The R. T. Travis Family

Facts provided by Mrs. Jeanne Brinkman

Dr. R. T. Travis and wife, Nora, arrived in Jacksonville in May, 1920. They established a home on San Antonio Street, and Dr. Travis joined his brother, Dr. J. M. Travis, in the practice of medicine. Travis Clinic was established by the Travises, who as their practice flourished, were joined by other doctors.

Dr. R. T. came here after a year of internship at City Hospital in Dallas and two years of training under the late Dr. Samuels, who was an outstanding surgeon at St. Paul's Hospital, Dallas. His first operation was performed on Miss Guinn Sides.

In his book, Of Many, One, an autobiography, Dr. J. M. Travis wrote of his brother, Dr. R. T., as follows: "Dr. R. T. Travis has worked untiringly as a member of our staff and perhaps has done more surgery than any other doctor in the Southwest. In addition to his ability as a surgeon, he is a good internist; however, he elected to limit his practice to surgery and is as responsible for building and development of Nan Travis Memorial Hospital as anyone connected with it. I continued to do general practice as the hospital grew, and assisted Dr. R. T. Travis in surgery for many years."

Dr. and Mrs. Travis were parents of a son, Roland, and a daughter, Jeanne.

Sometime after the death of Mrs. Nora Travis, Dr. Travis was married to Gladys Taylor. He died in 1966, and his widow now is Mrs. Winston McCrea.

Roland Travis married Wanda Akers and they had twins—a boy and a girl. Roland was killed during World War II and Wanda remarried and lives in Denton. Their son, Dan Travis, is with the Navigators and works and lives in Mexico City with his wife, Diane, and a son, Jeffrey David. Nan Travis (Mrs. Dale Johnson) has three children and lives in Arlington, Texas.

Jeanne Travis Brinkman resides here. The Brinkman children are Nora, Christopher, Anthony, Peter and F. Patrick Brinkman, III.

Dr. R. T. Travis was a 32nd Degree Mason, a member of the American College of Surgeons, being the first Jacksonville doctor to be accorded this honor, and a member of Cherokee Medical Society.

Dr. R. T. Travis in an early portrait.