Background
He was born near the present city of Okmulgee, Oklahoma on April 15, 1874 to an early white immigrant, Charles Clinton, and his wife, Louise (née Atkins). His father Charles died in 1888, when he was fourteen.
He was born near the present city of Okmulgee, Oklahoma on April 15, 1874 to an early white immigrant, Charles Clinton, and his wife, Louise (née Atkins). His father Charles died in 1888, when he was fourteen.
Young Fred was educated in the national schools of the Creek Nation then went off to study at Saint Francis Institute in Osage, Kansas, Drury College (now Drury University) (Springfield, Missouri), Gem City Business College (Quincy, Illinois), and Young Harris College in Georgia. Finally, he studied pharmacy at the Kansas City College of Pharmacy (now University of Missouri–Kansas City), where he graduated in 1891 and medicine at University Medical College (now New York University School of Medicine), where he graduated in 1897.(Editor note: Street Francis Mission in Osage, Kansas apparently no longer exists).
He built the first hospital in Tulsa and was very active in promoting public health infrastructure projects. Mistress Atkins was of Creek descent. Louise (born in Texas on October 16, 1867) died in Tulsa June 20, 1928.
The following year, the family moved to a ranch on Duck Creek.
In 1884, they moved to the community of Red Fork. At first, Clinton had no formal office.
At the end of the 19th Century, Tulsa was still a raw frontier town. Many of his patients were cowboys or railroad workers who had been injured in work-related accidents, bar fights or gun fights.
He practiced wherever there was available space.
Clinton worked diligently on many of the public health issues that confronted early-day Tulsa. He campaigned for improved water and sewer systems, public health facilities and fireproof buildings. He was also credited with building the first fireproof office building in Tulsa.
The Clinton Building, located on the northwest corner of Fourth Street and Boston Avenue, was demolished in 1928 to make way for the expansion of the Exchange National Bank Building (now known as the 320 South Boston Building).
Clinton organized and was president of the Oklahoma State Hospital Association from 1919 to 1926. In the early 1930s, Clinton"s health began to falter, apparently brought on by anemia.
He lost the sight in his right eye, forcing him to give up performing as a surgeon. He began to write about the local history as it pertained to public health and medicine.
In 1932, Clinton was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Jane Heard Clinton died in Tulsa in 1945. In the following year, Clinton married again, this time to Beulah Jane Elliott. She had been a Tulsa school teacher for many years.
Clinton went to Saint Johns Hospital on November 16, 1954.
He died there April 25, 1955. Memorial services were conducted at the Boston Avenue Methodist Church.
Fellow American College Surgeons. Member American, and Tulsa Company medical societies, Southern Medical Association, American Hospital Association, American Association Railway Surgeons (president 1927), Oklahoma Eastern State Hospital Association (organizer and president, 1919-1926. Member Hyechka; member Board United States Pension Examiners 25 years, secretary, later president for 10 years.
Member of the board of stewards and Building Committee Boston Avenue Mechanical Engineering Church, South.
Mason. One of founders of Kendall College (now University of Tulsa). Invited to admission in Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Married Jane C. Heard, of Elberton, Georgia, April.