either”. With this final repartee the examination concluded. Several weeks later the
USPHS informed Dr. Armstrong that he had passed the examination, held the
commission of Assistant Surgeon as of October 16, 1916 and told to report for duty at the
Immigration Station, Ellis Island, New York.
Several weeks later, on November 8, 1916, he received a letter from Dr. J. Morris
Stevens, Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of New Haven Hospital
(1). “My Dear Armstrong: Your kind letter of October 28th has not been answered on
account of one of those high pressure periods with which you are familiar. From what
you say, I regret extremely that we did not have the conversation in question months ago.
But, of course, neither of us felt free to speak. However, I do trust sincerely that you will
like your new work, and I believe you will. As I understand, the Government Service
offers opportunity for promotion, and I know it will come to a man of your serious
purpose and diligence; for, after all, the people who win out are those who do their work
day after day, and whose excellence is that they are dependable. Dr. Morse and Dr.
Morris join me in the best wishes for your future. Sincerely”. With these prophetic words
of encouragement, Dr. Charles Armstrong began his lifelong, illustrious career in the
United States Public Health Service.
Armstrong – Notes – The Early Years
- Information gathered from personal papers, a short autobiographical memoir, and
an extensive oral interview conducted by Wyndom Miles of the National Library
of Medicine in October 1966 (transcribed in August 1977) provided much of the
information recorded in this and subsequent chapters. Dr. Armstrong’s daughter,