valley Hospital received a new Iron Lung from the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation.

In its heyday, Maumee Valley Hospital was associated with quality healthcare professionals and facilities. For example, the hospital’s Dr. Robert Roberts performed the first microsurgery in Ohio in 1961. One year later, an educational program was established and the hospital purchased a hyperbaric oxygenator (decompression chamber) for the treatment of tetanus and gangrene. In 1964, a pediatric residency was established, and six years later, Maumee Valley Hospital opened the first pediatric walk-in clinic in Toledo. However, in the end, the hospital was unable to maintain itself financially. In 1972, the Maumee Valley School of Nursing closed, followed by the takeover by the Medical College of Ohio that occurred one year later. Finally, in 1978, Maumee Valley closed its doors for good.

Due to the prevalence of tuberculosis in America, a tuberculosis hospital was proposed in Lucas County in 1934. Three years later, the William Roche Tuberculosis Sanatorium was opened adjacent to the Lucas County Hospital (Maumee Valley Hospital). It was a hospital established specifically for the care of TB patients. Because of rising rates of the disease in Toledo in 1949, the hospital actually ran out of room and requested to keep some patients in the old Lucas County Infirmary building. In November 1950, two .3 mill levies were passed to expand the hospital. However, over time, treatments improved and occurrences of the disease decreased, leaving the William Roche Memorial Hospital at a loss for funding. In 1967, their physical therapy unit was discontinued, and one year later, the entire hospital was closed. From 1969 to 1975, MCO used the building for educational purposes. Though the disease had decreased dramatically, there were still a few tuberculosis patients in the area. In March, 1974, plans were made for general hospitalization of these patients. The William Roche Memorial Hospital was not in existence as long as the Maumee Valley Hospital, but it was an important institution that played a significant role in the history of the main hospital.

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of 2 large sketches (Lucas County Hospital and William Roche Memorial Hospital), six scrapbooks, and a box of documents containing materials on the Board of Trustees, the Research Institute, the School of Nursing, and correspondence with the William Roche Memorial Hospital. The Roche Memorial Hospital materials are included because the hospital was closely linked to Maumee Valley Hospital, by location and handling of patients.

