Pioneers Of Veterinary Medicine in the Fort Smith River Valley Dr. X. G. May Veterinary Hospital Fort Smith, Arkansas Dr X. G. May (Xuri Gerald May) was a veterinarian in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Born in 1880 he was the first graduate veterinarian to be licensed in the state of Arkansas in 1915. (He was license #1, mine was license #1493 in 1980). Dr. May died 1942. His obit is posted below. The picture above was taken in 1922 of his clinic at 212 N. D street. Dr. May is in the center with the white coat on. He was 42 when this picture was taken. The second picture was taken from the same corner today as it is now. His home was on 214 North 4th street just around the corner from his clinic. In the far left of the clinic picture you can see the corner of his home. He resided there until his death in 1942. Dr. Mays obituary,Southwest Times Record, 1942 I have been privileged to have been in the veterinary community in the Fort Smith River Valley for 41 years. Long enough to have met most of the men and women that brought veterinary medicine into the ‘modern age’ in the River Valley. It was certainly modern for their time. There was a common quality these people had. They were kind and generous with their services. Not just in the profession but in their communities. They would go out of their way to greet you and acknowledge their colleagues. I know this first hand because they would always approach my colleagues and myself to inquire about family and friends. And, they would praise my colleagues and me for our efforts in improving the profession. I always felt proud after visiting them. There are eight people I will introduce. Most of you had known them. I did not attempt to limit the list to just men, but one must recall that women were almost non-existence in the early years of veterinary medicine. These veterinarians were almost all born in the teens of the 1900’s. There was one individual of that era brought widespread attention to the profession. That man was James Herriot. He was a British “Veterinary Surgeon” (as they are addressed in England). He wrote a volume of books on his life experience. The first one, most notably, was All Creatures Great and Small. Herriot was his pen name. His actual name was James Alfred Wight. Herriot was born in 1916 and passed in 1995. He was an inspiration for many youngsters to go into veterinary medicine as a career. ~ A brief introduction to our ‘Docs” in the River Valley:~ Dr. Jennings Bozeman. God broke the mold when He created this fine gentleman. Dr. Bozeman operated Bozeman Animal Clinic on Towson Avenue for many years. He was born in Alabama and eventually settled in Fort Smith after his veterinary education. He was born in 1917 and died in 1995. He was a quiet, caring man, courteous to all. His former clinic is still operating today under the ownership of Dr Mark Davenport. Dr. Charles Davis “Doc” Labahn. Doc was born in Missouri in 1917. He attended veterinary school at Kansas State University. He joined the Army during WWII as a cavalry veterinarian. He was stationed at what then known as Camp Chaffee until the end of the war. He then opened Labahn Veterinary Hospital on Kelley Highway. He retired in 1980 after nearly 40 years. Dr Mike Thames assumed ownership of the clinic. The clinic is still in operation today bearing his name .Charlie died in 2008. Dr. Junior C (JC) Hubbs. Dr. Hubbs came to Van Buren by way of Kansas. Born in 1918 in Missouri, JC (as he was known as) was a 1947 graduate of KSU. He practiced in Kansas until he came to The Fort Smith area where he practiced in the area from 1953 until 1962. He established Hubbs Animal Clinic in 1962. JC retired in 1997. He had served as the president of the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association and was awarded the ArVMA Veterinarian of the Year (VoY) in 1973. The VoY award was presented to one individual annually as voted upon by their peers. The award recognized their public service in elevating the practice of veterinary medicine beyond just ‘practice’ life. JC had a bold personality with a booming voice. He was very opinionated but his softer side was a very caring, giving individual. When you got to know him you could really see the ‘real’ JC inside. He died in 2008. His practice is still in operation. JC’s son, Dr Randy Hubbs, assumed ownership of the clinic. Dr. Max Cress. Max practiced mixed animal medicine in Mena, Arkansas for 44 years after graduating from Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1956. He was born in 1914. Dr Cress served as President of the ArVMA and was also a recipient of the Veterinarian of the Year award In 1970. Max passed away in 2001. Max was a very kind, quiet gentleman. He always came to the Fort Smith Area Veterinary meetings from over 70 miles away even after he developed vision loss later in his life. His lovely wife, Anna, would drive him to the meetings. He was a class act. Very quiet and cordial and always interested in what you were doing. Dr. John Montgomery. Though, technically, he may not be from the River Valley… we claim Dr Montgomery. He was born in 1917 in Henderson, Texas. He joined the U.S. Army and served as a sergeant in WW II. He went on to receive his DVM degree from Tuskegee University in Alabama. He then worked for a year in Mexico City before going to Poteau in 1951 where he practiced for 35 years. He mentored a number of young veterinarians. He also introduced preventive medicine to several farmers in the area, as well as herd certification and artificial insemination Dr Montgomery was instrumental in desegregation in the Poteau area. Poteau became the first city in Oklahoma to allow African-American students to attend school with white students due to his efforts. He retired in 1988 and died in 2014. On a personal note, Dr. Montgomery was a physically large man. He was 7 feet tall. He served on the Oklahoma Board of Regents appointed by the governor of Oklahoma. He handed me my DVM diploma at OSU in 1980. His hands were as big as a bears… but he had a gentle handshake and was soft spoken. Dr. Fred ‘Skip’ Hander. Skip was born in Texas in 1931 and received his DVM degree from Texas A&M. Initially, Dr. Hander practiced large animal medicine in Logan and Franklin counties. He then practiced small animal medicine in Paris and Booneville for 30 years. He served the veterinary profession with many hats. He was a Veterinarian of the Year in the ArVMA in 1984 and served 2 terms on the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Examining Board. This is the state governmental board that regulates veterinary ethics. Governor Dale Bumpers appointed him to this position. Dr. Hander died in 2012. He was very involved in community service. Also, a very caring man. He always showed his colleagues great respect, as we respected him. Dr Ernest H Leonhard. Ernie was born on April 8, 1908. He was a graduate of the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medical Medicine. He began his practice located adjacent to the Moffett Stockyards (immediately across the Garrison Avenue bridge) in the 1940’s. The stockyard auctions was one of the largest in the central US. Notably, the stockyard auctions was the largest mule auction in the world in the 40’s. These mules were bought and moved to Mexico where they were used in the mines. The death rate of the mules was tremendous in Mexico due to disease and environmental conditions. He sold the practice to Dr. Monroe Morton in 60’s. Ernie resided in Fort Smith and continued large animal medicine. Tragically, Dr. Leonhard died in 1977 after sustaining a broken neck in a SE Oklahoma ‘ chute’ accident. He was only 69. This biographical information was almost entirely provided by Dr Moreton who knew Ernie well and received his clinic records subsequent to purchasing his practice. Dr Claude Buel Vanzandt. Claude was born in 1933 in Texola, Oklahoma. He was the ‘youngest’ of the DVM’s on this list.He was a 1961 DVM Graduate of OSU. Dr. Vanzandt was a mixed animal practice in Sallisaw, Oklahoma for many years. I could find very little of his practice life and personal history. I wanted to include Claude as a ‘pioneer’ among the early veterinary medical professionals in the River Valley area. Dr. Vanzandt died in 1984 at the age of 50. He is buried in the Sallisaw City Cemetery. Conclusion: These men had common qualities. They were kind, compassionate and generous with their time. They gave as much to community service as well as their profession. They paved the way for the rest of us. It was an honor to have known them and to emulate them. David M Blount, DVM Class of 1980 Oklahoma State University June 25, 2021