Claire Dawson
The Letterman Hospital, formerly known as the Letterman General Hospital, was established in 1899 at the Presidio of San Francisco. The hospital was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman, whose nephew, Sp3 John Letterman, visited the hospital in 1957. The Letterman Hospital was the first Army general hospital to employ women of the Army Nurse Corps and remained the Army's largest and most active hospital until World War I. It played a crucial role in nursing and medical advancements, including pioneering the field of physical therapy and developing the Letterman Leg, an orthopedic device. The hospital was deactivated in 1995, and the site is now home to the Letterman Digital Arts Center by Lucasfilm.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Letterman General Hospital |
| Location | Presidio of San Francisco |
| Year Established | 1899 |
| Year Became Letterman Hospital | 1899 |
| Named For | Major Jonathan Letterman, Medical Director for the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War |
| Year Deactivated | 1995 |
| Year New Campus Built | 2005 |
| Campus Size | 23 acres |
| Campus Features | Headquarters for Lucasfilm, Yoda Fountain, Public Lawn with Golden Gate Views, Restaurants |
| Previous Function | U.S. Army General Hospital |
| Year of Previous Function | 1898 |
| Purpose of Previous Function | To provide healthcare for sick and wounded soldiers during the Spanish-American War |
| Year Became Largest Army Hospital | 1918 |
| Year of Renovation | 1969 |
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What You'll Learn
The hospital was established in 1899
The Letterman Hospital, also known as the Letterman General Hospital, was established in 1899. It was located at the Presidio of San Francisco and was named after Major Jonathan Letterman, the Medical Director for the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War.
The hospital was built to address the health issues of the 22,000 troops at Camp Merritt, a temporary camp set up in the sand dunes of the Richmond District, just south of the Presidio. W.H. Wilcox, a San Franciscan, designed the hospital to include 300 beds across 10 wards, with administrative and support buildings surrounding a central green and connected by covered corridors. The hospital was constructed between 1899 and 1902, and it played a crucial role in caring for sick and wounded soldiers during the Spanish-American War. Most of its patients during this period were soldiers travelling to or returning from the Philippines.
By 1918, Letterman Hospital had become the Army's largest general hospital. It opened a School of Nursing and made significant contributions to the field of medicine, including the development of the Letterman Leg and advancements in physical therapy. During World War I, the hospital treated many wounded soldiers returning from Europe, and its staff developed innovative orthopedic devices and physical therapy techniques.
Letterman Hospital continued to serve as a vital medical facility during World War II, treating soldiers from the Pacific Theater. In 1945 alone, the hospital received more than 73,000 patients. The hospital underwent renovations in the 1960s, and by the Vietnam era, it had become a ten-story, 550-bed facility. The Letterman Army Medical Center, as it was then known, trained a significant portion of the Army's medical specialists and served soldiers wounded in Vietnam throughout the 1970s.
The Letterman General Hospital was deactivated in 1995 after the transfer of the Presidio to the National Park Service. The site was redeveloped, and it now houses the Letterman Digital Arts Center, which is home to Lucasfilm and several of its divisions. The campus features a beautiful public meadow, sculptures, and stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts.
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It was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman
The Letterman Hospital in Presidio, San Francisco, was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman, the Medical Director for the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War. The hospital was established in 1899 to care for sick and wounded soldiers during the Spanish-American War. By 1918, it had become the Army's largest general hospital, and it continued to function as a hospital into the 1980s. During World War II, it was one of the largest hospitals in the country and treated over 73,000 patients in 1945 alone. The Letterman Army Medical Center was also a hub for medical innovation, playing a crucial role in the development of artificial blood, laser physics, and trauma treatment.
In 1995, the hospital was deactivated following the transfer of the Presidio to the National Park Service. The site was then redeveloped, and in 2005, the Letterman Digital Arts Center was established, housing several divisions of Lucasfilm. The new campus incorporated remnants of the hospital's history, using 50% of the concrete from the original hospital. The Letterman Digital Arts Center features a beautiful campus with a public meadow, lagoon, and stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts. It has become a popular destination for visitors, offering a unique blend of history and modern attractions.
Maj. Jonathan Letterman's legacy is also honoured in other ways at the Presidio. For example, in 1957, Sp3 John Letterman, the nephew of Maj. Jonathan Letterman, arrived at the Presidio. Additionally, several streets in the Presidio were named after past commanders, honouring their contributions and keeping their memory alive within the community.
The Letterman Hospital played a significant role in the history of military medicine and the preservation of its name through the Letterman Digital Arts Center ensures that Maj. Jonathan Letterman's contributions continue to be recognised and remembered. The centre has become a vibrant hub, attracting visitors and showcasing the evolution of the site while paying homage to its past.
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It was the first Army hospital to employ women of the Army Nurse Corps
The Letterman Hospital, formerly known as the Old Post Hospital, was established in 1899 to cater to the health needs of the 22,000 troops at Camp Merritt. The hospital was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman, and it was the first Army hospital to employ women of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901.
