Dr. James Algiers and Dorothy Algiers
Dr. James Algiers was born, raised, and lived in Hartford, Wisconsin. Jim attended St. Kilian's School, In high school, he wrote for the school newspaper, was a quarterback on the football team, and ran on the track team. He graduated from Hartford Union High School in 1944 and later was drafted into the Navy. After a tour on Attu, an island in the Bering Sea, he returned to Hartford to work at Libby's Canning Factory (now the Schauer Arts & Activities Center) while attending college at Marquette University, where he earned a B.S. degree. He went on to medical school and in 1953 received an M.D. degree from the Marquette School of Medicine.
After an internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee, he practiced General Medicine for six years in Hartford. During that time, he married Dorothy Reis and they went on to have five children.
In 1963, he founded Parkview Medical Associates. He witnessed the event of emergency medicine and saw the need to have an emergency room in Hartford. He established a lecture series in Hartford, inviting physicians from the area to come and listen to topics on developments in medicine. Hartford soon became a hub for continuing education in the Greater Milwaukee area, a move that brought patients and physicians into our area and established Hartford Hospital on the map. Under the guidance of Dr. Algiers, the Hartford Lions Club sponsored the first and second ICU's in the hospital, and instruction of nurses followed. It was the first ICU in Washington County in 1969.
Dr. Algiers is respected, remembered, and loved by many as he saw his patients as fellow human beings and did everything he could to understand them as such. This in-depth understanding and amazing perception of their psyches and beings are what made him such an amazing physician and community member. Patients came back to him because they felt they were heard and understood.
During his time practicing medicine, he also was active in the community - serving on the Valley Bank Board of Directors, the Lions Club, the Hartford Hospital Foundation, and St. Kilian's Board.
He remained extremely active in the betterment of Hartford on many levels. He started the annual Goldbug Golf Outing to raise funds to build the 1022 Adult Day Care Center (now known as The Threshold). He continued to participate actively in the Lions Club fundraising efforts. He worked alongside his wife for many years on the Hartford Christmas Committee. He organized a group of retired friends and secured and distributed medical supplies to clinics in impoverished areas in rural Wisconsin.
His career and community service have positively impacted thousands, and he well deserved the many awards he received including the Golden Circle Certificate from the Medical College of Wisconsin for 50 years in medicine, the Humanitarian Award - Distinguished Alumni Award by the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Lions Club Awards. He was named a Walter Zeit fellow, and he and Dorothy are members of the Campanile Society for their donations to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
Dorothy Algiers -St. Kilian School Graduate 1941, lifelong parishioner & endowed supporter HUHS Graduate 1945 Member of HUHS Drill Team, Band. At HUHS, she excelled in academics, played the saxophone in the band, and was a member of the drill team. She worked at Jake Frank's shop on Main Street during high school. Due to the times and family financial constraints, she was unable to go to college. She remained in Hartford and worked as the secretary to the plant manager of the West Bend Company. She worked there until marrying James and then worked at Allen Bradley and Western Electric to help put him through medical school.
In addition, she was a member of the Hartford Garden Club, Hartford Hospital Auxiliary, Volunteer Jack Russell Library, Board Member and President - 31 years Schauer Arts & Activities, Steering Committee Founding Member, Chair Building Committee Paul Harris Award Recipient Jack Russell Library, Achievement Award 2011 Medical College of Wisconsin, Walter Zeit Fellow Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Campanile Society.
Dorothy's family always came first, and she worked hard raising her five children, who also attended St. Kilian's School and HUHS. She encouraged her children to take part in activities that helped make others' lives better. Giving back was always a theme, and Dorothy used her time and talent as a volunteer for the Hospital Auxiliary, various charities, and at St. Kilian's school and church.
She also helped to establish the Oil Painting Program at the center and participated in art classes for several years.
November and December meant one thing for Dorothy and Jim Algiers - time to work on the Hartford Christmas Committee, which they were involved in from its start. Each year, they would attend planning meetings, participate in the parade to draw attention to the need for support, and eventually help with the two-day distribution.
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