nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

PROCEEDINGS 35
dence of everyone who knows him. He is a son of the late F. S. Groner of
Texas, who for a generation was prominent in Southern Baptist affairs, and
who did much to establish the Southern Baptist Hospital.
MAGNOLIA STREET PROPERTY
We bought the property at the corner of Magnolia and Jena Streets and
that at the corner of Magnolia and Cadiz Streets, both lots being directly across
Magnolia Street from Bristow Hall, the graduate nurses' home. The old residence
at the Jena Street corner is almost valueless, but the buildings at the
Cadiz corner rent for $83.33 per month. These two corners cost us $16,000
and were bought for cash.
REQUEST FROM SAN ANTONIO
We received a request from the Baptist Pastors' Conference of San Antonio,
Texas, requesting us to establish a hospital in that city, to be owned and
operated by this Hospital; which request bore the endorsement of the executive
committee of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. As there was no
meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention last year, this request was submitted
to the Convention's Executive Committee for advice and instructions.
After considering the request, the Executive Committee felt it should not pass
upon it, but that the matter should be referred to this Convention for action.
CONVENTION POLICY
The policy of the Convention respecting hospitals is that as a general rule
State Baptist Convention ownership and control is desirable; but specifically
recognizes exceptional conditions "such as x x x New Orleans" in which the
full strength and influence of Southern Baptists should be enlisted.
The Hospital Commission was organized by the Convention "for the establishing
and maintaining of hospitals as a part of our great Baptist program or as
a part of the service that Baptists of the South are to render all humanity,
whether abroad or at home, through the agencies of this Convention"; and the
Commission was instructed to "make a survey of the hospital situation in the
South from a Baptist standpoint, with the view of bringing definite recommendations
to this Convention one year hence in regard to a permanent hospital
policy for the future."
A prolonged study was made, covering the territory of the Convention. A
voluminous file of facts and suggestions was accumulated. A brief summary
of this study was made in a report to the Convention. It was pointed out that
few district associations were able to operate hospitals successfully; but State
Conventions .could do so; and that there are exceptional circumstances in which
the Convention itself should act. We quote from the report:
"A great Southwide house of healing, well located in some large city, drawing
its support from the whole denomination, having at its command physicians
and surgeons of outstanding merit in their profession, would command nationwide
attention and offer extraordinary facilities for service to those who would
resort to it. It is not difficult to picture situations where this Convention should
act in its corporate capacity. Indeed it has acted, x x x Therefore, we submit
the following:
"First, That the general policy of this Convention be to observe denominational
State ownership and control of Baptist hospitals;
"Second, That the Convention recognizes certain outstanding exceptions,
such as the Tuberculosis Sanatorium in El Paso, Texas, and the general hospital
at New Orleans, for which the Convention stands committed;
"Third, That this Hospital Commission with five local members shall be
incorporated and shall hold in trust all hospitals of this Convention; and shall
act in an advisory capacity with such other Baptist Hospitals within our territory
as may desire same." (Minutes 1924, page 73)
Thus the Convention contemplated establishing other hospitals, and the
Commission was "to hold in trust all" of them. But the cases were to be
exceptional.
MANY REQUESTS DISAPPROVED
Requests for establishing hospitals under the authority and control of the
Southern Baptist Convention have been received from Baptist groups in eight
different States: and one Baptist State Convention by formal resolution made
exceptional such request. situation However, "such in as no New case Orleans," hitherto has either this in Board need or felt opportunity there was for
an