Parallel Lives/ Hall of Honor

      Two of the honored country doctors, P.L. Hathcock and Jesse Thomas Wood, have significantly parallel lives reflecting the important legacy of family and education. Both were born the same year, 1878, six days apart and were raised in small towns. Both became country doctors and each had two sons who became physicians. Dr. P.L. Hathcocks sons, Preston Loyce and Alfred Hiram, became general practitioners with their father in fayetteville. A son-in-law, Dr. Ralph E. Weddington also practiced with them at the Hathcock clinic. In 1957, Dr. Alfred hathcock moved to Batesville, his wife Mary Louise Barnett hathcocks hometown, to practice medicine.

His son, Alfred Barnett, was an orthopedic surgeon  specializing in hand surgery at the holt-krock clinic in Fort Smith. Dr. Alfred Barnett Hathcocks son, Stephen, “sixth generation M.D. blends conventional medicine with alternative Remedies,” practices in little rock. Dr. Jesse Thomas Woods' sons, Julian Deal and Jack Augustus, became general practitioners in Seminole, Oklahoma.

Jack left for a general surgery residency. Upon completion of his training, he joined Dr. J Warren Murry in Fayetteville. Currently, DR. Jack Wood's son, Stephen Thomas, a third generation M.D., is following his fathers footsteps as a general surgeon in Fayetteville. DR. P.L. Hathcock and Dr. Jesse Thomas Wood died 12 days apart in the same year, 1969.