employees of the Hospital; the remainder were admitted to the Hospital under the various state laws for indigent adults and children.
Hospital superintendents. — When the first little hospital was established on the campus in 1869, John Carrington became janitor or steward (the terms appeared interchangeably), and his wife was matron. He was to prepare the dietary for the hospital patients, keep the fires, and care for the rooms and beds, in return for which he and his family were to "have residence" in the Hospital and receive seventy-five cents per week for each patient. Another couple continued this arrangement for a year or so. After that for a period of some fifteen years, there is no record of a hospital steward, but in 1874 the position of hospital physician was created. It was first held by Dr. Robert J. Peare, denominated by Dr. Sager as "the physician in immediate charge of the inmates." Dr. Alexander C. Maclean was appointed Hospital Surgeon in 1877 and was also designated Hospital Superintendent, with the understanding "that he shall be furnished a room in the building … and also contingent upon his assuming the general control of the work of the matron" (R.P., 1876-81, p. 125).
The increasing number of patients and the difficulties of satisfactory administration under this system led eventually to a series of recommendations by the medical faculty submitted to the Regents in June, 1888. Among other measures, it was suggested: "That the price of board be raised to four dollars per week, … That a competent matron and steward be engaged to conduct the culinary department, … and that the present system of boarding patients … be abolished." In December, 1888, the auditing committee reported that they had selected Joseph Clark as steward of the hospitals at a salary of $1,000. Two and one-half years later he was given the title of Superintendent of the Hospitals, including the Homeopathic Hospital.
On completion of the Catherine Street Hospital group in 1891, a series of new rules and regulations provided that the superintendent should have charge of admitting and discharging patients and should also keep records of patients as well as a property inventory, provide for the patients' diet, hire all servants, collect all moneys from patients, and have oversight of each department of the Hospital (R.P., 1886-91, p. 532).
This was the beginning of a more systematic administrative policy. Clark continued to serve until his death in 1897, when he was succeeded by his son, Harry W. Clark, upon whose resignation in 1900, E. S. Gilmore became superintendent. Gilmore, in turn, was followed in 1908 by Jay B. Draper, who had previously been superintendent of the Pontiac Asylum. Draper was hardworking and conscientious, but apparently had little administrative ability. A rigid policy of making the Hospital "pay its own way," although it resulted in a surplus, gave rise to many complaints and was responsible for a general decline in efficiency and morale.
This condition led to an investigation by a committee of the medical faculty, which reported that in all medical affairs the Hospital should be under the direction of the medical faculty. There had been hospital committees of the medical faculty before the Catherine Street Hospital was built, but their powers were limited, particularly in the matter of finances. As a result, with the approval of the Regents, a new Hospital committee, with extended powers, was created in January, 1912. Dr. Reuben Peterson was made Medical Director, with Dean V. C. Vaughan and Dr. De
