1934 Letter to Patient Family

This letter was written in 1934 by Margaret Watson, then superintendent of Shriners Children’s New England, to a patient’s family. In 1934, the average stay for a Shriners Hospitals’ patient was 105 days. For many families, the only way to receive information about their child was through written correspondence.

The patient referenced in the letter is George, who went on to have a long and happy life. After his passing, George’s family donated a series of letters that give a firsthand look of what it would be like to be the parent of a patient in the 1930s.

One of the original letters is on display at Shriners International Headquarters in Tampa, Florida. Another is on display at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.