Biographical Sketch of Dr. Frank S. Beck

Early life: Frank Beck was born on August 18th, 1888, on his father's farm northwest of Canton, South Dakota. His father had earlier come from Lancaster County, Penn. then moved to northwestern, Illinois, near Freeport, where he met and married Minnie Montag, of German decent, but born and raised in that part of the country. As newly weds, they had gone to the pioneer country of South Dakota to break ground on their new home near Canton so called because it is said to be on the exact opposite part of the globe from Canton, China.

Frank was not given a middle name but as a boy, he chose the name of Spurgeon, that of the great English preacher. Both of his parents had been members of the Evangelical church, and attended a small one in Canton, until later it was disbanded, and the members for the most part united with the Methodist church in that town. Some of his early memories are riding to church in the bob sleigh in winter time, the children sitting in the back, covered with blankets and their feet kept warm by bricks which had previously been heated in the kitchen stove. But no matter what was the weather, rain or shine, summer or winter, the family did not fail to attend the church services, which at that time before the days of automobiles meant driving there and a half miles to town, but they always stayed for both church and Sunday School, arriving home about 2 o' clock after which the Sunday dinner had to be prepared.

Education: He attended the little country school for his primary instruction, which was located a mile and a half from the farm. He had a little white pony on which to ride, but many times he and his sister would take turns riding the pony or walking to school. After school, on reaching home, he would hurry to the barn to hitch up a team to go to the fields to plow corn or do other work on the place as indicated by his father.

There was an older sister, who helped his mother in the house, but when the farm work was rushing might also help them in the fields. That was the day before tractors, and riding- plows, so all of the work was done with horses, and mere simple farm equipment than that which the farmer enjoys now. He had two younger brothers, who also would help with the farm work. But during the week, while they were trudging behind a plow, or shelling corn, or milking cows, they would be planning what they could do on Saturday afternoon, when their father and mother would drive to town to do their weekly buying. They liked to make things, experiment with something new, or make some improvements about the place.

After completing his primary education in the little country school, he went with his older sister to Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota, which at that time gave both academy and college courses. He remained there for eight years, completing his college training in 1912. Many teachers there at that time had a profound influence on his later life One was Prof. Gilliland, Professor of New Testament, Dr. Seaton, professor of Social Studies, Dr. Samuel Weir, professor of Psychology, and Mr. Tan Bethuysen, head of the Commercial department. All of these teachers were devout Christian men, who took a deep personal inter-set in the students and had a great influence An helping them to form their lives, making their life's decisions. Through Prof. Van Bethuysen, he was interested Commercial work, and completed the college work, securing a degree in Commercial Science. He also served as instructor in some of the commercial subjects while completing his college work. Drs. Seaton and Gilliland to secure a liberal interpretation of life and of religious subjects, in the relation; to scientific subjects which at that time had become a controversial question in the Biblical world. Dr. Gilliland was especially helpful in his choice of life-work, as well as of his life partner.

In the college at that time, the Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations were very active, and Frank took part in the Young men 's organization, holding official positions at different times. The outstanding young men of college, these who were leaders in football, debate, oratory and various intercollegiate activities were prominent in also Christian activities and their friendship was of great importance in influencing his decision to enter some definite- type Christian life-work Among those friends are many who also have gone into- the mission field, into Y.W.C.A. work, or who have served as pastors, teachers or social workers, not only in the United States but in different parts of the world. One of these was John Washburn who volunteered for service in the Mission field, was sent to- Bolivia to work in the American Institute of La Paz, and then later founded the American Institute in Cochabamba. During the first year of its organization, he greatly needed a Commercial teacher, so wrote to his old college room-mate, Frank Beck and asked him to go to Cochabamba to accept that position.

Frank accepted the offer of his friend, John, and left for South America in June, 1912, just after graduating from college. His father had moved from the farm to the town of Canton, and had started to build him a home there. Frank helped him and the brothers to dig the basement of the new home, just before he left for New York. He never saw his mother again who had always meant a great deal to each of the children, and especially to Frank, encouraging him in his - desire to secure advanced education and to choose a definite life - work in some religious field. She was killed the following year in an automobile accident, falling out of his father's Reo, which was an open car, but at that time considered one of the best manufactured, and one of the first on the road in that part of the country.

Before Frank left to start on his trip to Bolivia, he secured the consent of Bessie Dunn, a student in Dakota Wesleyan, to follow him to Bolivia after her graduation in the class of 1913. She was the daughter of a Methodist preacher in Iowa, and later South Dakota, and a member of the Volunteer Band, together with Frank, so that she had planned to dedicate her life to mission service in some field. Her choice had previously been China, because her mother's cousin was married to Dr. George Start, a medical missionary from Nanking, China, who on their return trips from that country, had awakened a great interest in Bessie to work in the far east. However Frank was able to persuade her that it would be better to go to South America, as his wife, than to go to China alone. She completed her college work, however, and joined him in 1913, going down to South America alone, where he met her at Mollendo, Peru, after his first year of work as teacher in the American Institute of Cochabamba.

