By: c

Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:16:40 +0000

Malvern Bryan Clopton (1875-1947) [photo] appears in three oral histories, largely in the context of his involvement as Chief of Surgery in Base Hospital No.21, a WW I medical unit from WUSTL, and later as commander of Mobile Hospital No. 4. In 1934, Dr. Clopton was a professor of clinical surgery at the WU School of Medicine and Chief of Staff at St. Luke’s Hospital. He was also President of the Corporation of Washington University at this time, which may have been the context for Harold speaking to him about his loans. He was one philanthropic cat — at different times, he donated buildings, medical equipment for entire hospital wings, and an 800-acre farm to WUSTL.

The Malvern B. Clopton Jr/Sr. High School in Clarkesville, MO is presumably named for him. The Malvern B. Clopton Experimental Farm (formerly Brookhill Farm), also in Clarkesville, was gifted to WUSTL for experiments in nutritional agriculture, but it seems to no longer be in WUSTL’s portfolio. One might assume that this farm was once the Walker summer residence (q.v. below).

Bugger… I’d typed loads more and then closed the window by accident. Most of the lost references came from the NY Times archives — search for “Malvern B. Clopton,” “Gerard B. Lambert” and a few other names for the straight dish.

• Lily Lambert was an heiress of the Lambert Pharmaceutical Co., responsible for Listerine, among other products.
• James Walker was heir of the Ely & Walker Dry Goods Co. (incidentally the same “Walker” that puts the “W” in G.W. Bush”)

????: Lily Lambert and James T. Walker wed and have a son, James Theodore Walker.
1906: James Walker (Sr.) dies in a gasoline explosion near the garage of his summer home in Clarksville, MO, leaving Lily a widow.
1909: Malvern B. Clopton marries Lily Lambert Walker.
1911: Lily Lambert Walker Clopton dies (circumstances unknown), leaving a $5 mil inheritance to her son, James T. Walker.
1927: Shortly after graduating from Princeton, James T. Walker dies in a plane crash. He was flying with a George Lambert (a relation?) when their plane lost a wing. Lambert survived the crash landing. James’ will leaves $3.75 mil to his stepfather, Dr. Malvern B. Clopton.
1928: Dr. Malvern B. Clopton crews on the Atlantic, a schooner owned by Gerard B. Lambert, brother of his deceased wife Lily Lambert Walker Clopton. They place 2nd in the King of Spain’s trans-Atlantic Cup.
1933: Gerard B. Lambert divorces his wife, Rachel Lowe Lambert.
1934: Dr. Malvern B. Clopton marries Rachel Lowe Lambert (July 14,1934).

All very intricate and inbred bluebloody, what-what?

The Clopton Family genealogical site has a brief bio of the man.

There’s more at Access Genealogy, where the entry notes that “Dr. Clopton resides at No. 5391 Waterman avenue,” about a block and a half from Ruth.

By: c

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 04:35:05 +0000

wow, Zumbalen’s an easy one — first google hit returns this, which informs us that:

[Joseph Henry] Zumbalen served as a law professor at the University from 1918-1928 and as the University’s legal adviser and secretary treasurer.

AccessGenealogy.com has a nice bio.

Comments on: Letter 32

By: c

By: c