'ARCHIVES
Nominations for the Ail-American
Medical Hall of Fame
A roll of physicians is now being assembled
for the Ail-American Medical Hall of Fame
under the sponsorship of the St Louis Medical
Society. The Heritage Committee of the Oklahoma State Medical Association accepted the
challenge to nominate the most esteemed physicians who have practiced in Oklahoma. We
were asked to make three selections and one alternate in the event that a nominee was also
chosen by the selectors of another medical society.
Our Heritage Committee agreed to nominate
Benjamin F. Fortner, LeRoy Long, and Lewis J.
Moorman, with W. Albert Cook as the alternate.
Mr Hollister S. Smith, Director Emeritus of the
St Louis Medical Society, reported that our first
three nominees would be listed, but he then requested that we submit their portraits and reports of their contributions. The following biographies were considered at the recent meeting of
the OSMA Heritage Committee and are offered
for the interest of the members of the Association. R. Palmer Howard, MD, Chairman,
OSMA Heritage Committee.
Benjamin F. Fortner, MD (1847-1917)
The leadership of Dr B. F. Fortner in founding the Indian Territory Medical Association
in 1881 and in the organization of the State
Medical Association in 1906 is apparent from
the historical articles published in The Journal
of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.'
Benjamin F. Fortner, MD
1847-1917
Fortner was the president of the Indian Territory Medical Association in 1881-82 and
1889-91, and the first president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 1906-07.
When he then moved to Springfield, Missouri,
he was elected the first honorary member of
the Oklahoma State Medical Association.
Benjamin F. Fortner was born near Dallas,
Reprinted from THE JOURNAL of the Okla. State Medical Association, Volume 72, No. 7,
March 1979, Pages 202-205, Copyright 1979 by Okla. State Medical Association
