Edward Augustus Holyoke
1728 - 1829
Born in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1728, Edward Augustus Holyoke was the son of the Reverend Edward Holyoke, who served as President of Harvard College from 1737 to 1769. The younger Edward entered the college at the age of 14 and graduated in the class of 1746.
After a short period teaching in Lexington and Roxbury, Holyoke moved to Ipswich to study medicine under a physician, Colonel Thomas Perry. After a two-year apprenticeship, Holyoke opened his own medical practice in Salem in 1749. He retired in 1821, 73 years later.
Holyoke was a pioneer in the treatment and prevention of smallpox. During an epidemic in Salem in 1777, Holyoke allowed himself to be innoculated by Dr. Nathaniel Perkins of Boston. Surviving the controversial treatment, he convinced more than 600 of his patients to be innoculated.
Harvard awarded Edward August Holyoke an honorary M.D. degree in 1783, this being the first award of an MD at the university. In the late 1780s, Holyoke was a founder of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he served as its president from 1814 to 1820. He was also a founder of the Massachusetts Medical Society and served as its president from 1782 to 1784 and 1786 to 1788.
Holyoke died in 1829 at age 100. He is commonly referred to as Dr. Holyoke in order to distinguish him from his father, President Holyoke.
After a short period teaching in Lexington and Roxbury, Holyoke moved to Ipswich to study medicine under a physician, Colonel Thomas Perry. After a two-year apprenticeship, Holyoke opened his own medical practice in Salem in 1749. He retired in 1821, 73 years later.
Holyoke was a pioneer in the treatment and prevention of smallpox. During an epidemic in Salem in 1777, Holyoke allowed himself to be innoculated by Dr. Nathaniel Perkins of Boston. Surviving the controversial treatment, he convinced more than 600 of his patients to be innoculated.
Harvard awarded Edward August Holyoke an honorary M.D. degree in 1783, this being the first award of an MD at the university. In the late 1780s, Holyoke was a founder of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he served as its president from 1814 to 1820. He was also a founder of the Massachusetts Medical Society and served as its president from 1782 to 1784 and 1786 to 1788.
Holyoke died in 1829 at age 100. He is commonly referred to as Dr. Holyoke in order to distinguish him from his father, President Holyoke.