Title: Dr. Alice Hunter Papers, 1879-1973

ID: OGLMC370

Primary Creator: Hunter, Alice (1891-1975)

Extent: 12.75 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 05/00/1976. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Grand Forks - Health Care, Health and Medicine, Women's History

Languages: English

The Dr. Alice Hunter Papers have been organized into eight series:

Series 1: Personal and Family

Series 2: Business Correspondence

Series 3: Corporate Records

Series 4: Pamphlets and Flyers

Series 5: Newspaper Clippings and Scrapbooks

Series 6: Cookbooks

Series 7: Americus Township Records

Series 8: Miscellaneous

Dr. Alice Mary Hunter was born in Grand Forks on September 30, 1891. She attended Belmont School and Grand Forks High School, and graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1914. After graduating from Chicago's Rush Medical College in June, 1919, she interned at Cincinnati General Hospital in Ohio. She practiced medicine in several states, and in 1924 took a six month course in anesthesia at the Mayo Clinic. She then came back to Grand Forks and joined Dr. William H. Witherstine in his practice, and handled anesthesia for other physicians in town.

Her parents, Adison I. and Alice Bailey Hunter, both originally from Indiana, were socially prominent in Grand Forks. Her father came to Grand Forks in 1883 to homestead, but apparently soon left farming. By 1890 he was the owner of a livery stable specializing in Kentucky thoroughbreds. A.I. Hunter turned to banking in 1909-1910, joining the Union National Bank of Grand Forks as cashier. Later he became president and chairman of the executive committee of the First National Bank of Grand Forks.

During the banking phase of his career, chain banking was common in North Dakota. Individuals from one bank would establish new banks in other communities, controlling them through interlocking directorates. A.I. Hunter was involved in three other small banks in the Grand Forks area, only one of which survived the Depression. He also held substantial interests in a wide variety of local businesses, and owned almost nine sections of land, both in the area and in Canada.

Dr. Hunter's mother died in 1925. Her father became ill in 1935, and she spent much of her time caring for him until he died in December 1936.  About this time, she stopped practicing medicine, although the reason is unknown. She spent the rest of her life living in her parents' house, managing the land and money she had inherited, arguing with many and slowly turning into an eccentric and a local legend. She died in a nursing home on December 7, 1975.

Grand Forks - Health Care
Health and Medicine
Women's History

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals: Additional donations were received on June 26, 1981 (81-775) and from Dr. David Tilotta, University of North Dakota, on June 29, 2001 (2001-2522). Prior to the donation, Dr. Tilotta purchased the material at an auction.

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Method: Donation under the terms of her will

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Dr. Alice Hunter Papers.  OGLMC 370, Box #, Folder #.  Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Processing Information: The collection was re-processed in November 2015.  At that time miscellaneous and unidentified materials, as well as artifacts, were discarded. The finding aid was migrated to Archon at that same time.