Peregrine Wroth
was born in Baltimore on February 17, 1882, the son of the Rev. Peregrine
Wroth, one of Baltimore’s most well-known Episcopal rectors. The Wroth family
came from the Eastern Shore, and was one of Maryland’s oldest, tracing their
beginnings in Kent County back to 1650. His grandfather, also Peregrine Wroth,
was also a physician and also the President of the Medical & Chirurgical Faculty
of Maryland.
Dr. Wroth was
educated in the public schools of Baltimore, and graduated from Johns Hopkins,
where he also attended medical school, studying under Sir William Osler, MD.
In 1908, Dr.
Wroth moved to Hagerstown and began practice. Long recognized as the dean of
the local medical profession, Dr. Wroth enjoyed a national reputation as a
surgeon and a pioneer in the field of surgery. He was active in the American
College of Surgeons, the AMA and the Southern Medical Association.
Dr. Wroth was a
member of the Medical & Chirurgical Faculty for many years, serving as a
member of its council for a number of years, and as its President in 1928. He
was appointed by the Governor of Maryland as a member of the Advisory Council
on Hospital Construction.
In addition to
his work at the hospital and in private practice, Dr. Wroth also served as the
chief surgeon for the Potomac Edison Company, and the Western Maryland Railway.
He served as a
Captain in the Medical Corps during WWI, where he served with the famous Johns
Hopkins Unit in France. During WWII, Dr.
Wroth shouldered the increased burden of surgical practice left by the absence
of the younger physicians who were serving in the war effort.
Dr. Wroth was a
keen photographer, and several months before his death, he made his first trip
across the newly-opened Chesapeake Bay Bridge, hanging out the window to take
photographs. His driver became accustomed to frequent stops so that Dr. Wroth
could take photographs, which hung in local galleries and restaurants. He was
in great demand as a judge at photography contests.
Dr. Wroth died
on December 24, 1956 of a heart ailment. He had suffered his first heart attack
seven years earlier, but had recovered. He was 74 years old.
His great-grandfather, also Dr. Peregrine Wroth was the 79th President of the Faculty.
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