Dr. Walter Lindley (1852-1922) was born in Monrovia, Indiana, January 13, 1852. He was the son of Milton Lindley, merchant, treasurer and commissioner of Los Angeles County and Mary E. Lindley (born Mary E. Banta). During boyhood he attended school and worked on a farm. He graduated from Keen's School of Anatomy in Philadelphia in 1872, followed by Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1875. During his final year of college he was appointed by the Brooklyn Board of Health as ambulance surgeon and was also resident physician for the Eastern District Hospital in Williamsburg.

In 1875 Dr. Lindley moved to Los Angeles and married Miss Lou C. Puett. They had two children, Flora and Myra. In 1881 Mrs. Lindley died. From 1882 to 1893 he was married to Lilla Leighton, but was widowed a second time when she died at the age of 34. In 1896 he married his third wife, the widow of Mr. Robert Hardie, Mrs. Florence Hardie. Florence was the sister of two of Dr. Lindley's colleagues, Dr. John R. Haynes and Dr. Francis L. Haynes. The couple had two children, Dorothy and Francis Haynes.

After moving to Los Angeles, Dr. Lindley quickly became immersed in politics, philanthropic activities, and medical practice. He helped organize the Young Men's Republican Club of Los Angeles and became the group's first president. He established the Free Dispensary of the Medical College on Requena Street, which treated the underprivileged at no charge. When he became the County Health Officer in 1878, a position he held for one year, he helped develop a free vaccination for children attending public schools and a system of registering births and deaths. In 1879 he was appointed Health Officer of Los Angles, where he issued the first health circular to the public warning of the outbreak of scarlet fever.

Dr. Lindley firmly believed that Los Angeles needed a medical school. In 1885 he helped found the College of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Over the years he served as dean and on the faculty of obstetrics and gynecology. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Lindley brought another first to Los Angeles. In 1886, with colleagues J.P. Widney and J.B. Kurtz, Dr. Lindley founded the first medical journal in Los Angeles, the Southern California Practitioner, which was published for 36 years. Through most of the publication's existence, Dr. Lindley served as editor, publisher, and frequent contributor.

In1886 Dr. Lindley opened a practice on 315 West Six Street, which became known as Dr. Lindley's Private Hospital for over 20 years. His brother-in-laws, John R. Haynes and Francis Haynes also worked at the hospital. In 1887 Dr. Lindley and Dr. Francis Haynes established "The Pacific," the first private hospital in Southern California which gradually developed into the California Hospital. For twenty years Dr. Lindley managed the California Hospital, which was owned and operated entirely by physicians and became known as one of the best hospitals on the west coast. In 1920 the hospital was sold to the Lutheran Hospital Society and is still in operation today as the California Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Lindley was a life long advocate for the proper care of orphan and delinquent children. In 1880 Dr. Lindley helped found the Los Angeles Orphan's Home, where he served as the first president in 1882, and acting physician for eight years. During his travels to England and France he visited orphan homes, where orphans were placed with families and learned a trade. Dr. Lindley became a proponent of creating a family atmosphere for orphan children in place of the institutional orphanages that existed in the United States. Dr. Lindley also believed that the state of California needed a reform school for delinquent children, something that was already common in many other states. His wish became true in 1890 when the Reform School opened, which shortly thereafter was renamed the Whittier State School. Dr. Lindley was appointed superintendent from 1890 to 1894 and his brother Hervey was appointed to the Board of Trustees. After Dr. Lindley left his post as superintendent, he remained a member of the Board of Trustees and served as president from1899 to 1905. The Whittier State School was later renamed the Fred C. Nelles School for Boys, which is no longer in operation today.

In 1901 Dr. Lindley opened a tuberculosis sanitarium in Idyllwild, California with Dr. F.T. Bicknell. While Dr. Lindley had many successes during his lifetime, this was not one of them. He attributed the financial failure of the sanitarium to the poor roads that made it difficult to travel to Idyllwild and that most individuals with mild cases of tuberculosis did not want to be near others with the disease for fear of making it worse. After a few years the sanitarium was turned into the Idyllwild Mountain Resort Company, which suffered from a devastating fire in April of 1905.

In 1906 Dr. Lindley became a nominee for Los Angeles mayor on the Republican ticket. The Los Angeles Times supported him and from all reports Dr. Lindley appeared to be the shoe-in candidate. It was a stunning disappointment when he placed third, losing to Democrat E. W. Harper.

On January 20, 1922, Dr. Lindley died of a cerebral hemorrhage in his home. He was survived by his wife and four children.

References for biography: Harnagel, Edward E. "The Life and Times of Walter Lindley, M.D., 1852-1922, and the Founding of the California Hospital." Southern California Quarterly. 1971;53(4):303-15.

Burdette, Robert J., ed. Greater Los Angeles and Southern California, their portraits and chronological record of their Careers. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906, p. 132

"Doctor Lindley Dies at Home," Los Angeles Times, January 25, 1922

"Dr. Lindley is Laid to Rest," Los Angeles Times, January 29, 1922.

"In Social Spheres," Los Angeles Times, July 19, 1894, p. 4.

National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, volume 13. New York, James T. White and Company, 1906.

Dr. Walter Lindley Scrapbooks, Francis Haynes Lindley Memorial Collection, Honnold/Mudd Special Collections, Claremont University Consortium.

