IN REMEMBRANCE
MARY ADAIR ASHBROOK SMITH, MD 1932-2015
D
r. Mary Smith was one of four women who entered the University of Louisville Medical School in 1954. She attended
Louisville Medical School straight out of the University of
Kentucky. Mary’s family from Greensburg, Ky, has a long history
in medicine. Her great-grandfather, Thomas P. Hodges, MD, was
a physician who graduated in 1855 from the Louisville Medical
Institute – the predecessor of U of L. He practiced family medicine
around Green County. Her mother was the first person in Green
County to graduate from the new Kentucky University in Lexington, where she lettered as a teacher with minors in Latin, French
and German. Ms. Annie Newell Hodges Ashbrook (Dr. Smith’s
mother) then worked for the War Department in Washington, DC
translating manuscripts from 1916-17, before beginning a 50-year
career in public education. Mary’s brother, James Ashbrook, MD,
was a 1959 UL graduate and a distinguished colorectal surgeon and
Army veteran before his death in 1982.
Dr. Smith was married in 1956 to Tom Smith, an engineer from
Louisville. She received her degree from U of L Medical School in
1958. She then began her training in Pediatrics and was the first
pediatric resident at the new Children’s Hospital in Louisville to
be offered the position of Chief Resident. In this position, she was
in charge of the training of residents as they rotated through the
emergency room starting in 1962. She became board certified in Pediatrics in 1964. During her 38-year tenure at Children’s, she helped
train every class of medical graduates as an Assistant Professor. She
served as president of the medical staff and was active in state efforts
to protect women and children. She continued in part-time practice
at the U of L Children and Youth Project until 1998. She provided
community lectures on radio and TV throughout her career.
Her leadership was key to the establishment of the Poison Control
Center training in Louisville. She instructed every Louisville and
Jefferson County police officer on the recognition and reporting
requirements to combat the epidemic of abused children. She was
the senior pediatric emergency medical staff member during the
emergency department move from the Old Children’s Hospital into
the Kosair Norton Hospital building in the 1970s and had key input
in the ED design of the new Kosair Children’s Hospital in the 1980s.
Her nurses followed her through every move.
In retirement, Dr. Smith volunteered for the Brennan House as
both a board member and docent. She was asked by the Medical
Society to document the historical medical equipment and discuss
the medical practice of the 19th century with many school children
in the 10 years she volunteered at the Brennan House.
Mary was very involved at Harvey Browne Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she was a choir member and served as Elder,
Deacon, Trustee and Sunday school teacher for over 50 years. Her
devotion to church and the community of women and children was
unmatched by her contemporaries. Like her mother before her, she
was a mentor to many pediatricians and women leaders who have
followed her. A fellow MD wrote: “I’ll never forget her because of
her compassion and skill as a pediatrician and her dynamic work
ethic. Mary could get things done when others failed. She was always
cheerful and well-liked by everyone.” During a tour of the Kosair
Children’s Emergency Department she was quoted by the Courier
Journal, “Everybody forgets that death is part of the life-cycle.” Dr.
Mary Ashbrook Smith, 1990.
- Laurel Smith Stocks, daughter of Dr. Mary Smith
JANUARY 2016
9