History

History

The hospital that faith built

As early as 1910 and with a shortage of hospital beds, a group of Knoxville physicians held a vision of a Catholic hospital in their community. The Knox County Medical Association petitioned the Bishop of the Nashville diocese to construct a hospital in Knoxville. At the time, there was not enough money to take on the project. The vision idled for years... until the gift of a devout Catholic rekindled it.

Papa's gift

Daniel "Papa" DeWine did not like to miss church.

One of his relatives remembered, "I don't care if there was 40 feet of snow on the ground, on Christmas morning the family would go to 5 a.m. Mass."

His faith would be critical

DeWine's wife died when his children were young, and his youngest daughter suffered with heart problems. She received medical care at a Catholic hospital far from home and died at the age of 33. But her care by the Sisters at the hospital left a great impression.

At his death in 1927 Papa DeWine bequeathed seven-and-a-half acres of land at the top of Knoxville's Oak Hill to the Diocese of Nashville with the request that a Catholic hospital — like the one where his daughter was cared for — be built there.

The beginning

Coincidentally, in 1927 the Knox County Medical Association again petitioned the Nashville diocese to construct a hospital in Knoxville. This time the Bishop approached the Sisters of Mercy; he had the land. The Sisters and the Knoxville community would have to raise the money.

And they did

Over the next two years, the needed $300,000 was pledged. Construction could begin. Then came the Crash of 1929. The hospital had barely hardened its foundation when the flow of money stopped.

Through much faith, determination and sacrifice, the project was completed. On April 22, 1930, the 75-bed hospital admitted its first patient. Named after the stricken daughter of Papa DeWine — Mamie, a form of the name Mary — St. Mary's had come into existence.