The Coral Gables Times

The 12 Apostles Fit Nicely Into 87-Year-Old's Practice

By JOE C. MORRIS Correspondent The Harvard Medical College, in 1900, graduated 888 young doctors. Sixty one years after beginning their practice of medicine, only 28 are living. One of them, Dr. William Watson McKibben is 87 years old, and still practicing in Coral Gables. "I have been teaching preventive medicine all these years," he said, "and the children are innoculated now with vaccines for all the diseases I dreaded so much in 1900. "Now I'm out of a job. "Sometimes I get a little lonesome," the white haired doctor mused. "So many of my classmates and friends have gone on ahead of me. But it's important to stay cheerful so I busy myself reading and writing and my lonliness vanishes." He's written more than 500 stories about his early life at Harvard, his intern years, travel abroad, life in Florida and scientific articles. Many have never been read by anyone other than the author, but they fill six volumes and are documented with numerous photographs. Now he's studying the lives of the 12 Apostles, John Wesley, Billy Graham and an Italian religious reformer named Savonarola to determine what they had in common that makes their lives remembered through the ages. This is the same doctor who delivered a baby for a 16-year-old girl in 1901. Her mother didn't know she was pregnant and threatened to kill her when she found out. The same doctor who once had to tell a young man, crushed almost lifeless, that he had less than four hours to live. Then sat beside the boy until his mother arrived just in time to kiss him goodbye. The doctor, who when 30-years-old performed a tracheotomy in Paris, France, before many famous European physicians who had never seen it done. It was the same doctor who came to Coral Gables in 1923 and like many others - lost a fortune in the 'Bust after the Boom.' "The disease I dreaded most of all in the old days was whooping cough," he recalls. "One time in a four-story tenement house of Syrians there were 29 cases. And one child had 29 attacks in a single night. I couldn't do a blessed thing. "But I knew that one day some doctor would find the cure. And in 1929 Dr. Louis Sauer found the answer. "He became a hero to me and I've read about him and his work ever since. "Last spring he came to Variety Childrens Hospital to work and I met him for the first time. It was a wonderful thing for me to have such an opportunity after all these years." Already famous himself for eliminating the malaria mosquito in Worcester County Mass., in 1901, Dr. McKibben eradicated the "Taeniorhynchus" (tinny-rinkus) or salt marsh mosquito from Dade County about 1935. His reward was the presidency of the Dade County Medical Association. Who's Who in America has listed his many accomplishments since 1935. He is the founding father of the Miami Military Academy, various children's hospitals and is past president of many clubs including the Coral Gables Country Club and Lions Club. His wife, Olive Beatrice Flint, whom he married in 1905, is also listed in Who's Who among American Women. Many plaques and scrolls adorn the walls of his home at 641 N. Greenway Dr. in testimony to his life as a physician, humanitarian and philanthropist. But of all the things he's ever been called, he likes best to hear his 12-year-old granddaughter, Dorothy Lynne Kreeger, call him by the nickname she gave him. She calls him "Man." —Staff Photos by RAYMOND LANG DR. McKIBBON DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY DR. McKIBBEN ON GRADUATION, 1900 DR. McKIBBEN ON 25TH REUNION, 1925

NOW OPEN DANTE'S ITALIAN KITCHEN

SPECIALIZING IN FINE ITALIAN FOOD HOMEMADE: RAVIOLI • LASAGNA • MANICOTTI VEAL SCALLOPINI • CHICKEN CACCIATORE PIZZA TAKE-OUT SERVICE • SPECIAL CHILDREN'S ORDERS 5950 S. Dixie Hwy. MO 6-9035

GWEN'S SCHOOL OF DANCE

ALL TYPES OF DANCING BEGINNERS & PROFESSIONAL (3 to 93) • ENROLL NOW FOR FALL CLASSES • NEW AMERICANA Now Taught Exclusively in South Florida by GWEN— 5747 S.W. 8th St. 2480 S.W. 87th Ave. (Rear)—Galloway Rd. 4031 S.W. 99th Ave. — Also in Kendall CA 1-1115 CA 1-0242

We're Air Conditioning Specialists Service • Repairs

John Jowers Dick Anthony 20 yrs. combined service in Coral Gables "oh" and heating too! A-OK Air Conditioning Service, Inc. 251 Minorca Ave. HI 6-0955

USE CLASSIFIED, IT PAYS!

FOAM RUBBER

FOR ANY PURPOSE LEWISON INDUSTRIES 2230 S.W. 8th ST. PHONE HI-8-4390

GLAMORIZE YOUR HOME With Beautiful MURALS

We hang them free of charge. That means you save $50.00 when you purchase them here ... SAVE UP TO 25% ON WALLPAPERS We cut wallpaper to size of your walls, supply you with tools ... and show you how to do it yourself ... free of charge. OUR #2 SPECIAL—FOR THIS WEEK ONLY DUPONT LUCITE WALL PAINT $6.33 GAL. $1.80 Qt. A $7.45 value ..... NOW DUPONT SATIN SHEEN ENAMEL $8.49 GAL. $2.63 Qt. $9.95 Value ..... NOW DUPONT EXT. LUCITE ACRYLIC $7.35 GAL. $2.21 Qt. HOUSE PAINT, $8.65 value ...... 20% OFF ON DURALITE PAINTS & VARNISHES 25% OFF ON DURALITE MARINE PAINTS DURALITE'S DECOR-8 EXT. & INT. VINYL ACRYLIC WHITE & PASTEL COLORS NOW ON SALE $2.99 $4.40 GAL. REGULAR PRICE (only 4 gals. to a customer, please) UNLIMITED COLORS MIXED TO ORDER ... IN ALL SINCERITY DON'T MISS THIS SALE RESPECTFULLY YOURS RED BIRD PAINT & WALLPAPER 5738 BIRD RD.... SOUTH MIAMI...MO 5-3833 COME IN, LET US SHOW YOU HOW TO APPLY PAINT PROFESSIONALLY. YOU MAY TRY IT ON OUR WALLS WITHOUT OBLIGATION...

2 WAY RADIO TELEPHONE

SALES — SERVICE INDUSTRIAL AND MARINE GLADES COMMUNICATIONS CO. 9615 S. DIXIE HWY. FCC LICENSED MO 7-5715

LUNCHEON from 11:30 to 2 Mon. thru Sat.

Delicious food at fair prices We feature Hickory Broiled Steaks, Barbeque Ribs, Rotisseried Chicken and Duck over our open fires. DANCING FROM 10 TO 3 A.M. to the Music of Lou Gentile & his Orchestra at the beautiful new Fireside formerly the Preview 3622 Coral Way Phone HI 3-2038

POOL HEATERS

SOUTH MIAMI POOL CO. MO 1-7942 • 11 TRUCKS

• DON'T THROW 'EM AWAY — WE FIX 'EM • HEATERS ALL TYPES HOME OR INDUSTRIAL

Mower-Haven ★ LAWNMOWER ★ SALES-REPAIR-RENTAL ★ 7335 S.W. 41st TER. MO 7-6072