Thomas Richard Sealy (1880-1939) passed away when he was only fifty years old. Many of his patients and friends attributed his death to the 16 to 18 hours a day that he often spent on duty without rest.
He was born in Lexington, Texas on February 29, 1880. In 1900, Dr. Sealy volunteered for service in the Spanish American War. Shortly after his return to the U.S., he enrolled in medical school at the Medical Department of the University of Texas, graduating in 1904. Dr. Sealy then began working towards his goal of one day opening a hospital.
His practice in Santa Anna, Texas grew and in 1917 he finally reached his goal–the establishment of his own hospital. However, shortly after opening the Sealy Hospital, he again volunteered to serve during World War I. Dr. Sealy was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the medical corps and he graduated from the medical officers training camp with honors in 1917, he was sent overseas in charge of a hospital. In May, 1918, he was promoted to captain and a year later promoted to major.