Oechsner, John F.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Oechsner, John F., New Orleans physician, surgeon, and educator, was born in New Orleans, La., Oct. 27, 1868; his father, Andrew Daniel Oechsner, was born in Baden, Germany, Nov. 30, 1826, and died in New Orleans May 24, 1878; mother, Katherine (Hoefeld) Oechsner, was born in Hesse, Darmstadt (near Cologne), German empire, July 17, 1839, and died in New Orleans July 16, 1900. The father came to America and located at New Orleans when a young man. He followed the business of a carpenter and later became a large contractor. Many of the substantial buildings of New Orleans at that time were erected by him. He became the father of 7 children, of whom 4 are now living, viz.: Ida, who became Mrs. John Gordon Smith, of New Orleans; Herman, New Orleans physician, elsewhere referred to in this work; Charles L., a resident of England since 1899, and the subject of this sketch. John F. received his early education at the public schools of New Orleans, graduating from the Boys' high school in 1885. From this time he was for 3 years engaged in various occupations, and in 1888 began the study of medicine at Tulane university. In 1889, however, he found it necessary to suspend his medical studies, and going east he was employed by an electrical manufacturing company at Lynn, Mass., for about two years, earning means with which to complete his medical education. In 1891 he returned to Tulane university and resumed his studies, graduating in 1894 as valedictorian of his class, with the degree of M. D., having in the meantime, through competitive examination, entered the New Orleans Charity hospital as an interne and served the regular term of two years. He has been engaged in the practice of medicine in New Orleans since the date of his graduation, shortly following which he became assistant to Dr. F. W. Parham, who occupied the chair of general surgery in the New Orleans Polyclinic, now the Post-Graduate medical school of Tulane university. In 1897 he was appointed assistant demonstrator of anatomy in the under graduate department, occupying that position until 1909, when he resigned and was shortly afterward appointed professor of orthopedic surgery and surgery of children in the New Orleans Polyclinic, previously mentioned, and has continued to occupy that position to the present time. Dec. 26, 1899, Dr. Oechsner was married to Miss Caroline Kinne Cable, of New Orleans, daughter of James Boardman and Julia (Clark) Cable, both parents representing old Louisiana families originally from Virginia and New England. Dr. Clark, Mrs. Oechsner's maternal grandfather, was a pioneer dentist of St. Louis and New Orleans. Both the Cable and Clark families were largely represented in the Confederate army, Mrs. Oechsner's uncle having lost his life at the battle of Shiloh. Dr. and Mrs. Oechsner have 2 children--- Julia Dorothea, born Jan. 3, 1901, and Frederick Cable, born Nov. 26, 1902. The doctor is a member of the Orleans Parish Medical association, Louisiana State Medical association, American Medical association, Charity hospital alumni, Southern Medical association, and Southern Surgical and Gynecological association. At this time he is serving as president of the Charity Hospital Alumni association and first vice-president of the Louisiana State Medical association. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Chess, Checkers and Whist club. Dr. Oechsner is a democrat, and an active member of the Good Government league of New Orleans. He affiliates with the Unitarian church. It is worthy of note that Mrs. Oechsner is a niece of the well known author, Geo. W. Cable.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 335-336. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.