After immigrating to the United States, William Worrall Mayo pursued medical training at a time when many physicians had little or no formal education. He earned two medical degrees, including one from Indiana Medical College in La Porte. Though modest by reputation, the school was progressive, incorporating the use of microscopes into its curriculum decades before such tools became standard at elite institutions like Harvard. This exposure to scientific inquiry set Mayo apart from many of his contemporaries.
In 1864, Mayo settled with his family in Rochester, Minnesota, where he opened a private medical practice. A turning point came in 1883, when a devastating tornado struck the town. Dr. Mayo organized emergency medical relief and worked closely with the Sisters of Saint Francis to care for the injured. In the aftermath, Mother Alfred Moes, leader of the Sisters, proposed building a hospital if the Mayo physicians would provide medical services. This simple handshake agreement led to the opening of Saint Marys Hospital in 1889.
By the 1890s, Dr. Mayo’s sons, William J. Mayo and Charles H. Mayo, had joined the practice. Together, they pioneered a revolutionary model of care: the integrated, multispecialty group practice. Physicians from different specialties collaborated as a team, sharing knowledge to improve diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Henry Plummer further strengthened this system by developing innovations such as unified medical records and efficient communication technologies.
In 1914, the first building designed specifically for this model opened, with “Mayo Clinic” carved above its entrance. Five years later, the Mayo brothers transformed their private practice into a not-for-profit organization devoted to patient care, research, and education.
After the founders’ deaths in 1939, the Mayo Clinic continued to advance medicine, contributing to breakthroughs such as cortisone therapy and innovations in aviation medicine. Today, with multiple campuses across the United States and international collaborations, the Mayo Clinic remains a global leader, guided by its founding principle: the needs of the patient come first.
The Origins and Growth of the Mayo Clinic
