It was midday on Nov. 28, 1954 – a cold, blustery day, according to newspaper reports – and St. Tammany Parish Police Jury President Fred Mizell stepped to the microphone set up in front of the newly completed St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington and pulled a 385-word speech from his pocket.
“At long last we are about to complete a job that is the culmination of a quarter-century of effort on the part of the citizens of this parish,” he started. “A great deal of hard work went into the building of this beautiful, modern hospital, and now we see here the result of all this work. St. Tammany can be proud of its hospital.
“Situated as it is among these tall, stately pine trees, our hospital will bring healing to the body and comfort to the spirit of the afflicted.”
After praising the building, the staff and the assemblage of then-modern medical equipment inside, he then turned to Oliver Hebert, the chairman of the hospital’s governing board, and concluded:
“And now, Mr. Hebert, as president of the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury, I now hand over to you as chairman of the Hospital Board, the key to this fine institution. May this key never be used to close it; may it always remain open to suffering humanity.”
The hospital officially opened to patients three days later, on Dec. 1. At 7:30 that morning, it got its first patient: Carl Bougere of Rutland Street in Covington, who had suffered a heart attack. He would survive.
Now, as St. Tammany Health System prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its flagship hospital on Dec. 1, 2024, Mizell’s wish continues to be honored. Those doors have never been locked.
To mark the milestone, we embarked on a 70-week journey in September 2023 to spotlight 70 key artifacts from the hospital’s past – one per week, culminating on Dec. 1 2024 – that help chronicle its storied history.
We present them below, with gratitude to our community for willing us into being all those years ago and for continuing to trust us as the premiere place for healthcare on the Northshore.