The story of their civil wedding at Mollendo, Peru, then later the trip into the interior of Bolivia to Cochabamba, taking the last part by stage, each is an interesting story in itself. Their friends have always joked them about the telegram which he sent from Mellendo to friends in the American Institute of La Paz, in which for economy's sake, he had reduced to two words " Casdo, Bastante" meaning he finally had been able to make all of the arrangements for the civil wedding at the coast, so that it would not be necessary for some married teacher of La Paz to make the trip to Mollendo to accompany them back to Bolivia as chaperone, in case the wedding could not be arranged in Peru. In those days, young women were not supposed to travel alone with young men, especially in South America. After reaching Cochabamba on their honeymoon, the religious ceremony and reception was held in the American Institute where the students, parents and friends of the school saw- their first Protestant wedding.

(Note: Pardon the change in person. This was begun in the third person and continues in the first person plural.)

Years of services: Frank and Bessie continued in the American Institute in Cochabamba until the following year, 1914, when they were called by Bishop Homer Stuntz to go to Buenos Aires to work in Ward College, Since Frank had had special commercial training, and he had charge of the Commercial department in Cochabamba for two years, Bishop Stuntz thought that he would be of value to Ward College, which was to be a special North American school under the Methodist Mission for the purpose of training Commercial students under Christian auspices the school had been started that year with an English commercial teacher, but he stayed but a short time, and the other teachers employed at that time had not been able to carry on the work as Bishop Stuntz desired. The schools in Bolivia were suffering, because of the withdrawals by the Bolivian government of the subvention which both schools had received for their support. Bishop Stuntz thought that some of the teachers should be transferred to other posts, since they had all remained on without salary, in their desire to keep the schools going until further support might he secured from either the Bolivian government or the Methodist mission Board. Mr. Beck received the request to go to B.A. in May of 1914, but he stated that he did not want to go until another commercial teacher could be sent from the States to replace Mr. Beck's work in the school there. We stayed on until the August vacation in the Bolivian schools, when we decided we had better start for the Argentine, since traveling was very difficult in the rainy season out of Cochabamba, although no reinforcements had arrived. One had to make the trip out of Cochabamba to the point of the railroad by a day's trip on stage-coach, the same as in the previous year, when Frank and Bessie had gone on their honeymoon. If however one should wait until the heavy rains began, which might be any time after October, the only way to get out of the valley of Cochabama to the railroad leading to Oruro, Bolivia, in the high plateau, was by mule back. Certain mule trains brought in the mail and a few supplies for the city once a week during about six months of the year.

When the Becks had reached La Paz, the director of the American Institute there, Mr. George MacBride, protested against any teachers leaving Bolivia when they were so badly needed there, and when reinforcements had not arrived. He sent a telegram to Bishop Stunt: expressing his desire that the Becks remain in Bolivia, and the answer came " Puostergo mi viaje hasta otto aviso", which meant " I am postponing my trip until further notice". Mr. MacBride insisted that there was a mistake in the telegram and that it should have read "Postpone your trip until further notice," so he asked to be repeated. Before the answer came, the Becks had to leave by the weekly train to Arica, Chile in order to make connections with the boat going south through the Straits of Magellan, and up the eastern coast to Montevideo, Paraguay, from which a local steamer would take them across the River Platte to the city of Buenos Aires. Mr. MacBride finally consented for the Becks to start their trip, he said that he would look forward the Bishop's final answer to Arica, Chile. When the answer came, it said for them to continue their journey. However when we reached B.A., we found that the original telegram had been sent telling to postpone our journey. The difference of a final letter on a verb changed our destiny, as we would probably never have gone to work in the Argentine, and our oldest son, Melvin, would never have been born in that country on Nov. 24, 1914, but would have been a Bolivian instead, and would have been called to fight in the Bolivian-Paraguayan war in 1932 and 33.

In Buenos Aires, the difficult work began of getting the Ward School on its feet. When we arrived there, we found five teachers and three students. The school was located in a small private rented home on Calle Lautaro. We were told that there were no funds, although we knew that there had been a gift of $ 25,000 given to start the school. There was very little equipment which belonged to institution. It was necessary for Mr. Beck to teach two private pupils, sons on the staff of the New York National City Bank, which had established a branch in Buenos Aires, in order to have funds to pay living expenses during the summer months.

(We have returned to the third person.)

