The Valley of Heart's Delight
Ada Scott Morton, M. D.
Stockton Family of Physicians
Surgeon of San Jose
Surnames: Frederick
Prominent among the distinguished members of the medical profession in
Santa Clara County, Dr. Ada Scott Morton is a well-known surgeon of San
Jose, who has been able to exert a helpful influence in the advancement
of the practice of surgery. An native daughter, she was born in
Stockton, a member of a family of physicians. Her maternal grandfather
a native of Alabama, was Jr. John Ferguson, and he was widely known in
both Alabama and Arkansas as a successful practitioner. When he passed
away, he also enjoyed the prestige as owner of an extensive plantation.
Her paternal grandfather was Dr. Thomas Scott, and he lived and died in
Kentucky. Her father, Richard Scott, was born in Kentucky, was married
in the East and crossed the plains in 1849 in a wagon train, locating at
Stockton. He brought mules and cattle across the plains, as well as a
large freighting outfit; and engaged in freighting between Stockton and
the mines, as well as into the upper San Joaquin Valley. His brother,
Dr. David Scott, and relatives, crossed the plains in 1857 and were
killed in the Mountain Meadow massacre. Dick Scott, as he was
familiarly known, was successful as a freighter. He went through some
hazardous and harrowing experiences in those days, having been held up
and robbed more than once. Later on he engaged in ranching and became
the owner of several farms and after he retired, leased them. He always
made his home in Stockton until he came to San Jose, where he spent his
last days with Dr. Morton, passing away in 1919. Her mother, who was
born in Alabama, where she was reared and educated at a female college,
is a cultured and refined woman, who makes her home with her daughter,
Dr. Morton, at her home in Linda Vista, aged eighty-four. Dr. Morton's
brother, Dr. C. L. Scott, is a practicing physician at Hanford; another
brother is Dr. W. P. Scott of Bakersfield.
The twelfth child in a family of thirteen, Ada Scott grew up in
Stockton, where her father operated as a large grain farm. She was born
in Stockton, March 17, 1882, and graduated from the Tulare high school
in 1900, and then took, first a pre-medical and then a medical course at
the California Medical School at San Francisco, after which she entered
the medical department of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She
was graduated on June 4, 1907, with the degree of M. D., and in the same
year began her active practice , associating herself with her brother,
Dr. W. P. Scott, at Bakersfield. At the end of the year, in May 1908,
she removed to San Jose and practiced until 1911; then, during 1911-12,
she pursued post graduate work for eleven months at the Mayo brothers'
celebrated clinic at Rochester, Minn., and each year she spends a month
or two among Eastern clinics. Just before the outbreak of the World
War, she joined the clinical congress of surgeons of the world in
London. In January, 1914, De. Morton went to England and France, and
while there attended clinics under different surgeons, among them being
Drs. Warterhouse and Lane in the former country, and Harman and Tuffier
in the latter; and she was in France when war was declared; in fact was
in a surgeons' meeting, standing by the side of Dr. Tuffier when he
received the message that war was declared. When she was ready to
return, they ship was chased by submarines.
In the early part of 1913, Miss Scott married Dr. A. W. Morton of San
Francisco, whom she later divorced, and from three to four years she
practised in San Francisco as surgeon for the Santa Fe Railroad
Company. On May 8, 1919, she married to her present husband, Robert H
Frederick, popularly known in athletic circles, where he is famous as an
athlete and wrestler, as Ed. Strangler Lewis, and they are the parents
of one child, Bobada Lewis. He was born at Sheboygan Falls, Wis., in
1909, of German extraction, is six feet one and one-half inches tall,
and weighs 240 pounds. He was educated at Louisville, Ky., and was the
athletic instructor there. He offered his services to the U. S.
Government, was stationed at Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill., and taught the
soldier boys hand-to-hand fighting. he is now the world's champion
wrestler. Dr. Morton retains her former name for professionals reasons
, and she enjoys an extensive practice as a surgeon.
Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben, from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California, published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1080
Santa Clara County Historical Biographies
Santa Clara County History