Saturday, December 10, 2011

Peyton Roland Denman, M.D. (1879-1955)

Dr. Peyton Roland Denman of Houston, Texas, died in a local hospital on August 16, 1955.  He was born near Lufkin on October 10, 1879 to Dr. Alex M. and Mary Caroline Walker Denman.  After attending Lufkin public schools and East Texas State College at Commerce, he entered Tulane University College of Medicine in New Orleans, from which he graduated in 1903.

He began his practice in Angelina County soon after his graduation, continuing there until 1911 when he moved to Houston.  He remained in Houston until he retired in 1952.  He was a member of the American Medical Association and the Harris County Medical Society, and was elected in 1952 to honorary membership in the Texas Medical Association, after having been a member almost continuously since 1904.  He was also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a past president of the Texas Railway and Traumatic Surgical Association. 

He was a past president of the staff at Memorial Hospital, a staff member and former executive board member of Jefferson Davis Hospital, and was on the staff of Hermann Hospital.  He was appointed to the faculty of Baylor College of Medicine in 1944 as Associate Professor of Gynecology (Honorary) and resigned some years later.

Dr. Denman was also a member of the Baptist Church, the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Community Chest, the Houston Club and the Houston Doctor's Club.  During World War I, he was a major in the 137th Field Artillery Medical Corps, serving as a regimental surgeon in France.

He was one of twelve out of his graduating class to be honored in 1953 by a special graduation ceremony during which he was awarded a diploma for having served in the field of medicine for 50 years.  After his death, the Houston Chronicle paid tribute to him in an editorial, which called attention to his pioneering in the field of spinal anesthesia and invention of the Denman needle to inject the splanchnic nerves of the spine.  The article pointed out "the son of a physician and the father of a physician, Dr. Denman was also the brother of two other physicians.  Medicine is a tradition in his family". 

Dr. Denman married Miss Frances Wootters of Crockett on December 5, 1905.  Mrs. Denman survives, as do two daughters, Mrs. Carlos R. Hamilton and Mrs. Frances Denman Prince; and one son, Dr. Frank R. Denman, all of Houston.  Three brothers survive, Dr. Linwood H. Denman, Dr. Byford H. Denman and K.W. Denman, all of Lufkin.  His surviving sisters are Mrs. Archie Hucherson and Mrs. Lillian Shands of Lufkin and Mrs. Nell H. Abram of Houston. 

+ + + published in the Texas State Journal of Medicine, October 1955.  Transcriber is not a relative and has no further information regarding this family.

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