Draft:A. W. Vincent

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Arthur W. Vincent
A. W. Vincent portrait from The Oregonian
Mayor of St. Johns, Oregon
Preceded byCharles Bredeson
City councilman of St. Johns, Oregon
City physician of St. Johns, Oregon
Personal details
Political partySocialist Party of America
SpouseHannah Vincent
Occupationphysician

Dr. Arthur W. Vincent, (1865–1940) commonly referred to as "A. W. Vincent" was a physician, socialist activist and mayor of St. Johns, Oregon (one of few). Vincent's entrance into the political scene began when he was elected the St. Johns town doctor. Vincent also worked with several groups in the St. Johns community in separate capacities including giving medical help and doing administrative work for social clubs.

Career[edit]

Vincent's first political office was as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives for Washington County, Oregon.[1] His district, the 15th located in Tualatin, Oregon, elected him under the Union Party. Despite being elected in 1900, the 21st Oregon Legislative Assembly didn't convene until the following year.[2]

Vincent stated practicing medicine in St. Johns, Oregon in 1906, just three years after the town was officially incorporated. A notice in the St. Johns Review on May 18, 1906 read: "Dr. Vincent is now located at 203 [South] Jersey Street. All hours."[3] Vincent served as the doctor for the Webfoots camping troop, a group comparable to the Boy Scouts of America.[4] He also assisted the Women of Woodcraft with medical needs.[5] Vincent was elected president of the Oregon Homeopathic Medical Society during their annual meeting in 1906.[6] Vincent spoke to that same group two years later on the topic of "Serum therapy and homeopathy".[7]

Vincent believed that the small pox vaccine was ineffective and advised not getting one.[8] He was called before a judge in Portland by the state's health officer, Calvin S. White, for failing to report a case of smallpox. Vincent acted as his own attorney and alleged that the smallpox was in its early stages when the saw the patient, who he later referred to another doctor. In a later stage of the smallpox, Vincent told the court, the patient's doctor reported the case to the state health board.[9]

After the 1907 St. Johns municipal elections, Vincent appointed to the position of city physician by mayor Kindle C. Couch.[10] After the following year's election, the new mayor H. W. Brice, re-appointed Vincent.[11] As the town's health officer, Vincent was tasked with registering every birth at the behest of a town ordinance.[12]

Vincent penned an editorial for the St. Johns Review on March 10, 1910. In the article, entitled "What would Jesus do?", Vincent criticizes businessmen who he claimed were engaging in "financial savagery" by competing with other businesses in their community to a point where people were being put out of business, causing a ripple effect to the workers who lose employment. He wrote that collaboration was the best way for community businesses to ensure job security to workers and a fair share of wealth for the business owners, essentially a form of socialism.[13] He also wrote a weekly column for the paper entitled "Socialist Columns".[14]

In 1911, a body which Vincent had signed the death certificate was called into question. Ernest Ferdinand was prescribed morphine tablets by Vincent for pain. The cause of death was said to be heart disease, but the county coroner had the body exhumed after poison was said to be found in a blood sample.[15]

During the 1912 St. Johns municipal elections, the Socialist party nominated Vincent as their mayoral candidate, as well as G. L. Perrine for city council.[16] Out of three other candidates, Vincent finished in third place, in front independent candidate A. W. Davis. Despite the socialist party losing the mayor's race, Perrine won a seat on the city council.[17] After the election, Mayor Alvin Muck replaced Vincent with Dr. Jayne as the city's physician.[18] In June 1912, Vincent ran for the director of the city's school board, but lost the vote to H. W. Bonham 34–12.[19]

In 1913, Vincent ran again for citywide office, this time as councilman for the at-large district.[20] He won that seat and was nominated to be the president of the city council, but lost the vote to Alderman H. M. Waldref. Vincent was assigned to three committees, streets and docks; water and lights; and health and police.[21] At times during the year, the city council appointed Vincent to investigate the public health, including a potential outbreak of typhoid fever.[22][23]

In February 1914, Vincent announced his candidacy for mayor.[24]

Personal[edit]

Vincent married Hannah Vincent née Ross. Her father, Nelson F. Ross and mother, Samantha Ross née Truaz were married on a farm near Lexington, Michigan before settling near Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon in 1876. Hannah Vincent had 10 siblings.[25] Starting in 1907, Dr. Vincent and his wife were frequent guests at parties around St. Johns hosted by business and political leaders.[26][27][28]

