John Bartlett: podcast appearances and interviews

John Bartlett (1784–1849) was an American minister and co-founder of two pioneering hospitals in the United States, McLean Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Born in Concord, Massachusetts, he was the fourth of twelve children and was influenced by his local pastor, Dr. Ripley. After working in commerce in Maine, Bartlett returned to Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College in 1805. He studied theology for two years in Cambridge and served as a chaplain at the Boston Almshouse from 1807 to 1811, where he gained insight into the conditions of the poor. During this period, he also studied theology under William Ellery Channing and pursued medical studies, although he did not intend to become a practicing physician. Instead, his medical education was aimed at improving his work with impoverished populations. Bartlett visited hospitals in New York and Philadelphia to research contemporary medical practices and organized meetings that led to the founding of McLean Insane Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1811, he was ordained as pastor of the Second Congregational Church in Marblehead, Massachusetts, where he adhered to Unitarian theology. That same year, he married Rebecca Dublois, with whom he had six children. He was an active member of the Marblehead Humane Society and a Freemason. Bartlett passed away in 1849 at age sixty-five after experiencing personal tragedies.