Shobal Vail Clevenger Jr. (24 March 1843 – 24 March 1920) was an American physician who specialized in nervous and mental diseases.
Biography
Shobal Vail Clevenger Jr. was born in
Florence, Italy
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
on 24 March 1843, the son of sculptor
Shobal Vail Clevenger
Shobal Vail Clevenger (22 October 1812 near Middletown, Ohio – 23 September 1843 at sea) was a United States sculptor.
Biography
He was the son of a New Jersey weaver, went to Cincinnati when a boy, and found occupation as a stone cutter. ...
, who died the year he was born. He received his early education in the Jesuit college of
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
bank, which he resigned to visit
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex
, Offi ...
, crossing the plains for this purpose. Returning soon after the beginning of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...
, he enlisted in the
U. S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, c ...
, and served in the engineer corps, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. Subsequently, he was engaged in surveying in
Montana
Montana () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West List of regions of the United States#Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions, division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North ...
and
Dakota
Dakota may refer to:
* Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux
** Dakota language, their language
Dakota may also refer to:
Places United States
* Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Dakota, Illinois, a town
* Dakota, Minnesota ...
, and filled the office of U. S. deputy surveyor. Later he built the first telegraph line through Dakota, and for a time was chief engineer of the Dakota Southern Railroad.
In 1873 he began the study of medicine under army surgeons in Fort Sully, while holding the appointment of civilian meteorologist in the
U.S. Signal Service
The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army that creates and manages communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild ...
. He settled in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
in 1879, and after studying medicine became a specialist in nervous and mental diseases. For some years he was pathologist to the Chicago County Insane Asylum, and he was consulting physician in his specialties to the
Michael Reese Hospital
Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1881, Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital and one of the oldest and largest ...
and to the Alexian Brothers' Hospital. He also held the professorship of anatomy in the
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mil ...
.
Clevenger was a member of many scientific organizations, such as the
American Neurological Association
The American Neurological Association (ANA) is a professional society of academic neurologists and neuroscientists devoted to advancing the goals of academic neurology; to training and educating neurologists and other physicians in the neurologic ...
, the
American Microscopical Society
The American Microscopical Society (AMS) is a society of biologists dedicated to promoting the use of microscopy.
A cohort of biologists and science educators, the AMS's members use a wide array of microscopical techniques (light microscopy, elec ...
, the
American Anthropometric Society The American Anthropometric Society was an association for acquiring and storing brains of eminent persons for the purpose of research. The society was founded in 1889 in Philadelphia. Edward Anthony Spitzka, M.D., professor of anatomy at Jefferson ...
, the American Electrical Society, and the Society of American Anatomists.
He died on 24 March 1920, and was buried in
Graceland Cemetery
Graceland Cemetery is a large historic garden cemetery located in the north side community area of Uptown, in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1860, its main entrance is at the intersection of Clark Street and Ir ...
in Chicago.
A collection of his papers are held at the National Library of Medicine.
Works
Clevenger was a frequent contributor to the scientific press. He also published:
* ''Treatise on Government Surveying'' (New York, 1874)
* ''Comparative Physiology and Psychology'' (Chicago, 1885)
* ''Lectures on Artistic Anatomy and the Sciences Useful to the Artist'' (New York, 1887)