Who is Dr. John T. Macdonald?

Dr. John Tremper Macdonald was a well-known and respected surgeon and gynecologist who practiced medicine in Miami and Coral Gables from 1934 until his death at age 66 in 1951.  Though not a native Miamian, he became an important part of the history of the area and its progressive growth.

A veteran of World War I, he served as assistant division surgeon in the 78th division with the rank of major.  In 1938 he was appointed a Pan American Airways flight surgeon. An authority on tropical diseases, Dr. Macdonald played a leading role in developing medical safeguards that protected the health of Pan Am's employees in Latin America.  In 1944 he was named Medical Director of Pan American Airways Latin Division.  

An ardent yachtsman since coming to Miami, Dr. Macdonald was Vice Commodore of the Biscayne Yacht Club in 1946 and was a familiar figure on Biscayne Bay. 

After WWII the population in Miami and Coral Gables grew significantly, as did its medical needs.  Recognizing that facilities were not available to meet those needs, Dr. Macdonald and a small group of doctors became the driving force to build a new hospital in Coral Gables.  Obtaining financial backing was difficult, but they and other doctors in the area pooled resources and the appropriately named Doctors' Hospital  became a reality. Ground-breaking was on May 1948, and patients were admitted in July 1949. 

Upon his death in 1951, the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation was established to honor him.  In 1957, the Foundation purchased the hospital, and it became a full not-for-profit community hospital.  In 1992, the transition continued when the hospital was purchased by Health South Rehabilitation Corporation, a for-profit entity based in Birmingham, Alabama.  The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation was restructured to become a grant-making foundation.  Realizing the importance of keeping the focus of the Foundation's assets ($13.5 million at the outset) on addressing the health and medical needs of the Coral Gables and Dade County community, the board began the thoughtful process of becoming an effective participant in our community.

The Foundation’s legacy is a fitting tribute to Dr. Macdonald, a man whose life was spent giving back to his community in the most meaningful way possible—by identifying needs, seeking solutions and working with people and organizations to make Miami-Dade County a healthier and safer place to live.