1852 January 13

Dr. Walter Lindley born in Monrovia, Indiana

1873

Graduated from Keen's School of Anatomy, Philadelphia

1874-1875

Ambulance surgeon appointed by the Board of Health of the city of Brooklyn, N.Y. and resident physician for Eastern District Hospital, Williamsburg.

1875

Graduated from the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y.

1875

Arrival in Los Angeles and begins his medical practice

1875

Marries Miss Lou C. Puett, daughter of Reverend W. W. Puett. They had two children, Flora, who later married Philip Kitchin, and Myra, who later married Samuel F. Bothwell. Mrs. Lindley died on May 8, 1881

1877

Assisted in the organizing of and first president of the first Young Men's Republican Club of Los Angeles

1877

Organized Free Dispensary on Requena Street, which developed into the Free Dispensary of the Medical College, which treated the sick poor at no charge

1878

Secretary of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, serving three years

1878

County health officer, serving one year where he helped develop a free vaccination for children attending public schools and a system of registering births and deaths

1878

Became the Southern California correspondent of the San Francisco Post

1878

Assisted in organizing and became one of the Directors of the Humane Society

1879-1880

Appointed Health Officer of Los Angeles

1879 May 19

Issued the first health circular of information for the public in Los Angeles

1879

Elected member City Board of Education, Chairman of Committee on Building and Repairs, and Chairman of Committee of Purchase of Books for School Library

1880

Los Angeles County physician

1880

One of the founders of the Los Angeles Orphan's Home, became its first president in 1882, and served eight years as its physician

1880-81

Member of the Board of Education of Los Angeles

1882

President of the Los Angeles County Medical Association

1882

Post-graduate coursework, N.Y. City

1882 March 10

Marries second wife Lilla Leighton, who died in 1893 at the age of 34

1883

Appointed Examining Surgeon for Pensions by President Harrison

1885

One of the founders of the College of Medicine of the University of Southern California, where he chaired obstetrics and gynecology. Secretary of Faculty and Professor of Obstetrics, 1885-1890, Professor of Gynecology, 1894-1901, Dean, 1902-1905

1885

Appointed superintendent of the Los Angeles County Hospital

1886

With colleagues J.P. Widney and J.B. Kurtz, founded Los Angeles' first medical journal the Southern California Practitioner, which was published for 36 years. Through most of the publication's existence, Lindley served as editor, publisher, and frequent contributor.

1886

Started practice on 315 West Six Street, which became known as Dr. Lindley's Private Hospital for over 20 years. Also working there were John R. Haynes and Francis Haynes.

1886-1887

Medical Superintendent, Los Angeles County Hospital

1887

Co-authors with Dr. J. P. Widney California of the South: its physical geography, climate, resources, routes of travel, and health-resorts, published by the Appleton Company, two more editions were later published

1887

Post-graduate coursework, N.Y. City

1887

Appointed member of the Board of Free Holders for the purpose of preparing a new charter for the city of Los Angeles

1887

Established "the Pacific," the first private hospital in Southern California with Dr. Francis L. Haynes. This small hospital gradually developed into the California Hospital.

1889

President of the California State Medical Society

1890-94

Helps establish the Whittier State School, a reform and trade school, where he worked with his brother Hervey Lindley. Hervey was appointed to the Board of Trustees, while Dr. Lindley was appointed superintendent (1890-1894). After leaving his post as superintendent, he remained a member of the Board of Trustees and was president of the Board of Trustees from 1899-1905. The school was later renamed the Fred C. Nelles School for Boys.

1892-1893

Vice-President National Conference of Charities

1896

Marries third wife, Mrs. Florence Hardie, widow of Robert Hardie, daughter of James S. Haynes and sister of Dr. John R. Haynes and Dr. Francis L. Haynes. They had two children, Dorothy and Francis Haynes.

1895

Appointed Trustee of the Throop Polytechnic Institute, Pasadena

1895

Appointed by President Cleveland the Pacific Coast delegate to International Prison Convention, Paris

1895

Organized and was elected President of the Board of Directors of the College Training School for Nurses, the first training school for nurses established in Southern California.

1895-1896

President Los Angeles Humane Society

1897

Appointed Medical Examiner by the State Commission in Lunacy

1898

One of the founders of the California Hospital, owned and operated entirely by physicians and managed by Dr. Lindley for twenty years. In 1920, the hospital was purchased by Lutheran Hospital Society and became a nonprofit. The hospital is now named the California Hospital Medical Center

1900-?

Director of Farmers and Merchants National Bank

1901

Opened a tuberculosis sanitarium in Idyllwild, California with Dr. F.T. Bicknell. The sanitarium was a financial failure and ceased to exist after a few years, later becoming the Idyllwild Mountain Resort Co. The sanitarium and resort were not a financial success in part because of how difficult it was to travel to Idyllwild. The resort also suffered from a devastating fire in April of 1905.

1903

Elected Director of the University Club

1904

Received degree of LL.D. from St. Vincent's College

1905-1906

President University Club

1906-1907

Candidate for mayor of Los Angeles on the Republican ticket. Lindley came in third place in the balloting losing to Democrat, E. W. Harper.

1909

Dr. Lindley is appointed to the Board of Medical Examiners in the State of California

1922 January 20

Dr. Lindley died of a cerebral hemorrhage in his home