Edwards Memorial Hospital

2021-05-07T19:40:52Z

Lbradley: Created page with "Founded by Walter J. and Frances W. Edwards, the Edwards Memorial Hospital opened on April 22, 1948 on a one-acre plot at 1624 NE Grand Blvd. Four days earlier, on a Sunday af..."

Founded by Walter J. and Frances W. Edwards, the Edwards Memorial Hospital opened on April 22, 1948 on a one-acre plot at 1624 NE Grand Blvd. Four days earlier, on a Sunday afternoon, the fire-proof, three-story, brick hospital was dedicated at an outdoor cemetery by Mrs. Edwards. Following the ceremony, 3,500 people toured the 105-bed hospital which boasted two operating rooms, an obstetrical department in one of two wings, and a mix of private and semi-private rooms.

Walter Edwards

2021-05-07T17:45:55Z

Lbradley:

Walter Edwards (1891-1972) was an African American entrepreneur and real estate developer. He owned several businesses in the Oklahoma City area prior to the stock market crash of 1929, but lost most of his fortune in the crash. Edwards then made another fortune afterwards with his scrap metal business. He later developed real estate in the northeast part of Oklahoma City. Many of his businesses offered services and housing to African American who otherwise would have been denied those things due to segregation.

After Edwards' wife fell ill and was treated at the Mayo Clinic, he realised that many members of his community would not have been able to afford the type of care that his wife had needed nor would they have been able to receive it in the segregated hospitals of Oklahoma City. He later had [[Edwards Memorial Hospital]] built in northeast Oklahoma City to serve the African American community. [[Edwards Avenue]] and [[Edwards Park]] are named for him.

MLS Cultural Atlas - User contributions [en]

Edwards Memorial Hospital

Walter Edwards