Rogers Park Hospital

     In the Chicago Tribune of May 2, 1926, there was an article.about the  new Rogers Park Hospital.  Work was scheduled to start on May.3rd.  This would be the first large medical facility in Rogers Park. The location was to be at 6970 North Clark Street.  The hospital building was to be 6 stories. There would be 2 operating rooms, one labor room and one delivery room. There was to be an X-Ray department, and a lab.  There were one hundred patients rooms.  The Architect was Dwight G. Wallace.  Projected cost was $402,500.

     The president of the new hospital  was Dr. F. Patrick Machler.  The Doctor had a distinguished career in the Spanish American War and World.War 1.  He was the former superintendent of Iroquois Hospital.

    During 1938-1939 period, there were two bizarre incidents concerning the hospital.  Firstly, the name of the Hospital was changed to Will Rogers Memorial Hospital apparently without the consent of Mr. Rogers and his estate.  The case eventually ended in the court of federal judge William Holly.  On February 11, 1939, the  judge signed a consent decree enjoining Will Rogers Memorial Hospital from using Mr. Roger’s name.  The decree was issued on the complaint of the Will Rogers Commission and Will Rogers Memorial Fund of New York.