U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hicks, Ira Clay (1868-1948) ------------------------------------------------------------------- Men of West Virginia, Volume II Biographical Publishing Company George Richmond, Pres.: C. R. Arnold, Sec'y and Treas. Chicago, Illinois, 1903 Pages 734-736 IRA CLAY HICKS, M. D., a prominent physician and surgeon of Hurricane, Putnam County, West Virginia, was born in that county in June, 1868, and is a son of B. D. and Selina (Hanshaw) Hicks. B. D. Hicks is a substantial farmer now residing near Winfield, in Putnam County. In political belief he is a Republican. He has been a member from early youth of the Methodist Church, of which his wife was also a member. Mrs. Hicks passed away January 9, 1895, aged 46 years. There were 10 children born to the parents of our subject, the nine survivors being: Dr. I. Clay; W. K.; Dr. W. D.; Irene; Dr. Charles F.; James O., a medical student; Oliver E.; Marietta: and I. R. L. Dr. Ira Clay Hicks was educated in the common and select schools of Putnam County and in Marshall College, and then was engaged in teaching school for about six years. The last teacher's certificate that he secured was the best given in the county, being based on the general average of 100 per cent, that he secured in the teachers' examinations. He also acted for a short time as bookkeeper and postmaster at Lorraine, West Virginia. He had, however, decided upon a medical career and had prepared for medical college by a year's reading under the able instruction of Dr. A. M. Spangler, of Winifrede, West Virginia. In 1893 he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Maryland, and after taking two courses of lectures, passed the examination of the State Board in 1895, and located at Hurricane, Putnam County, which has been his field of practice ever since. After practicing two years he re-entered the said college and was graduated from that institution in 1898. He took a special course in operative surgery under Dr. Charles F. Blake, of Baltimore, in 1897-98. He took special work on diseases of women in the City Hospital of Baltimore, under Dr. Gardner, in 1897, and work under Dr. F. Dyer Sanger on diseases of children, in the Nursery & Child's Hospital in Baltimore in 1898. In 1901 he took a post-graduate course at Johns Hopkins University at Baltimore, under Drs. Osler and Kelley and assistants. In 1902 he took post-graduate work on diseases of women and children and in surgery in the College of Physicians and Surgeons and special operative work in surgery under Dr. McNeer, of Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 1903 he took another post graduate course at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, similar to the one he took in 1902, also making a study of surgical anatomy and operative surgery under Dr. McNeer, a professor of Maryland Medical College and assistant pathologist of Johns Hopkins Hospital, of Baltimore. Dr. Hicks is a member of the Tri-State Medical Society of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio and of the American Medical Association, and is also a member of the International Association of Railway Surgeons. He has been examining surgeon for the United States pension examiners and since 1900 has been local surgeon for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company. Dr. Hicks is a Republican and served four years as county assessor. In the county convention he was nominated on the first ballot over his five opponents, and at the subsequent election was the only man elected on his ticket, — he was only 24 years of age at that time. He is a member of Lebanon lodge, No. 68, A. F. & A. M., of Milton, West Virginia. In 1895 Dr. Hicks was married to Helen Diddell, who was born in Winifrede, Kanawha County, West Virginia. One child, Xilpha, was born May 31, 1897, to the Doctor and wife. Dr. Hicks is well established in Hurricane and counts many friends and enjoys a liberal amount of public patronage. W. D. Hicks, M. D., brother of Dr. Hicks, mentioned above, was educated in the common schools, taught school and read medicine under his brother's guidance. At the end of one year of study, he entered upon his first year of medical college work in the medical department of the University of Kentucky at Louisville, spent his second year at the Kentucky School of Medicine, and later attended the Maryland Medical College at Baltimore, taking special work in surgery under Dr. R. L. McNeer, from which institution he graduated with honors in 1902, having practiced one year previously. He located at Henderson and has ever since been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. In 1903 Dr. W. D. Hicks took a postgraduate course in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Baltimore, and special work in surgery under Dr. McNeer. ------------------------------------------------------------------- DEATH CERTIFICATE, Cabell County WV, #2878 FULL-NAME: Ira Clay Hicks BIRTH-DATE: June 29, 1868 BIRTH-PLACE: Putnam County, W.Va. DEATH-DATE: Mar 22, 1948 AGE-AT-DEATH: 79y-8m-22d DEATH-PLACE: Memorial Hospital, Huntington, Cabell County, WV USUAL-RESIDENCE: 1102 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, Cabell County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Married (Helen Diddel) OCCUPATION: Physician FATHER: Bryant D. Hicks (born in Putnam Co., W.Va.) MOTHER: Selina Hanshaw (born in Winfield, W.Va.) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: respiratory failure / collapsed lung following perforation by fractured rib INFORMANT: Mrs. I. Clay Hicks (of 1102 Fifth Avenue) BURIAL: Woodmere Abbey, Huntington, W.Va. ------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Cabell County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/cabell/bios.html -------------------------------------------------------------------