William Schauffler Dodd

William Schauffler Dodd (December 27, 1860 - January 27, 1928) was an American Christian medical missionary and physician who predominantly worked in Asia Minor, particularly in Turkey. Dodd is best known for his efforts to establish a medical institution and promote nursing education in Turkey. He worked all over Turkey, but mainly in Cesarea (modern-day Kayseri). Dodd began his missionary work in 1886 and worked as a doctor and surgeon. His primary goal was to build a hospital in Cesarea, which he succeeded. Dodd founded the first hospital ever in this region. Dodd also worked to establish a nursing school and advocated for the training of female nurses. In 1924, Dodd terminated his missionary work and returned back to the United States. His work had a lasting impact on the development of healthcare and nursing in Turkey.

Early Life

William S. Dodd was born on December 27, 1860 in Smyrna, Turkey to his American parents Edward Mills Dodd and Lydia Harris Babbitt. His father graduated from Princeton University in 1846 and the Union Theological Seminary in 1848. The seminary is known for its focus on religious ministry and theology. After completing his education, Edward Dodd embarked on a mission trip overseas in Turkey where William was born. William had four siblings: Hettie M. Carter, Frederic Dodd (who died in infancy), Louisa Jeanette Dodd, and Isabel Frances Dodd. In 1865, his father died while working in Turkey due to cholera, prompting his mother to move his family home to the United States.

After returning to New Jersey with his family, William Dodd completed his education at Princeton University, graduating in 1881. He then pursued medical studies in New York from 1881-1886, while also attending the Union Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 1884. On June 24, 1886, William married Mary Louisa Dodd, where they went on to have six children. Following their marriage, Dodd and his wife traveled to Asia Minor where Dodd began his medical missionary work.

Missionary Work

In 1886, Dodd and his wife traveled to Turkey to begin his missionary work under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. During the first five weeks of his mission, Dodd traveled throughout the Yozgat region, visiting 13 villages. During the days, he traveled and provided medical care to patients, and in the evenings Dodd held meetings to engage in religious work and ministry. Following this early period, Dodd and his wife proceeded to Cesarea, Turkey. At the time, Cesarea had a population of around 3 million people, but lacked any hospitals or medical dispensaries in the whole city. Dodd’s primary goal was to establish a hospital in the region to address the healthcare needs. However, his initial attempts to gain approval from the Turkish government to build a hospital were unsuccessful. Despite this, a local governor in Cesarea granted Dodd permission to build a house, which he essentially used as a medical dispensary. With the help of $5,000 in fundraising from his father in law, Dodd was able to create the dispensary.

In 1900, Dodd established the dispensary, which he later developed into a full hospital called the American Christian Hospital. The dispensary was staffed by fellow medical missionaries and Armenian pharmacists. Dodd continued to expand the facility and by 1908, the hospital contained waiting rooms, two examination rooms, and a drug store.

During his time in the hospital, Dodd treated thousands of patients and performed numerous surgeries. In his final year of service, he treated 7,803 patients with approximately three-quarters of them receiving care free of charge. The hospital also provided shelter to 114 of the patients who underwent surgery. The total number of days patients were in the hospital was 7,175. On average, patients stayed in the hospital for around 18.5 days.

In addition to his medical work, a large portion of Dodd’s mission was evangelist work. On his journey, he was accompanied by his pastor. Along with the help of his wife, the Dodds and the pastor all sought to spread Christianity among the local population. Mrs. Dodd played a central role in the religious work, often engaging directly with the patients her husband treated. Despite the fact that this was a Christian hospital, Dodd made it accessible and appealing to all types of people, especially Armenians and Muslims. The hospital was created to welcome all individuals, regardless of their races or religions.

Dodd also played a significant role in the development of the nursing profession. Before Dodd’s work, nursing was not initially viewed as a respected or established profession. In the early years of his hospital, Dodd introduced nursing into the hospital by hiring one female and two male nurses. Over time, more nurses were trained and integrated into the hospital, allowing the concept of nursing to gain popularity and become respected. Dodd’s work helped break social barriers, making it acceptable for women to become nurses and for unmarried women to care for male patients. The success of female nurses in his hospital marked a turning point in the profession.

Dodd, along with several colleagues, contributed to a formalized nursing education. They created a textbook on nursing and established a training school for nurses. The curriculum at the school included extensive practical training, bedside instruction, lectures on anatomy and physiology, and lessons based on their textbook. The ultimate goal of the program was to train “nurse-bible women.” These are women who are equipped with nursing skills and knowledge of the Bible. After completing their training, these women could minister others in their community by providing healthcare and spreading Christianity.

After the hospital was created, World War I began. Dodd and the hospital played a key role in helping save countless Armenians from deportation and providing relief work to those affected by the war. Dodd and his wife continued their mission in Turkey until 1924, when they returned back to New Jersey.

Legacy

Over his 38 years of service, William Dodd’s missionary work undoubtedly left a lasting mark on the community in Turkey and nursing in general. First and foremost, Dodd provided healthcare to a region that never had access to medical care. Dodd was able to treat numerous patients and save thousands of lives due to his hospital. He also provided accessible medical care to people of all religions and races, something that was not common at the time. His religious indifference helped build trust amongst a variety of different groups and also expanded the opportunity to spread his evangelism. It increased his hospital’s reach and impact, therefore creating a greater profit intake. Dodd was able to make his hospital a center of healing, physically and spiritually. The hospital promoted the integration of medical care with Christian evangelism in a way that appealed to a diverse population.

Dodd’s missionary work also left a significant impact on the development of nursing. Dodd played a key role in professionalizing nursing and making it into a respectable career. His creation of a training school for nurses and a nursing textbook shaped the future of nursing in the region. Additionally, Dodd paved the way for women to enter the healthcare field with respect. Lastly, his work in World War I further solidified his legacy as a compassionate and transformative figure in both healthcare and social justice.