St. Mary's hospital will build 125-bed facility

1965 The Development Council of Saint Mary of the Plains Hospital Tuesday night launched a capital fund campaign to provide Lubbock with a new $3 million, 125-bed facility by 1967.

Detailed plans for the urgently-needed hospital were disclosed at a dinner meeting attended by more than 200 members, business, and civic leaders in Lubbock Country Club.

Guest speaker was Virgil P. Patterson, chairman of the board of First National Bank, Amarillo, who charged, "You simply must provide hospital services. If you fail in this respect, it is a most serious failure ... but you will not fail - you just can't afford failure - hospitals are too important for your city."

To finance enlargement of the hospital's 46-bed facility to an ultra-modern six-floor institution, a maximum grant of $1,500,000 will be sought from the federal government through the Hospital Survey and Construction (Hill-Burton) Act. Matching funds will be subscribed locally during the campaign, directed by R.H. (Bob) Brummal.

Brummal announced that the professional gifts division, working behind the scenes for four weeks under the guidance of Dr. F.C. Goodwin, a physician, had already raised more that half of its $250,000 goal or a total of $167,227.

The new hospital, to be constructed in a "Y" shape with ample space for future expansion to 250 beds, will be erected on a 10-acre tract at 22nd Place and Nashville.

The land was purchased by parishes of Lubbock in 1959 and deeded by Bishop Lawrence Defalco to the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Texas. It is now valued at $340,000.