In the fall, the school was moved to Calle Rivadavia, a larger house was rented, the student body was increased, a special section was opened for English speaking children, which was the beginning of the North American Grammar School, and the Ward School began an upward career. It had its difficult moments however, especially with regard to finances, but when Bishop Oldham secured the money for the purchase of the property at Rivadavia 6100, the most difficult item on the budget of monthly rent was eliminated, and the school seemed established on a firmer foundation. When the Becks were ready to leave for their furlough at the close of 1917, they asked Dr. and Mrs Henry Holmes, who were then in charge of the North American Academy in Montevideo, to be their successors in charge of Ward School. Mrs. Beck made her plans to return to the States on furlough at the beginning of the school vacation, and Dr. Beck said that he would stay on to help Dr. Holmes get acquainted with the general running of the school and would leave after the beginning of the school year in March, 1918. However when Bishop Oldham made his annual visit to Bolivia to hold conference there at the close of November he found the usual difficulties because of lack of personnel, which was increased by the World War No. I, and the fact that young men were not being sent out of the country for foreign missionary service. So instead of letting the Becks return to the States on their furlough, he sent a cable to them asking that they return to Cochabamba to be director of the school there. They had expressed their desire on previous occasions to Bishop Oldham that if the opportunity arose, they would like to return to Bolivia, 'here they had first begun their work, and where they had felt that there was a greater need for their efforts. So they answered Bishop Oldham's cable in the affirmative, leaving on five days notice to return to Cochabamba, in order to be there for the inscription of new students the 15th of December, and the opening of school the first of 1918.

This time, they did not make the trip around by boat, as when they had first gone to Bolivia, but went across country from the Argentine. There was train service to the border town of La Quiaca, but the railroad had not been completed on the Bolivian side, and they had a trip of five days across land from Villazon to Atocha, Bolivia, going part by car, and the rest by mule back. This trip with an Indian guide and their three year old son had many interesting experiences, which they enjoyed. The last part of the trip to Cochabamba was made by train, instead of by mule, as the railroad had now been completed into that city.

After over a year of work as Directors of the Cochabamba school, they were granted their furlough, as World War closed in November, 1918, and more help could be secured. They started the new school year before leaving, however, leaving Rev. and Mrs. Wischmeier in charge. They now traveled with two small children, Melvin, born in the Argentine, and Miriam, born in Cochabamba, Bolivia on Aug., 1918. The trip to the States took over two months since the boat service to South America was very slow, and because the government boats from Panama to the States were busy taking back sailors and soldiers who had been stationed there during the war. The Becks finally reached New York after a service of almost seven years for Mr. Beck, and six for his wife.

They returned to Cochabamba in December of that year in time to again open school for 1919. After remaining there for that year, at the following conference, they were transferred to La Paz, Bolivia, to take the directorship of the American Institute in that city, since Rev. and Mrs. Washburn had arrived who could take charge of the Cochabamba school again, and who preferred to live in Cochabamba because of Mrs. Washburn's health, who could not stand so well the high altitude of La Paz. The Becks remained in La Paz as directors for two and a half years, until April, 1923, when they were granted a special furlough by Bishop Oldham to return to the States to study medicine.

The principal reason why the decision was made to change from teaching to the medical profession was the desire to be of greater help to the Indian population of Bolivia, especially in the rural districts, who had no medical help. There had been an attempt to open a hospital in Ia Paz with a North American doctor and nurse in charge, but the doctor had not secured a license to practice, became discouraged after a year and returned to the States, the hospital property was temporarily turned over to the American Institute for its use, and the medical work discontinued As director of the school, Mr. Beck saw many occasions when there was a great need for help among the boarding students especially, and the lack of adequate hospital facilities for private patients in the city, many of whom who were required to go to the coast cities when an operation of medical care in a hospital was needed.

Mr. Beck was well known in the country because of his educational work there so secured a paper from President Saavsdra of Bolivia recognizing him as a Bolivian student studying abroad, in order to help him with the question of a license to practice when he would return. . He took his medical work at Northwestern University, Chicago, and his internship at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. A third child was born in 1923 the first year he began treating, so that they now had a real international family, with their children born in three different countries.

In the fall of 1928, they returned to Bolivia to begin the medical work. The original desire to carry on rural work among the Indians was carried out in part during the first year. Dr. Beck on an Indian motorcycle, together with Rev. Penaranda, the Bolivian pastor for the Indian work, made many trips out on the altiplano, or high plateau, visiting Indian schools and churches, and doing medical work wherever they went. In one small town they were arrested and held over to the afternoon for the judge, because of opening schools and practicing medicine without the proper legal documents.

