AUGUSTUS WRIGHT IVES
From "The History of Detroit" by Paul Leake 1912
IVES, Augustus W. physician; born, Detroit, Jan. 21, 1861; son of Lewis T. and Margaret W. (Leggett) Ives; educated in public schools of Detroit; was student in College de France, Paris, France, and Heidelberg University, Germany, three years, 1878-81; Detroit College of Medicine, M.D., 1891; post-graduate course in Vienna, summer of 1904; married at New York, Aug. 31, 1901, Claire Chandler. Has been engaged in practice in Detroit since 1891; professor of physiology and nervous diseases Detroit College of Medicine; visiting neurologist to St. Mary’s Hospital. Member Wayne County Medical Society, Michigan State Medical Society, American Medical Association. Republican. Unitarian. Member Nu Sigma Nu. Club: Detroit Boat. Recreations: Automobiling, fungi. Office and residence: 24 W. Moncalm St.
The Book of Detroiters by Albert Nelson Marquis 1908 by Albert Nelson Marquis
One of the most eminent physicians of
the state. Dr. Augustus W. Ives, of Detroit, professor of physiology and
nervous diseases at the Detroit College of Medicine, and visiting neurologist of St. Mary's Hospital, commands the universal respect of his
medical brethren because of his professional attainments and skill, and
of all other classes of the community because of his high character, generous devotion to the public weal, and superior social qualities. lie was
born in Detroit. January 21. 1861, a son of the late Lewis T. and Margaret W. (Leggett) Ives, and belongs to a family whose members have
distinguished themselves in various ways for generations.
Lewis T. Ives was born at Palmyra, New York, in 1833 the son of
Eardley Ives, a native of Wallingford. England, who was the founder of this branch of the family in America.
In 1836 Eardley Ives brought his family into Michigan from Palmyra. New York, settling at Pontiac. Later he enme to Detroit and engaged in the commission business. His
wife was Anna "Wood, of Wallingford, England. The mother of Dr. Ives was born in New York City, the daughter of Augustus and Eliza
(Seaman) Leggett. the latter being the daughter of Valentine Seaman. M. D., chief surgeon of the New York City Hospital during that period
around 1790. He made a visit to the great Doctor Jenner, the discoverer of vaccine, for the purpose of acquiring the latter's ideas more thoroughly and also to secure a supply of vaccine, and upon his return to
America was one of the very first physicians to vaccinate a patient suffering from small-pox. Against the advice of almost the entire medical
profession, Dr. Seaman vaccinated his own son. In about 1796 he had made a lithograph plate showing the progress of vaccination, which plate
is now in the possession of Dr. Ives, together with Dr. Jenner's calling
card and coat-of-arms presented to Dr. Searnan on his visit to the great
physician. Dr. Seaman died in New York City of tuberculosis at the age
of thirty-seven years.
The father of Dr. Ives attended the Detroit public schools, and later
he and his brother James went to "Welcome Island, Three Mile Lake,
where they built a hut and for three years lived therein while they
studied law. Returning to this city, he passed the necessary examination
before Judge James D. Campbell and entered the practice of law. He
became chief counsel of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railway (now the Grand
Trunk), which position he resigned and abandoned law to take up art.
When he was about twenty years old he and his brother James, on money
they had earned, wont to Italy and studied art for a year in Rome. While
he was very successful in law, he became equally so in art, for which he
had remarkable talent, and he became one of the leading painters in
Michigan. Today many of the old Detroit homes contain portraits and
landscapes painted by this remarkable man. He eventually secured a
commission to paint the portrait of President Cleveland in the "White
House, but a stroke of apoplexy cut short his career, and later the commission was given to his son, Percy Ives, the famous Detroit artist, who
executed the picture of the late president after daily sittings at the
White House of a month. This portrait is now the property of Don M.
Dickenson, of Detroit, who was President Cleveland's postmaster-general. Mr. Ives was fond of literature and was a forceful writer on ab-
struse problems. He was a great man in every way, and possessed of
remarkable talents. Born an Episcopalian, he became a Unitarian after
reading Darwin. Huxley and other noted writers, and eventually changed
the religious views of his parents and other relatives to those of his own.
His death occurred in 1894, while his widow survives and is sixty-seven
years of age.
Augustus W. Ives was educated in the public schools of Detroit,
after leaving which he went abroad and became a student at the College
de France, Paris, and Heidelberg University, Germany, spending the
years 1878-81 in European centers. He received his degree of M. D.
from the Detroit College of Medicine in the class of 1891, and in 1896
took post-graduate work in Vienna, Austria. His practice is now confined to neurology and psychology. He is a member of the Wayne County
Medical Society, the Michigan State Medical Society and the American
Medical Association, and belongs also to the medical Greek letter fraternity, the Nu Sigma Nu.
On August 31. 1901, Dr. Ives was married at New York to Miss
Claire Chandler. During the long period that Dr. Ives has been in practice in Detroit he has secured a large practice, being recognized as a
physician of skill and capacity. In tbe organizations of the profession
he takes an interest, and to their work contributes his share of time and
effort. He is a student not only of what bears on his life work in a
technical sense, but whatever pertains to or proceeds therefrom. With
his wife, the Doctor is popular in Detroit's social circles.
* *
IVES, Augustus W. physician; born, Detroit, Jan. 21, 1861; son of Lewis T. and Margaret W. (Leggett) Ives; educated in public schools of Detroit; was student in College de France, Paris, France, and Heidelberg University, Germany, three years, 1878-81; Detroit College of Medicine, M.D., 1891; post-graduate course in Vienna, summer of 1904; married at New York, Aug. 31, 1901, Claire Chandler. Has been engaged in practice in Detroit since 1891; professor of physiology and nervous diseases Detroit College of Medicine; visiting neurologist to St. Mary’s Hospital. Member Wayne County Medical Society, Michigan State Medical Society, American Medical Association. Republican. Unitarian. Member Nu Sigma Nu. Club: Detroit Boat. Recreations: Automobiling, fungi. Office and residence: 24 W. Moncalm St.
The Book of Detroiters by Albert Nelson Marquis 1908 by Albert Nelson Marquis
PERCY IVES
Brother of Augustus W. Ives
Portrait painter; born, Detroit, June 5, 1864; son of Lewis Thomas and Margaret Wright (Leggett) Ives; educated in grammar and high schools of Detroit to 17; studied Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts for four years, and in Paris, France, for six years; married at Detroit, June 16, 1890, Elise Caron. Has painted portraits of many of the prominent men of Michigan and of a number outside of the state, including ex-President Cleveland; has exhibited in Paris, New York, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Boston, Chicago, Buffalo; received honorable mention Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901; member Jury of Admission, Art Department, St. Louis Exposition, 1904. Republican. Member Detroit Museum of Art (incorporator and trustee), Society of Western Artists, Fine Arts Society, Archaeological Society (treasurer Detroit Branch), Detroit Post G.A.R. Clubs: Detroit Boat, Prismatic. Recreations: Outdoor sports. Studio and residence: 22 Montcalm St.
The Book of Detroiters by Albert Nelson Marquis 1908 by Albert Nelson Marquis
