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OUTDOOR ORTHOPEDICS Fresh air and sunlight were important in the early treatment of polio, which also focused on straightening and strengthening muscles and limbs.

Oct. 10, 1921–Present

story by WILL MADDOX

Scottish rite for children was founded in 1921, when a group of local Masons approached one of Dallas’ firt orthopedic surgeons, Dr. W.B. Carrell, about the need to provide better care for those suffering from p lio—regardless of their ability to pay. The one-room clinic quickly drew more patients than the space could handle, and the Masons raised $120,000 to purchase land at Oak Lawn and Maple avenues, where it built a hospital in 1922. Fifteen years later, Scottish Rite had treated 27,000 children affl ted by polio. With the eradication of the disease after the introduction of vaccines in the 1950s, the hospital expanded its services; it now provides care for complex orthopedic cases, as well as arthritic, neurological, and learning disorders. In 1977, a six-story, 400,000-square-foot hospital was built across the street from the original facility. In the 1980s, an all-abilities playground was installed on the hospital grounds. Over the years, celebrities from Charlie Chaplin and former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry to President Bill Clinton have visited the hospital. It has been home to breakthroughs in the treatment of scoliosis, limb disorders, and club foot. In 2018, Texas Scottish Rite opened a 40-acre campus in Frisco, including a 345,000-square-foot hospital, sports fields, tails, and a community park. The organization celebrated 100 years of care last fall.