However, the judge had a son from the American Institute in La Paz, and soon released them. Today this town is the center of the Methodist work on Lake Titacaca, and the same man who had arrested Dr. Beck recently went to apologize to him for the arrest which he had made over twenty years previously. However at the close of the year, it was agreed at the conference to reopen the hospital in La Pa: in the building which had been originally purchased for that purpose. It was thought that by securing some income from the patients who could pay that there would be more money to carry on the charity work among the mere needy. Since this was the time of the great depression in the States, the church felt that it would not support this new phase of missionary work in Bolivia but that it must be self-supporting. So the hospital was reopened with no subvention, and a very little equipment which had been stored from the time the previous hospital had been opened ten years before.

Beginning with three beds, a few instruments which Dr. Beck had purchased as a kit used in World War I, a pressure kettle used for sterilizing, and no money, the hospital, known as the Clinica Americana, was opened in La Paz. It continued in that site on the property next to the American Institute, until l939, when it was able to purchase a new site in Obrajes and begin the construction of a new building, due to a gift of $30,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pfeiffer of New York City. Local friends and firms also gave their support and a new building and Nurses' home were erected in Obrajes, which was located over one thousand feet lower than the main city, and which had a much better climate for the care of patients. The money was not sufficient to complete and equip the buildings as desired, so Mrs. Pfeiffer gave an additional gift of $25,000 a few years later. When she died, she also gave an endowment fund of $ 50,000, the income from which is to be used for the maintenance and equipment of the hospital.

When Dr. Beck first returned to Bolivia, President Siles granted him a license to work in the American Institute and hospital and among the Indian people. This license was later revoked by the following president by the Doctor in charge of the military health service in the Bolivian-Paraguay war to help him in opening a base hospital in the Chaco region. Dr. Beck secured work, permission from the Mission board and the North American ambassador to do this so he served for a year in the Chaco, helping take care of the soldiers there. He was recalled to La Paz to take care of a maternity case of the wife of President Tejada-Sorzano. He then remained in the city, helping take care of the soldiers in the Arsenal of War, and at the same time supervising the work of the American Hospital. President Tejada-Sorzano was influential in having a law paused by Congress which awarded a general license to practice medicine in Bolivia, and in all countries with which Bolivia had reciprocity to those doctors who had helped serve in the Chaco war. This gave a general license to Dr. Beck, as well as to Dr. Price, another North American doctor who formerly had worked for one of the mining companies, and has never been any more difficulty concerning the right of Dr. Beck to practice in the country. On his return to the States, the Minister of Public Health granted permission to Dr. Paul Brown to work in the American Hospital carrying on the work in that institution.

The medical work has won many friends for the mission work in Bolivia. Dr. Beck was awarded the " Condor of the Andes", the highest decoration given in the country ' as well as a medal from " Los Amigos de la Ciudad" for being an outstanding foreigner who had contributed to the welfare of the country. Many friends, from the most humble to those of the highest social classes showed their appreciation of the efforts made to improve medical standards and to help those who needed medical care, without regard for race social status or financial standing.

During the second World War, a Japanese who had been a patient in the hospital, came to call when Dr. Beck was returning to the States, and asked if he might be permitted to offer a present. He made his request of a Bolivian friend, Mr. Jorge Munoz, who had formally served in the Bolivian embassy in Japan and who understood the Japanese thought. He told the man to give his gift, and when it was opened, it was found to be a fine painting, the work of one of the noted Bolivian artists, then explained that this gift was the highest expression of esteem which a Japanese would give. If he liked any one, he would either give a sword or a painting and in this case, he would not give a sword, but a work of art.

An important part of the medical work was the establishing of the Training School for nurses. Dr. Beck's daughter, Miriam, who had completed her Nurses training and her B.S. degree in the States, returned to Bolivia in 1939 to start the regular three year training course for nurses. There had been no Bolivian trained nurses in the country before that time, with the exception of a few who had been sent to the British-American hospital in Lima, Peru, to secure their training. The first Bolivian nurse to receive this training and to return to work in the hospital in La Paz, was Miss Lia Penaranda, the daughter of the Bolivian pastor who had helped in charge of the Indian work. After the regular training school was established in the hospital in Obrajes, it received official recognition by the Minister of Health, who was then Dr. Abelardo Ibanez Benavente, former Director of the Military medical service, and who for many years was a faithful supporter of the hospital, taking his private patients there for operations. In the past ten years ever sixty girls have graduated from this training school, and are occupying important positions in the hospitals, mines, doctor's offices, and in the Public Health service of Bolivia. Many have come to the States also for further practice and training, and it has been found that their work is as efficient as that of nurses trained in this country.

Many friends, Bolivian, as well as those from other countries, have contributed to the development of this hospital, and have thus made an outstanding contribution. The success of this work can not be attributed to any one person, but to the cooperation of many doctors, nurses, and friends, from Bolivia, as well as other countries who have contributed with their time, influence and money, for the establishment of this institution which is trying to serve the people of Bolivia and work for the welfare of that country for all mankind.