Dr. Elam Hensley Stevenson Source: Historical Review of Arkansas it's Commerce, Industry and Modern Affairs Fay Hempstead Illustrated Vol. III Chicago 1911 Submitted by Carol A. Zick Dr. Elam Stevenson, a well known physician and one of the organizers and twice president of the Arkansas State Eclectic Medical Association, was born near Pulaski, Giles county, Tennessee, and was there reared and given his primary education. He studied medicine in the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was graduated with the class of 1879. He began the practice of his profession in Shelby county, near Memphis, Tennessee, and in 1880 removed to Beebe, Arkansas, where he practiced in association with his father-in-law. Dr. Wyatt Slaughter, till 1882. In 1883 Dr. Stevenson took up his residence at Fort Smith, where he won great success. In 1880, in the office of Drs. Slaughter and Stevenson at Beebe, he and Dr. Slaughter and Dr. Pruett of Russellville, Dr. Park of Cabot. Dr. John S. Eastland of Judsonia, and Dr. M. P. Dumas of Bald Knob organized the Arkansas State Eclectic Medical Association. Dr. Stevenson has been twice chosen to its presidency and three times to its secretaryship. There are now about two hundred and fifty eclectic physicians in the state, and about one hundred and fifty of them are enrolled in this association, which is in a flourishing condition. Dr. Stevenson is a member and an ex-president of the Arkansas State Board of Medical Examiners representing the Eclectic school. He is a Past Grand Master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas. Dr. Stevenson is president of the board of trustees of the Central Methodist Episcopal church South, of Fort Smith, which position he has held by repeated re-election since the organization of that body. He was a leading spirit in founding the church and one of its constituent members. Mrs. Stevenson was Miss Martha C. Slaughter, who was born and reared in Shelby county, Tennessee. She is a daughter of Dr. Wyatt Slaughter, mentioned above. Dr. Stevenson's son-in-law. Dr. J. Eugene Stevenson, is associated with him in the practice of medicine. There are also two younger sons; Wyatt and Vincent Stevenson. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Source: The Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1889 Elam H. Stevenson, M. D. , was born in Giles County, Tenn., near Pulaski, July 22, 1856, and is a son of Willis M. and Eliza T. ( Abernathy ) Stevenson and is of Scotch-Irish descent. His ancestors first settled in North Carolina before the Revolution, and his grandfather, Elam Stevenson, was a minister of high standing in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The maternal grandfather was one of the pioneer settlers of Giles County, Tenn. Our subject was one of a family of five sons and four daughters. He passed his boyhood at home, and first began to study medicine with W. Slaughter, M. D., a physician of high standing. A year later he entered the Eclectic Medical Institute, at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in the winter of 1879-80. He then practiced his profession in Kerrville, Tenn. until 1881, at which time he located in Beebe, Ark. Since 1883 he has enjoyed a lucrative practice in Fort Smith. He is a self-made man, having paid his own way through college, and is one of the respected citizens of this place. While but a young man he became identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and is one of the active members of that denomination at Fort Smith. He was married in Tennessee to Miss Cleopatra, a daughter of Dr. Slaughter, and an accomplished lady. They now have two children: Eugene and Wyatt. Mrs. Stevenson is deeply interested in the progress of the women's temperance work in this city, and belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church. Dr. Stevenson belongs to the I. O. O. F., the National and State Eclectic Associations and the American Legion of Honor. Additional information: Elam Hensley Stevenson was the son of Willis McKendree Stevenson and Eliza Tilmon Abernathy Stevenson Willis was born in 1817 in Tennessee his wife Eliza was born 1819 and died in 1904. Ezra's grandfather was also Elam Stevenson. Willis and Eliza were the parents of 9 children of which Elam was the 6th child. Elam married Mattie or Martha Cleopatra Wyatt, daughter of Dr. Wyatt and Mary Ann Fleming Slaughter. March 5, 1914 Daily Herald Fort Smith, Arkansas May 12, 1921 Arkansas Democrat Little Rock, Arkansas November 21, 1934 Southwest American Fort Smith, Arkansas