This year, The Valley Hospital will celebrate 75 years since its opening day, on August 8, 1951. To memorialize Valley’s history over the past seven decades, we are reflecting on the organization’s major milestones during the past decades.
In this blog, we’ll highlight Valley’s expansion of programs and continued growth in the 1960S.
Be sure to check back each month as we continue to share the history of The Valley Hospital! To learn more about Valley’s growth in prior decades, browse our blog posts here.
Valley in the 1960s
In 1961, Valley celebrated its 10th year of community service. The hospital cared for more than 7,000 patients, welcomed more than 1,600 babies, and recorded just under 7,000 visits to the Emergency Department this year.
The Valley Hospital also opened the East Wing of the hospital, which allowed the hospital to grow to 247 beds. This became the Phillips building.
The Kraft House, donated by longtime benefactor Dorothy B. Kraft, was also opened in 1961 as a staff residence.
In 1962, the newly created Department of Volunteer Services and the Women’s Auxiliary established a Career Guidance Program, which provided one-day experiences in many departments to students from five community schools. Later in the decade, the Junior volunteers debuted the new candy-striped uniforms!
The West Wing of the hospital opened in 1963, accepting patients on the first and second floors. Kurth Cottage moved to the West Wing. Later in 1967, the Philips building’s West Wing opened the third and fourth floors, which included coronary care and the intensive care unit. Bed capacity grew to 275!
In 1966, Valley announced a significant expansion for another new wing, which would increase bed capacity to 450 beds. The plan would include two phases and would require $3 million in funds.
The Valley Hospital Celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 1969. In recognition of all those who served the hospital – men, women, boys, and girls – the Women’s Auxiliary of The Valley Hospital changed its name to The Valley Hospital Auxiliary.
Back in the Sixties
Outside of Valley, the United States experienced a decade of notable leaders and cultural moments. Here are a few facts from the decade.
Presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961), John F. Kennedy (1961-1963), Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969), and Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
Cost of Milk: A gallon was around 36 cents
Cost of Gas: Averaged 32 cents per gallon
Historical Events: In the 1960s, the Berlin Wall was constructed (1961), the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred between the Soviet Union and the United States (1962), President Kennedy was assassinated (1963), the Equal Pay Act was signed (1963), the Civil Rights Act was signed (1964), “Beatlemania” began (1964), United States troops began to arrive in Vietnam (1965), the first successful human heart transplant was performed (1967), Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy were assassinated (1968), Apollo 11 landed the first men on the moon (1969), and Woodstock took place (1969).
