The life of one of Surf City’s earliest doctors

A LOOK BACK

Several months ago I was on my way to the post office and was stopped

by a lady who wanted to know if I could write about her former doctor

in Huntington Beach, Lawrence Whittaker.

I told her that I had written a short column about him several

years ago and that if I ever find more information about Dr.

Whittaker I would be happy to write another column.

Well, a couple of weeks ago Arline Howard of Huntington Beach

stopped by and gave me a lot of history on Dr. Whittaker and so this

week I’ll keep my promise and share with our readers the wonderful

life story of Lawrence Forrest Whittaker.

It was in Lawrenceville, Ill., in Lawrence Township, in Lawrence

County that Lawrence was born on Oct. 24, 1901. His father, Daniel B.

Whittaker, had acquired 300 acres of woodlands and set to work

clearing it of hickory and walnut trees.

With the land clear for farming, Daniel and his three sons spent

many days tilling the soil for crops. When Lawrence was not helping

in the field, he was receiving his education at the Cross Roads

country school and later at Lawrenceville High School.

After he graduated from high school in 1920, Lawrence enrolled in

Eureka College in Illinois to study the sciences and mathematics.

While there he became the assistant editor and business manager of

the school’s newspaper, the Pegasus.

Also while at Eureka College he met a young lady in one of his

classes by the name of Hazel Dell Miller. They saw each other through

four years of school and they both graduated from Eureka in 1924.

Lawrence received his bachelor of science degree and he then

entered the University of Illinois’ school of medicine in Chicago.

Meanwhile, Hazel left Illinois to join her parents who were living

in Huntington Beach. Her uncle was none other then Tom Talbert -- a

name very familiar to all of us. Hazel returned to Illinois in 1927.

It was springtime and love was in the air and so Lawrence and

Hazel were married in the First Christian Church in Eureka.

Lawrence’s fraternity brothers from the Tau Kappa Epsilon acted as

attendants at the wedding while Hazel’s sorority sisters from Delta

Zeta acted as her bridesmaids.

After the wedding, the newlyweds returned to Chicago where

Lawrence continued medical school. Hazel went to work for the

Marshall Field’s department store in Chicago.

In 1928 Lawrence received his medical diploma and in December of

that year the two moved to California to live. Lawrence received his

internship at Los Angeles General Hospital for one year and served

there as a resident physician for an additional year.

In 1930 he teamed up with Dr. Robert A. Walker to form a

partnership in Alhambra for two years.

In the spring of 1932, Lawrence and Hazel moved to Huntington

Beach and opened a medical office at 302 3rd St. There home was

located next door to the office. From 1934 to 1937 Lawrence was a

board member for the Huntington Beach Elementary School and helped in

planning its reconstruction after the 1933 earthquake.

Hazel was hired by Clark Reid to teach at Huntington Beach

Elementary.

In 1935 their first child, Jo Ann, was born and two years later

their second child, Mary Jane, came into this world.

From 1937 to 1938 Lawrence served as vice president of our

Huntington Beach Rotary Club and was a long time member of that

organization. In 1938 he was elected president of our Huntington

Beach Chamber of Commerce. During World War II he chaired our Red

Cross unit and in 1943 he was elected secretary-treasurer of the

Orange County Medical Assn. He was both a member of the California

Medical Assn. and the American Medical Assn.

Lawrence became a staff member of the Long Beach Community

Hospital and was on staff in St. Joseph Hospital in Santa Ana.

In the late 1930’s Lawrence served as a chairman for the Boy

Scouts Committee here in Huntington Beach.

He was a member of our Masonic Lodge and a member of our

prestigious Windsor Club.

Hazel was a member of our Huntington Beach Woman’s Club, our PTA,

our Huntington Beach Assistance League, the Twentieth Century Club

and was active in the Woman’s Auxiliary of the Orange County Medical

Society.

Both Lawrence and Hazel were long standing members of our First

Christian Church.

Lawrence was on the board of the Huntington Valley Bank and served

as editor of the Orange County Medical Society’s newsletter. It was

on July 24, 1966, after spending 34 years caring for our citizens

that Lawrence Whittaker passed away. Although he is not with us

physically, his memory will remain in the annals of Huntington Beach

history for all time.

* JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington Beach

resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O. Box

7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.