Bobbs, John Stough (Dec

Bobbs, John Stough (Dec. 28, 1809-May 1, 1870). Pioneer surgeon and medical
educator. Born in Greene Village, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, where he obtained his
early education, Bobbs began the study of medicine in 1827 as an apprentice to Dr.
Martin Luther in Harrisburg. His three-year stint included one complete course of formal
lectures. After moving to Indianapolis in 1835, he returned to Pennsylvania later in the
year to complete a second course of lectures at Jefferson Medical College (Philadelphia)
and obtained his M.D. degree.
Bobbs served as one of the commissioners to establish the Indiana Hospital for
the Insane. He was a founder and first secretary of the Indianapolis Medical Society
(1848) and was instrumental in organizing the Indiana State Medical Society the
following year. He was appointed professor anatomy, and then professor of surgery and
dean of Indiana Central Medical College (1848-1852). In 1856, he was elected a state
senator from Marion County, and during the Civil War he served as a medical inspector
and a commissioned surgeon.
Bobbs was concerned with maintaining an adequate supply of qualified
physicians for the state. He founded the Indiana Medical College in 1869, the oldest of
the three proprietary schools that united in 1908 to form the Indiana University School of
Medicine. The Bobbs’ Free Dispensary, established as a result of his bequest, provided
free medical care for thousands of patients and was a primary source of health care for
the poor in Indianapolis during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Charles A. Bonsett, M.D.
Indiana University School of Medicine