The Army Nurse Corps and Letterman Hospital have their origins in the Spanish-American War. When the United States went to war with Spain over its treatment of Cuba in 1898, the Army expanded its forces to about seven times its peacetime size to fight in the Spanish colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. This sudden expansion overwhelmed the Army Medical Department, and they had to hire trained professional nurses on a contract basis.
In 1901, after years of lobbying by Army medical officers and nursing leaders, Congress created the U.S. Army Nurse Corps as a component of the Medical Department. This marked the first time that women could serve in the Regular Army, although it took decades for them to achieve full equivalent ranks with men. Letterman Hospital was at the forefront of this historic moment, becoming the first Army general hospital to employ women of the Army Nurse Corps.
The employment of women in the Army Nurse Corps had a significant impact on the Letterman Hospital. By 1902, forty-one nurses were part of the hospital's staff, contributing to its smooth operation. The hospital remained the Army's largest and most active hospital until World War I, and many members of the Nurse Corps trained or worked there at some point in their careers. Notable nurses who served at Letterman Hospital include Dita H. Kinney, who became the first superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps, and Dora E. Thompson, the hospital's chief nurse, who led the nurses' response to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.
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It was the largest Army general hospital by 1918
The Letterman General Hospital, formerly known as the Letterman Hospital, was established in 1899 at the Presidio of San Francisco. It was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman, whose nephew, Sp3 John Letterman, arrived at the Presidio in 1957.
The hospital was built to cater to the health needs of the 22,000 troops at Camp Merritt, a temporary camp set up in the sand dunes of the Richmond District, just south of the Presidio. W.H. Wilcox designed the hospital, which initially had 300 beds across 10 wards, along with administrative and support buildings.
By 1918, Letterman Hospital had become the largest Army general hospital in the country. It played a crucial role in treating wounded soldiers returning from Europe during World War I. To accommodate the influx of patients, the hospital established East Hospital, adding 21 new buildings and significantly increasing patient capacity. By 1921, Letterman Hospital had expanded to include 56 permanent and 29 temporary buildings, with a staff of 41 medical officers, 58 nurses, and 484 enlisted men.
During World War II, Letterman's location made it essential for treating soldiers from the Pacific Theater. In 1945 alone, the hospital received over 73,000 patients, making it one of the largest hospitals in the country at that time. Letterman and Walter Reed Hospital were the Army's largest hospitals during World War II.
The Letterman Army Medical Center continued to serve soldiers wounded in Vietnam throughout the 1970s and was at the forefront of developing artificial blood, laser physics, and trauma treatment. The hospital was deactivated in 1995 after the transfer of the Presidio to the National Park Service.
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It was deactivated in 1995
The Letterman Hospital, also known as the Letterman General Hospital, was deactivated in 1995. The hospital was located at the Presidio of San Francisco and was established in 1899 to cater to the health problems of the 22,000 troops at Camp Merritt. The hospital was one of the largest in the country during World War II and continued to function into the 1980s.
The Letterman Hospital's journey can be traced back to 1898 when the Old Post Hospital faced a shortage of bedpans for its sick soldiers and volunteers. This prompted a request for a new Army General Hospital at the Presidio, which was established the following year. The hospital was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman, whose nephew, Sp3 John Letterman, arrived at the Presidio in 1957.
Over the years, the Letterman Hospital played a crucial role in treating soldiers during World War I and World War II. It was also at the forefront of medical advancements, pioneering the development of artificial blood, laser physics, and trauma treatment. In 1969, the Army renovated the aging structure into a new ten-story, 550-bed facility, which became the Letterman Army Medical Center. This new medical center trained a significant portion of the Army's medical specialists and served soldiers during the Vietnam War.
However, by the 1990s, the Letterman Hospital had undergone several transformations and closures. In 1991, the Letterman Army Medical Center was inactivated and converted into the Letterman U.S. Army Hospital. The inpatient services of this hospital ended in 1993, and it transitioned into the Letterman U.S. Army Health Clinic. Finally, in 1995, following the transfer of the Presidio to the National Park Service, both the Letterman Hospital and the research institute were deactivated.
Today, the site has been redeveloped, and several buildings from the original hospital complex have been replaced. The Letterman Digital Arts Center now occupies the space, housing divisions of Lucasfilm, including Industrial Light & Magic and LucasArts. The Thoreau Center for Sustainability has also been established within twelve surviving buildings of the hospital complex.
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Frequently asked questions
Letterman Hospital, also known as Letterman General Hospital or Letterman Army Medical Center, was established in 1899 in Presidio, San Francisco. It was the first Army general hospital to employ women of the Army Nurse Corps. The hospital was involved in every U.S. foreign conflict until it was decommissioned in 1995.
The Letterman Hospital was named after Maj. Jonathan Letterman. Interestingly, in 1957, Sp3 John Letterman, the nephew of Maj. Jonathan Letterman four generations removed, arrived at the Presidio.
Following the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco, the Letterman Hospital opened its doors to civilian casualties. Medical officers from the Presidio took charge of sanitation in the post-quake refugee camps and the hospital became the Army's largest general hospital by 1918.
