Parham, Frederick William, M. D.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Parham, Dr. Frederick William, M. D., well-known physician and surgeon, New Orleans,--was born at New Orleans, La., March 20, 1856; son of John Greenway, Jr., and Mary E. (Blunt) Parham, the former of whom was born June 10, 1826, and the latter April 11, 1828. John Greenway Parham, Jr., the father, served the Confederacy during the Civil war as commissary officer of the Trans-Mississippi department. After the war he returned to New Orleans and in the course of his public service filled many positions in connection with the public school system of the city. During some years he was a teacher of primary grades in the schools, and later became principal of the Boys' high school. He also served as a member of the board of school directors, and was filling the office of president of this board at the time of his removal from the state in 1887. The Parham public school in New Orleans was so named in his honor. His father was Dr. J. G. Parham of Virginia. Simon Blunt, Mary E. Blunt's uncle, married a daughter of Francis Scott Key, author of the "Star Spangled Banner." John Greenway Parham, Jr., died in 1888, and his wife in 1909. Frederick William Parham, the subject of this sketch, received his earlier education as an attendant at the public schools of New Orleans, and following his graduation from the high school entered Randolph-Macon college, Virginia, where he pursued his studies for 2 years. Upon the completion of his academic education, he matriculated in the medical department of the University of Louisiana and graduated from that institution with the degree of M. D. in the class of 1879. This school is at this time known as Tulane university of Louisiana. Following his graduation, Dr. Parham did post-graduate work in surgery in Philadelphia, and later visited Europe in pursuit of further knowledge in his profession. At Heidelberg and Berlin he studied under some of the best known men of the time, these including such celebrities as Czerny, Bramann, Hahn in surgery, and Ewald--in histology. In the course of his professional activities Dr. Parham has held many important positions, notable among which may be mentioned that of visiting surgeon for many years to the Charity hospital, New Orleans, which position he still holds; assistant house surgeon at the Charity hospital from 1885 to 1887; surgeon to Hotel Dieu, 1881 to 1885; president of the Orleans parish Medical society; president of the Louisiana State Medical society; president of the Charity hospital of Louisiana Alumni society; president of the Southern Surgical and Gynecological association, and was long a member of the board of administrators of the Tulane Educational fund. Dr. Parham's extended investigations and research in his profession have led him to affiliate with many organizations which, each in its particular field, affords facilities for further professional progress, and among these associations are found the following: Orleans Parish and Louisiana State Medical societies, Charity hospital of New Orleans, Louisiana Alumni society, Southern Surgical and Gynecological association, American Public Health association, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Medical association, American Surgical association, International Society of Surgery, etc., etc. Dr. Parham also has used his pen extensively in advancing the science of medicine and surgery among the profession, and among his contributions of this nature a few may be noted here as affording an idea of the character of this work, such as: ''Resection of the Thoracic Wall for Tumor," (Transactions of the Southern Surgical and Gynecological association, 1898); ''Vesico-Intestinal Fistulae,'' (in collaboration with Joseph Hume; paper before the American Surgical association, Annals of Surgery, July, 1909); Hypospadias and Episipadias," (New Orleans Medical and Surgical Journal, Jan., 1901); "Treatment of Hypospadias," (New Orleans Medical Journal, Jan. 1912); "Enterostomy, a Life-Saving Measure," (April, 1912), and various other articles of much importance to the members of his profession. Dr. Parham specializes in general surgery and gynecology. He is affiliated with the democratic party, and takes the interest of a loyal citizen in public and political affairs, but has neither held nor sought any political office, his professional duties demanding his un-divided attention. Dec. 15, 1892, Dr. Parham was married to Miss Mary Kell Duncan, a daughter of Gen. J. K. and Mary (Grimshaw) Duncan, of New Orleans. Four children, as follow, in order of their birth, have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Parham: Frederick D., Duncan, Mildred and Mary.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 344-345. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.