I was honored to know Dr. Hingson and his wife Gussie, through a family connection, and was truly awed by the man’s genius, even when I was a teenager. Gussie was a lifelong friend of an older cousin, and I have many letters and Christmas cards they exchanged over the years.
The New York Times noted in their obituary of Dr. Hingson in 1996: Robert Andrew Hingson [was] a pioneer in the field of public health who made important contributions to anesthesia for safer, easier childbirth and to mass immunizations with the ”jet” injection…[his] fame was assured well before this relief work. His invention of continuous caudal — posterior — anesthesia and perfection of lumbar epidural anesthesia to prevent pain in childbirth earned him worldwide recognition.
Both techniques are credited with reducing maternal and infant mortality around the world. Dr. Hingson began epidural and jet injections as a fledgling physician when he was the director of anesthesia at the United States Marine Hospital on Staten Island from 1941 to 1943.
His jet injector speeded mass inoculations against many diseases, without needles or syringes. Hundreds of people could be inoculated in an hour, making the injector a vital tool in eradicating small pox.
In 1962 Dr. Hingson led a team that immunized a million people against smallpox in Liberia. In 1967 his foundation vaccinated 846,000 people against smallpox in Costa Rica and immunized people there against epidemics of measles and polio…
Rented and lived in that house from 1971 thru 1974. Known as the “Cook house” at that time. Beautiful, wonderful house with its own ghost…but a harmless one! Dr. Kingston visited about once a year and kept some of his antiques in a couple of rooms upstairs, but he let us use a few like President McKinley’s brass fireplace guard in the downstairs rooms where we primarily lived. The front rooms (living room, dining room and foyer) had gorgeous hard rock maple floors, and there was a beautiful winding main staircase. It really hurts to see how it’s been left to decay. Dr. Kingston was a tremendously brilliant man who made outstanding contributions to medicine, and he never let anyone forget it.
Barbara: I don’t where you live, but if not too far away you could actually walk through it even now. It is surprising how well the floors, while very dusty, are still in very good shape as is most of the home because it is so well built. Hopefully it is rescued before it can’t be!
The Cook name comes from WL Cook, the firmer Executive VP of the 1st State Bank, a very nice man, married to Nas Cook the daughter inheriting the home from her mother Rowena Dorminy (a large S Ga ~ Tifton, Fitzgerald . . . even into Atlanta well-known family) Henderson ~ my Great Grandmother.
Yes, it is a spectacular home.
I have always loved that house. My childhood castle! I always want to live there.
Too bad it is being left to decay and rot by the current owners ~ instead of them doing “the right thing” of either selling or GIVING IT TO THE CITY to rehab. It is left wide open to the elements or potential vandal, the grounds are in total disrepair. How anyone could be so selfish is unfathomable.
The current owner is Andrew Hingson. Which is the son of Dr Hingson. I have told him several times that he should fix it up or let someone else do it but he has yet to do that.
Yes, it is RIDICULOUS and selfish ~ in fact it is not the Hingson home, rather the Henderson home ~ his wife’s family.
Doug: This is your 2nd cousin, Tom Harrison from Tallahassee ~ come over and visit sometime. Papa and Granny Henderson purchased this sometime during or shortly after the Depression ~ it had been built by a relative of Dr. Hingson’s wife and Nas sold it back to Mrs Hingson in the mid to late 60s.
The house looks empty. Does anyone know if the current owners would consider selling it?
Who was the architect who designed the Hingson home?
Beautiful home. Wonderful history!
Brian, I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Hingson while working at Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald. He was guest at one of our medical staff meetings and he entertained us with tales of his career. He told us one of the reasons he and his fellow physicians came up with the epidural was because their commander at the naval hospital told them to figure out something to quieten the ladies in labor! The OB ward was next to the wing in the hospital where the officers were being treated and they would sometimes hear all the goings on in the OB ward! Just wanted to share that tidbit!
That’s wonderful, Linda. He was a fascinating man, indeed.
I met Dr.. Hingson while working at Dill’s Hardware in the 80’s. I interviewed him for a college project and when I visited his home to return a book he had loaned me, he had visitors from Kenya. They were in their native dress enjoying refreshments on his back lawn. He was one of the most interesting people i have ever known.
They were such amazing people and welcomed people of all cultures and backgrounds.
Wonderful story, Linda. Thanks for sharing.
Wasn’t this home built by the Henderson family in the early 1919-20’s.Looks exactly like my grand parents home sold to the Doctor in the 1970’s.