Charles Lowman


Charles LeRoy Lowman was an American orthopedic surgeon, writer, founder of California's first orthopaedic hospital in Los Angeles, director of education and chief of staff emeritus. At that time, there was no orthopedic surgeon present in San Francisco and New Orleans, making him the only orthopaedist who served for seventy years during his lifetime career. In 1974, the U.S. president Richard Nixon conferred Presidential Medal of Freedom upon Lowman for his medical contribution to the United States.

Life and background

Lowman was born in Park Ridge, Cook County, Illinois on December 25, 1879. He did his graduation from the University of Southern California, and later he attended Massachusetts General Hospital and subsequently Boston Children's Hospital where he studied orthopedics and earned Doctor of Medicine degree. His family members were also physicians, including his paternal grandparents.

Personal life

Lowman's first wife Elizabeth Hudson Arnold Lowman died in 1968, and later he married to Mary in 1972.

Career

During the early 1900s, Lowman worked at an ice manufacturer as a debt collector and the California Highway Commission as a secretary. Lowman started his career in 1908. He was initially working in California before moving to Los Angeles in 1900. When he came to southwest, he was the only orthopedist there for several years. After spending several years at Los Angeles medical institute, he used to hold outpatient clinic for handicapped patients from 1909 to 1972, and later moved to Calexico, California where he worked for children suffering from orthopedic diseases in a joint effort with the Valley Orthopedic Clinic that was also providing free treatments. Lowman served at USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy as a medical director as well as orthopedic consultant to the Los Angeles Board of Education.
In 1927, he started providing education to physically challenged children at home as well as at medical institute with transportation service. Before doing so, he founded Orthopaedic Hospital, first hospital of southwest designed to facilitate treatments with such diseases for children. During the last years, he served as chief of staff emeritus, and later as director of education. Lowman was also working at a private clinic which he later limited and started providing treatments only to his old patients.

Literary work

Lowman wrote eight books on orthopedic surgery that invented new surgery techniques, enabling polio victims to overcome the disease by practicing abdominal exercise to make the disabled parts move. He is also credited for contributing to aquatic therapy which he used for treating cerebral palsy and spastic patients.

Death

Lowman was suffering from multiple ailments and died on April 17, 1977 in Los Angeles.