Festus R-VI Hall of Fame Inductee - Robert Hart Donnell
1996 Festus R-VI Hall of Fame Recipient
Dr. Robert Hart Donnell
Robert Hart Donnell can best be characterized with the words self-discipline, dedication, and service. His self-discipline became evident very early in his life: from the time he was five years old, he was firm in his career choice – he wanted to be a doctor “like Uncle Doc” (Hensley of Herculaneum). He maintained his focus on this goal throughout elementary and high school, graduating with the Festus High School Class of 1929. When asked by one of his teachers on the last day of his senior year if he still wanted to be a doctor, his answer was a firm “Yes.” However, he wondered how he would be able to finance his goal. This teacher, Zoe Booth Rutledge, offered him an education loan, enabling him to leave his farm home near Hematite and make his way to the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.
After completing his doctorate at the Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Donnell came to Crystal City in 1936 and set up his office. His private practice was interrupted by World War II, during which he served five years with the 91st General Hospital Division, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He spent two years of his service in England, where he had the special honor of escorting the Queen Mother through the x-ray department of the hospital in Oxford, England.
Dr. Donnell’s dedication and service are shown by his fifty-year tenure as physician for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and his half century of service to his patients in the area. As an “old-fashioned” doctor, he responded to telephone calls from patients at all hours of the day and night, making house calls – even in the country – sometimes over icy roads, delivering babies in homes, without the sophisticated equipment and medicine of today. Immediately after World War II, there were only five doctors to serve the needs of the entire population of Festus and Crystal City, creating a heavy demand on Dr. Donnell and the other four doctors. He was instrumental in the establishing of Jefferson Memorial Hospital in 1957. He became certified by the American Board of Radiologists and served as head of Jefferson Memorial’s x-ray department from 1957 until 1979. He is the only surviving member of the original hospital staff.
The many demands of his practice, especially with his complete dedication to the welfare of his patients, consumed most of Dr. Donnell’s time. Although he held membership in Lions International and the Masonic Lodge, his dedication to his wife, Evelyn, and their five sons meant that little time was left for those organizations. This giving a high priority to his patients and to his family typifies Dr. Donnell’s life.
In the community, he is known as an honest and dedicated man with high morals and great self-discipline. A self-made man, he attributes his success to hard work and God’s grace. These outstanding qualities, which have earned Dr. Donnell the respect of others throughout his career, make him an excellent role model for today’s young people.