#throwbackthursdays

In May 1863, while the Battle of Chancellorsville was raging in Virginia and shortly before the climactic Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, an English-born, Minnesota-based physician named William Worrall Mayo, M.D., signed an oath of office. By appointment of President Abraham Lincoln, he agreed to serve as an examining surgeon for the Union Army.

Since 1987, falcons have found a home on top of the tall buildings of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. During nesting season (approximately mid-March to late June), a live camera offers 24/7, real-time views of where they live and raise their young.

May marks the fifth anniversary of the Mayo Clinic app—hailed by tech specialists and consumers alike as “what every patient app should be.” But Mayo’s leadership in telephone communications dates back much farther.

When Saint Marys Hospital opened on September 30, 1889, it included the city’s first operating room that wasn’t also someone’s bedroom or office.

Given the stature of Mayo Clinic, it can be surprising to learn that this name was not developed by a high-powered consulting firm. Audience analytics and focus group metrics played no part in creating it. For that matter, even the people who worked at Mayo Clinic did not come up with the title. Instead, the name originated in an informal, grass-roots manner.

Opened in 1928, the Plummer Building is an iconic symbol of Mayo Clinic, designated as a National Historic Landmark. It is named for Henry S. Plummer, M.D., the “diversified genius” who designed it and who created many of the systems and procedures—such as the medical record and registration system—still in use at Mayo Clinic today.

Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, is one day when most folks pay particularly close attention to protecting the environment. This year, we're finding inspiration in the Sisters of Saint Francis who helped raise money for the Poverello Fund by recycling aluminum cans.

When making an announcement or accepting a professional recognition, William J. Mayo, M.D., and Charles Mayo, M.D., often spoke in terms of “my brother and I” and “our father taught us.” These statements are some of the institution’s earliest examples of teamwork, collaboration, and mentoring—qualities that remain key aspects of Mayo Clinic today. But the question arises: "If the Mayo brothers learned from their father, what were the influences that shaped his values?"

According to the 1941 biography, The Doctors Mayo, Rochester, Minnesota, has been a medical destination for decades. Author Helen Clapesattle describes a visitor's first impressions upon arriving in Rochester.

Intense changes roiled the world in March 1917, including Mayo Clinic. For several years, the Mayo brothers had seen the need to create formal programs in advanced education for physicians. They created an entity called the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Ever since Mayo Clinic was established, the institution's goal has been to provide outstanding care to its patients and offer superior education programs that ensure the success of the next generation of medical professionals. Read more about the history of Mayo's School of Graduate Medical Education.

In December 2015, the bronze statue, "Mayo Ancestors,” featuring William Worrall Mayo, M.D., and sons William Mayo, M.D., and Charles Mayo, M.D., was unveiled in a dedication ceremony in the Heritage Plaza on the Phoenix campus.

In 1986, Mayo Clinic's year-old liver transplant program was growing to be one of the largest in the world. Take a step back to 1986 by reading this article from the February issue of Mayovox.