Folder List

Box	Folder	Item
		Maumee Valley Hospital Board of Trustees
1	1	Orientation Manual (1968) Index
1	2	Introduction
1	3	History
1	4	Function
1	5	Service
1	6	Research
1	7	Education
1	8	Auxiliaries
1	9	Finance
1	10	Personnel
1	11	Appendix
1	12	Minutes (1950s)
1	13	Minutes (1960s)
1	14	Minutes (1970s)
		Maumee Valley Research Institute
1	15	Correspondence (1950s)
1	16	Correspondence (1960s)
1	17	Correspondence (1970s)
1	18	Financial Statements
1	19	Research Applications
		Maumee Valley Hospital Medical Bulletin
1	20	1966 (Jan. and July)
1	21	1968 (Jan. and Apr.)
1	22	1968 (Sept.)
1	23	1969 (July)
1	24	1970 (May)
1	25	Maumee Valley Hospital School of Nursing Directory (1967-1968)
1	26	Newspaper Articles
1	27	Miscellaneous
1	28	Photos
		Maumee Valley Hospital Scrapbook Circa 1940s
2	1	Page 1
2	2	Page 2
2	3	Page 3
2	4	Page 4
2	5	Page 5
2	6	Page 6
2	7	Page 7
2	8	Page 8
2	9	Page 9
2	10	Page 10
2	11	Page 11
2	12	Page 12
2	13	Page 13
2	14	Page 14
2	15	Page 15
2	16	Page 16
2	17	Page 17
2	18	Page 18
2	19	Page 19
2	20	Page 20
2	21	Page 21
2	22	Page 22
2	23	Page 23
2	24	Page 24
2	25	Page 25
2	26	Page 26
2	27	Page 27
2	28	Page 28
2	29	Page 29
2	30	Page 30
2	31	Page 31
2	32	Page 32
2	33	Page 33
2	34	Page 34
2	35	Page 35
2	36	Page 36
2	37	Page 37
2	38	Page 38
2	39	Page 39
2	40	Page 40
2	41	Page 41
2	42	Page 42
2	43	Page 43
2	44	Page 44
2	45	Page 45
2	46	Page 46
2	47	Page 47
2	48	Page 48
2	49	Page 49
2	50	Page 50
2	51	Page 51
		Maumee Valley Hospital Scrapbook Oct. 1965-Nov. 1967
2	52	Page 1
2	53	Page2
2	54	Page 3
2	55	Page 4
2	56	Page 5
2	57	Page 6
2	58	Page 7
2	59	Page 8
2	60	Page 9
2	61	Page 10
2	62	Page 11
2	63	Page 12
2	64	Page 13
2	65	Page 14
2	66	Page 15
2	67	Page 16
2	68	Page 17
2	69	Page 18
2	70	Page 19
2	71	Page 20
2	72	Page 21
2	73	Page 22
2	74	Page 23
2	75	Page 24
2	76	Page 25
2	77	Page 26
2	78	Page 27
2	79	Page 28
2	80	Page 29
2	81	Page 30
2	82	Page 31
2	83	Page 32
2	84	Page 33
2	85	Page 34
2	86	Page 35
2	87	Page 36
2	88	Page 37
2	89	Page 38
2	90	Page 39
2	91	Page 40
2	92	Page 41
2	93	Page 42
2	94	Page 43
2	95	Page 44
2	96	Page 45
2	97	Page 46
2	98	Page 47
2	99	Page 48
2	100	Page 49
2	101	Page 50
2	102	Page 51
2	103	Page 52
2	104	Page 53
2	105	Page 54
2	106	Page 55
2	107	Page 56
2	108	Page 57
2	109	Page 58
2	110	Page 59
2	111	Page 60
2	112	Page 61
2	113	Page 62
2	114	Page 63
2	115	Page 64
2	116	Page 65
2	117	Page 66
2	118	Page 67
2	119	Page 68
2	120	Page 69
2	121	Page 70
2	122	Page 71
2	123	Page 72
2	124	Page 73
2	125	Page 74
2	126	Page 75
2	127	Page 76
2	128	Page 77
2	129	Page 78
2	130	Page 79
2	131	Page 80
2	132	Page 81
2	133	Page 82
2	134	Page 83
2	135	Page 84
2	136	Page 85
2	137	Page 86
2	138	Page 87
2	139	Page 88
2	140	Page 89
2	141	Page 90
2	142	Page 91
2	143	Page 92
2	144	Page 93
2	145	Page 94
2	146	Page 95
2	147	Page 96
2	148	Page 97
2	149	Page 98
2	150	Page 99
2	151	Page 100
2	152	Page 101
2	153	Page 102
2	154	Page 103
2	155	Page 104
2	156	Page 105
2	157	Page 106
2	158	Page 107
2	159	Page 108
2	160	Page 109
2	161	Page 110
2	162	Page 111
2	163	Page 112
2	164	Page 113
2	165	Page 114
2	166	Page 115
2	167	Page 116
2	168	Page 117
2	169	Page 118
2	170	Page 119
2	171	Page 120
2	172	Page 121
2	173	Page 122
2	174	Page 123
2	175	Page 124
2	176	Page 125
2	177	Page 126
2	178	Page 127
2	179	Page 128
2	180	Page 129
2	181	Page 130
2	182	Page 131
2	183	Page 132
2	184	Page 133
2	185	Page 134
2	186	Page 135
2	187	Page 136
2	188	Page 137
2	189	Page 138
2	190	Page 139
3		Scrapbook, Maumee Valley Hospital, 1945-1953
4		Scrapbook, Maumee Valley Hospital, 1967-1968
5		Scrapbook, Maumee Valley Hospital, 1968-1969
6		Scrapbook, Maumee Valley Hospital, 1969-1970
7		Architectural drawing, Roche Tuberculosis Hospital, ca. 1937
8		Architectural drawing, Maumee Valley Hospital, ca. 1931