Lankford, John Silas, 1858-1936

Noted San Antonio physician. Dr. Lankford was president of the Western Texas Medical Association, editor of Southwest Texas Medicine, and president of the Scientific Society of San Antonio. In addition to his professional activities, he was active in the civic affairs of San Antonio, serving as president of the San Antonio Board of Education for fifteen years and as chairman of the Committee on Sanitation. He was untiring in the promotion of preventive medicine and mosquito destruction. Dr. Lankford's most noted contributions to medical literature were in the field of public health endocrinology.

Dr. John Silas Lankford, a noted San Antonio physician, was born October 27, 1858, in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, where he received his early education. His academic education was obtained in Austin College, Sherman, Texas. He earned his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, in 1882 and began the practice of medicine in Atoka, Indian Territory before it became Oklahoma. In 1891 he moved to San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Lankford married Miss Belle Gatewood of Sherman in July,1882. She died in 1932. They had one son and three daughters. They also adopted their granddaughter when her father, the son of Dr. Lankford, died in 1918.

Dr. Lankford took an active part in the medical affairs of Texas throughout his entire professional career. He was president of the Western Texas Medical Association, the Texas State Medical Association, the Texas Insurance Medical Directors Association, the Bexar County Medical Society, and the Scientific Society of San Antonio. He was editor of Southwest Texas Medicine and vice president of the American Medical Editors and Authors Association, serving as contributing editor to their publication Medical Mentor . He was nationally known as a physician and writer.

In addition to his professional activities, he was active in the civic affairs of San Antonio, serving as president of the San Antonio Board of Education for fifteen years. He was a member of the San Antonio Health Board and served as chairman of the Committee on Sanitation. He was untiring in the promotion of teaching preventive medicine and mosquito destruction. Dr. Lankford's most noted contributions to medical literature were in the fields of public health and endocrinology.

Dr. Lankford died September 21, 1936, at the age of 77.

Sources:

Dr. J. S. Lankford Funeral Today, San Antonio Express News, Sept 22, 1936.

Dr. John Silas Lankford, Texas State Journal of Medicine 23:507-508, November 1936.