JOHN WILLIAM AMESSE

His preliminary education was received in the public schools of Lake Linden, Michigan, and he graduated from the University of Michigan Department of Medicine and Surgery in 1898.

Dr. Amesse was commissioned as Assistant Surgeon in the U.S. Marine Hospital Service in 1904 and resigned four years later. During this period he served in the Spanish-American War, was stationed in Hawaii from 1900 to 1901 where he was in charge of the Marine Hospital in Honolulu, served in the Philippine Islands from 1901 to 1904, was one of the physicians in charge of combating the yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans, and served in Cuba from 1907 to 1909 where he was the first health officer of Havana under the American occupation.

Dr. Amesse married Mary Moneta Hawes January 11, 1905, in Greeley, Colorado. They had three children: Jessie Louise, who died in infancy, Helen Moneta, and John Hawes.

In 1911 the doctor took postgraduate work at John Hopkins, and in 1938 he studied at the University of Vienna.

After his return from John Hopkins, he settled in Denver, Colorado, about 1910, specializing in pediatrics.

Enlisting as a first lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps, Dr. Amesse went overseas in World War I as director of Base Hospital No. 29, organized by the Medical School of the University of Colorado. Later he transferred to Base Hospital No. 15 in France where he served until his discharge in 1919 as Lieutenant Colonel. He received a citation for his services in France and England. During World War II, he served as chairman of the procurement and assignment committee for physicians, dentists, and veterinarians in Denver.

From 1910 to 1949 Dr. Amesse was on the staff at Children's Hospital, Denver, serving as president of the staff from 1924 to 1925; he was also on the staff at St. Joseph's and the Colorado and Denver General Hospitals. He was a member of the Colorado Board of Health for two years and a member of the Denver Public Health Council, serving as president in 1931-1932. Dr. Amesse was Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and in 1945 was made Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pediatrics. He served on the Adult Education Council of Denver from 1935 to 1940, was a founder of the Rocky Mountain Radio Council and the Denver Santa Claus Shop, and a director of the Capital Life Insurance Company of Denver.

The doctor did research mainly in the fields of infant feeding and Rocky Mountain tick fever. He was the author of "First Aid Book for Boy Scouts of America" (1913) and of "Children's Hospital, a History of Achievement and Progress from 1910-1947" (1947), and was one of the collaborators with William E. Fitch on a three volume work, "Dietotherapy" (1918). He also contributed numerous articles to medical journals.

Dr. Amesse died August 21, 1949, in Denver at the age of 75.

He was past president (1939-1940) of the Denver City and County Medical Scoiety, a member of the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association from 1930-1938, vice-president of the American Medical Association from 1943-1944, a charter member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the American Public Health Association, the American College of Physicians, and the United Spanish War Veterans. He was a 32 degree Mason, a member of Phi Rho Sigma, University of Michigan Emeritus Club, and of the University, Athletic, Cactus and Mile High Clubs of Denver. In politics he was a Republican and belonged to the Congregational Church.

In Memoriam Index