Dr. Allan Penny Bloxsom, Sr.
November 9, 1901 to October 12, 1991
Written by: Carol Bloxsom Little, Granddaughter of Dr. Allan P. Bloxsom Sr.
Dr Allan Penny Bloxsom Sr. was born and raised in Houston Texas. He graduated from Central High School in 1919; Rice Institute, with a Bachelor of Arts in 1923. He was accepted to John Hopkins Medical School, and received his M.D. in 1927. He was a post graduate of Union Memorial Hospital and John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD; the Willard Parker Hospital in New York City and Assistant Resident of Vanderbilt Union Hospital in Nashville TN from 1928 to 1929. He returned to Houston in 1929 to begin his practice in pediatrics. He was one of the first Pediatricians in the City of Houston. At this time, Pediatricians were responsible not only for taking care of the baby, but for the delivery of the baby.
As Chief of Pediatrics at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dr. Bloxsom designed and helped finance the building of the Premature and Recovery Nursery at St. Joseph Maternity Hospital, which was the first in Texas.
Dr Bloxsom was also the Chief of Pediatrics at St. Luke’ Episcopal Hospital in Houston. Where he also designed the Premature Nursery. This design, put the nurses’ station in the center of the floor vs at the end of the floor, giving nurses the ability to check and see each baby in a more efficient manner.
Dr. Allan Bloxsom was a member of six medical societies and served as Associated Professor at Baylor Medical College and University of Texas Post Graduate School. He had published or co-authored 38 major medical papers. He had patented 17 different inventions, including the air lock for premature infants, lubricated syringe, automatic transmission for Hudson Automobile Company, the automatic recorder and reproducer for the telephone; saftizip (for his wife, Helen Mitchell Bloxsom) and the four-wheel steering screen to produce a 3-D effect.
The Air Lock invention was created in the basement of St. Joseph, whereas, Dr. Bloxsom had taken his wife’s crock pot and sawed the crock pot in half. His reasoning was that the crock pot cooked the meat slowly, at a low temperature, but kept the meat moist and tender. The biggest mortality rate in premature babies was due to the lungs not being fully developed and non-elastic, preventing the baby to breath fully. Also, the baby’s skin was not elastic and when handled by the nurses which caused the skin to tear. The Air Lock Incubator, decreased the mortality rate, per the nurses at St. Joseph, St. Lukes’s Hospital, Sister Mary Angelique, and Dr. Bloxsom by a minimum of 30%. The Air Lock Incubator was used in over 700 hospitals and cost around $500 to $1,000.
Dr. Bloxsom retired from his private practice in 1973.
Some of the most admirable stories that I have about my grandfather, are the following:
During WW II, another well-known Pediatrician, in Houston, enlisted in the Army, due to a shortage of doctors in Europe. This pediatrician, asked my grandfather to take over the care of his patients, while he was in Europe. Upon returning from the war, my grandfather gave this pediatrician, all the monies that he had made from his patients.
My grandfather would spend the nights at numerous clients’ houses, taking care of their sick babies, even up to the late 1960’s.
My grandfather, thought outside the medical box on treatments for some of his patients. Patients that contracted polio, he would prescribe physical therapy and swimming vs putting leg braces on his patients. Later in life his patients did not walk with the notable limp of a polio patient.
I was told that my grandfather had delivered former Secretary of State James Baker.
My grandfather was constantly asked to speak at Pediatric conventions, as far away as Japan, China, Mexico, and Europe. He almost got arrested in China for taking pictures of something on the main land. Luckily, he and my grandmother made it to the ship before the police could detain him.
My grandfather & his family loved spending weeks at a dude ranch called Parade Ranch in Leaky Texas. He loved to fish, play tennis, go duck hunting and taking photographs or movies. I cherish my memories of fishing, going crabbing and duck hunting with my grandparents when I was a little girl.
My grandfather was not a very tall man, 5’ 5” but his heart and love for caring for babies, was the size of Texas.
I would like thank all the individuals that have been involved, with creating this amazing historical museum, along with the kind donor of my grandfather’s Air Lock invention.
