Chapter 1. Early Years: Family background; Education.....................................................
Dr. Charles Armstrong was born in Alliance, Stark County, Ohio on September
25, 1886, the youngest of four children of Theodore and Emma Maria (Bertolette)
Armstrong. His father, Theodore, was the only son of Robert Armstrong, a country
practitioner of medicine at North Benton, Ohio. Grandfather Robert Armstrong never
graduated from medical school. He gained his experience as an apprentice to an
established medical practitioner. This was a usual custom in Ohio and, indeed, in most of
the United States in the early half of the 19th century. Despite the lack of modern
diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and formal training, Charles Armstrong described
his grandfather as a person of common sense who had a sense of duty and of service to
the constituents of his practice. Charles Armstrong had no first hand knowledge of these
traits since his grandfather died “worn out” when Charles was a child of about 4-5 years.
However, grateful patients were frequent visitors to the home of Theodore and Emma
Maria Armstrong and often discussed with them the work and character of Grandfather
Armstrong. It was not clear to Charles Armstrong just what effect or influence, if any,
these often repeated testimonials might have had on his choice of a career. However it is
certain that the stories of hardships, of travel in all kinds of weather by buggy, saddle or
on foot and of not sleeping in his bed for weeks at a time did not deter Charles from
studying medicine. It was, however, possible that these considerations, among others, did
serve to influence his decision to enter the United States Public Health Service rather than
to risk general medical practice.