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Martin Dobelle (December 25, 1906 - August 11, 1986) was a major veteran orthopedic sergeon. He was the chief of orthopedic surgery at the Army hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va., and the chief of surgery service at Halloran General Hospital in Staten Island.

Born in New York City December 25, 1906, the son of Harry and Ida Kaplan Dobelle, he grew up in Brooklyn. He graduated from Fordham University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, in 1926 and worked in a Brooklyn pharmacy for two years. He studied medicine at the University of Ghent in Belgium, from which he ggraduated in 1934.

As an intern and resident, he served in various American hospitals, including Boston City Hospital, at which time he held teaching fellowships at both Tufts Universtiy and Harvard University. Later he became one of the first doctors in this country to successfully develop an artificial hip joint.

Dr. Dobelle came to Pittsfield in 1939, opening offices in the Onota Building. He was affiliated with Hillcrest, Fairview and North Adams Regional hospitals, as well as the House of Mercy, later Pittsfield General Hospital, and St. Luke's Hospital, the last two of which were later merged to become Berkshire Medical Center.

In 1943 he closed his practive temporarily and entered the Army as a first lieutenant. He left nearly four years later as a lieutenant colonel, having sered as chief of orthopedic surgery at the Army hospital in Fort Belvoir, VA., and chief of surgery service at Halloran General Hospital in Staten Island. He was cited for meritorious preformance while at Fort Belvoir, where he reorganized the orthopedic section and set up a teaching program, and was decorated three times for surgical accomplishment.

He was named civilian orthopedic consultant to the Veterans Adminstration, a post he held for 20 years, and to the office of the surgeon general, the Federal Security Commission and U.S. Department of Labor. Dr. Dobelle returned to Pittsfield in 1947. He moved in 1955 to 769 North Street, a house he converted to contain offices for six doctors, acting as his own architect and contractor.

A year later he left the area and spent much of his time working with crippled children. He was chief of surgery at the Carrie Tingley Crippled Children's Hospital for Indian Children in HOt Springs, NM., and consulting orthopedic surgeon for Kaiser Permente Foundation Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also served as chief orthopedic surgeon at the Cape Kennedy Missile Center in Flordia for three years during Project Mercury and was consultant in orthopedic surgery to the Air Force Military Support Facility at Patrick Air Force Base.

He returned to Pittsfield in 1965 and two years later was appointed medical examiner for Central Berkshire, a post he held until 1982. He was also a five-year member of the state Board of Registration in Nursing.

Dr. Dobelle was president of the Nicholas Andre Orthopedic Society, a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedists, a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and founding fellow of the International College of Surgeons, as well as a member of the American Medical Association and Massachusetts and Berkshire medical societies. He retired from the practice of medicine last year.

A former president of Temple Anshe Amunim, he was a member of the American Legion, and Crescent Lodge of Masons and the Shriner Melha Temple in Springfield, from which he recived his 50-year pin in 1983. He was given a gold medal by the International Ladies Garment Workers Union for 50 years of service and interest in the labor movement.

His wife of 43 years, Lillian Mendelsohn Dobelle, died in 1979. The couple often wintered in Flordia, where Dr. Dobelle would often dep-sea fish and won many awards in fishing competitions. He also had a practice there and was named chief of staff of the Monroe-Jackson Hospital, which he built in Hollywood in 1956. He leaves two sons, William H. Dobelle and Evan Dobelle.

Trivia

Son William H. Dobelle, Biomedical Researcher Son Evan Dobelle, American politician and educator

References

The Berkshire Eagle Family of Dr. Martin Dobelle

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-'''Martin Dobelle''' ([[December 25]], [[1906]] - [[August 11]], [[1986]]) was a major veteran [[orthopedic sergeon]].  He was the chief of orthopedic surgery at the Army hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va., and the chief of surgery service at Halloran General Hospital in Staten Island.
+'''Martin Dobelle''' ([[December 25]], [[1906]] - [[August 11]], [[1986]]) was a major veteran orthopedic sergeon.  He was the chief of orthopedic surgery at the Army hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va., and the chief of surgery service at Halloran General Hospital in Staten Island.
 Born in New York City December 25, 1906, the son of Harry and Ida Kaplan Dobelle, he grew up in Brooklyn.  He graduated from Fordham University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, in 1926 and worked in a Brooklyn pharmacy for two years.  He studied medicine at the [[University of Ghent]] in Belgium, from which he ggraduated in 1934.
-As an intern and resident, he served in various American hospitals, including Boston City Hospital, at which time he held teaching fellowships at both [[Tufts Universtiy]] and [[Harvard University]].  Later he became one of the first doctors in this country to successfully develop an artificial hip joint.
+As an intern and resident, he served in various American hospitals, including Boston City Hospital, at which time he held teaching fellowships at both Tufts Universtiy and [[Harvard University]].  Later he became one of the first doctors in this country to successfully develop an artificial hip joint.
 Dr. Dobelle came to Pittsfield in 1939, opening offices in the Onota Building.  He was affiliated with Hillcrest, Fairview and North Adams Regional hospitals, as well as the House of Mercy, later Pittsfield General Hospital, and St. Luke's Hospital, the last two of which were later merged to become Berkshire Medical Center.