David Cumins Donan, M.D.
Reporter
Katherine F. Berry
Morganfield, Kentucky
David Cumins Donan was born
at Three Springs, in Hart County, Kentucky, on March 12, 1882. His
parents were Dr. Davis Crews Donan, M.D. and Victoria (Grady) Donan.
He received his early education in the
common schools and afterwards attended private schools for Greek, Latin and
Mathematics; becoming a surveyor at the age of 15 years. He graduated from the
Kentucky State University in 1902 in Science. Receiving a fellowship for one
year, he was given a Master's Degree in Chemistry in 1903. After teaching in the
county schools for 2 years he entered the University of Louisville Medical
School and graduated with first honors in 1907, and was appointed interne in the
Louisville City Hospital for one year. For two years he was a member of the
teaching staff of the Chemistry Department of the University. He was a licensed
a registered Pharmacist in 1906.
In 1909 Dr. Donan was married to Miss
Adeline Callaway of Sturgis, Kentucky, a trained nurse.
After five years of general practice in
his profession in Horse Cave, Kentucky he located at Morganfield, Ky in 1913 and
resided here since then. In Union County he has enjoyed a large and lucrative
practice, giving special attention to Industrial Surgery and Physio Therapy,
serving as attending surgeon to several coal mines and in private practice.
During the World War he served as
captain in the medical corps of the U.S. Army, serving for over two years, one
of them in France. He served in the hospitals and was regimental surgeon of the
336th Infantry at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. Following the war he returned
to practice in Morganfield, Ky, receiving three promotions in the Medical Corps
Reserve attaining the rank of full Colonel in 1934, which he has since held.
promotion was earned with field training and extension work.
Dr. Donan taught a reserve officer's
class at Morganfield and Henderson, Ky., for four years during this time being
continuously president of the Transovarian Chapter Reserve Officers. He served
as contract surgeon in the U.S. Army for three years, serving the local camp
Civilian Conservation Corps, and in 1940 was appointed C.C.C. Physician for the
camps at Morganfield, Owensboro and Henderson, Ky. Dr. Donan has served as
County chairman for the C.M.T.C. continuously since its organization nearly
twenty years ago.
Doctor and Mrs. Donan operated a small
emergency hospital for several years afte the World War. His work was successful
and showed the need of hospitals in rural communities.
Dr. Donan is a charter member of The
Griggs-Olvey Post of the American Legion, having served two terms as Post
Commander and seven years as Posot Adjutant and he was instrumental in securing
the construction of the Local Community House.
He was for several years a Mason and
Knight Templar and served as Master of the lodge at Horse Cave, Ky.
As an elder in the Morganfield
Presbytern Church he has always taken a great deal of interest in church
affairs, representing his church frequently at Presbytery.
Dr. and Mrs. Donan have reared three
sons, all for professional careers. John Donan is a civil engineer at
Madisonville, Kentucky. David Donan, Jr., is an accountant now serving as
lieutenant in the U.S. Army; William Page Donan, a lawyer at Greenville,
Kentucky.
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