Vincent's son, Chester A. Vincent graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in Corvallis, Oregon in the summer of 1910 and imediately joined the St. Johns city engineers.[29] Chester Vincent went on to study for his postgraduate degree at the University of Illinois.[30] Arthur W. Vincent's brother, L. H. Vincent was also a physician who was once employed by the Oregon National Guard in Crane, Oregon.[31]

In 1907, Vincent was the chairman of the St. Johns chapter of the Knights of Pythias, a secret society.[32] Later that year he played catcher on the Knights of Pythias baseball team.[33] He served as the secretary for the United Artisans chapter in St. Johns, also beginning in 1907 lasting until at least 1909. He was presented a gold button for his service to the United Artisans by master artisan Lewis K. Simmons at a meeting in January 1909.[34]

Vincent lived on the conrner of Leavitt and Ivanhoe streets in St. Johns with his family. His home was complete with a concrete basement.[35]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Nomination for all parties for the next Oregon legislature". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 17 May 1900. p. 8.
  2. ^ "1901 Regual Session" (PDF). Chronological List of Oregon's Legislatures. Legislative Administration Committee Services: 175. 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  3. ^ "Local News". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 18 May 1906. p. 3. Dr. Vincent is now located at 203 [South] Jersey Street. All hours.
  4. ^ "A joint installation". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 17 January 1908. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Fraternal officers elected". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 11 December 1908. p. 2.
  6. ^ "Homeopathic society is in annual session; Dr. A. W. Vincent of St. Johns is elected president to succeed Dr. P. L. McKenzie". The Oregon Daily Jouranl. Portland, Oregon. 12 June 1906. p. 2.
  7. ^ "Homeopaths meet". Medical Sentinel. 16: 335. 1908. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Vincent on vaccination". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 6 February 1914. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Dr. Vincent vindicated". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 20 February 1914. p. 1.
  10. ^ "Under new regime; St. Johns officials, recently elected, in office". Morning Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 10 April 1907. p. 10.
  11. ^ "The passing of the old and installing of the new; Monday night marked the departure of the old council and witnessed the new officials take oath of office". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 17 April 1908. p. 1.
  12. ^ "Births". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 9 October 1908. p. 2.
  13. ^ "What would Jesus do?". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 18 March 1910. p. 6.
  14. ^ "Untitled". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oreegon. 4 August 1911. p. 5.
  15. ^ "Body to be exhumed; Coroner to be certain of cause of death". The Sunday Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. 16 July 1911. p. 9.
  16. ^ "City candidates". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 15 March 1912. p. 1.
  17. ^ "The city election; Several offices hotly contested. Muck wins out for mayor". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 5 April 1915. p. 1.
  18. ^ "Council proceedings". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 19 April 1912. p. 3.
  19. ^ "Untitled". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 21 June 1912. p. 5.
  20. ^ "The primaries; Results of election held last Saturdaynewspaper=St. Johns Review". St. Johns, Oregon. 14 March 1913. p. 1.
  21. ^ "Administration changes". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 18 April 1913. p. 1.
  22. ^ "Council meet; Matters of importance receive attention". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 26 September 1913. p. 1.
  23. ^ "Not a disease center". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 3 October 1913. p. 1.
  24. ^ "Waxes warm; Scramble for municipal offices now on". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 13 February 1914. p. 1.
  25. ^ "Reunion at Dr. Vincent's". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 8 April 1910. p. 1.
  26. ^ "Local news". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 21 June 1907.
  27. ^ "A good social time; K. of P. held open meeting and entertained the ladies Friday evening". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 18 October 1907. p. 1.
  28. ^ "Local news". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 3 January 1908. p. 3.
  29. ^ "Untitiled". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 1 July 1910. p. 5.
  30. ^ "Untitled". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 6 September 1912. p. 3.
  31. ^ "Untitled". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 31 August 1917. p. 3.
  32. ^ "Knights of Pythias". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 14 June 1907. p. 1.
  33. ^ "Local pioneers celebrate". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 6 September 1907. p. 1.
  34. ^ "Artisans initiate; The occasion was pleasing for all". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 8 January 1909. p. 1.
  35. ^ "Untitiled". St. Johns Review. St. Johns, Oregon. 13 October 1911. p. 5.
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