Thomas A. Moran

Physician and Surgeon, is practicing his profession in his native town of Melrose, Monroe County, and that community recognizes its debt to him not only as a professional man, a skilled and earnest worker, but as a citizen with a wholesome interest in the community as a whole and every family group therein. Doctor Moran was born at Melrose October 18, 1876, son of Anthony and Bridget (McCaffery) Moran. His parents were born in County Mayo, Ireland, and were married in Pennsylvania, and in the early 1870s came to Monroe County, Iowa, living on a farm. His father died in January, 1909, and his mother in December, 1916. Doctor Moran was a country boy in Iowa, attended country schools, but looked beyond the horizon of farm life to a professional career. As one step in his progress he attended what was then a very fine educational institution, the old Stanberry Normal School at Stanberry, Missouri. Later he entered the School of Pharmacy of Highland Park College of Des Moines, where he was graduated in 1902. His knowledge of pharmacy was valuable to him in different ways while completing his medical education. In 1907 he was graduated from Barnes Medical School in Saint Louis, and had one year of interne experience and training in the woman's department of the City Hospital of Saint Louis. With this training completed Doctor Moran returned to Melrose and entered into association with his life long friend, Dr. Michael F. Riordan, in June, 1908. Some of his first readings in medicine had been under the direction of Dr. Riordan, and he has always felt deeply indebted to him for his loyal encouragement and help. For a number of years Doctor Moran has had more than a local reputation as a specialist in eye, nose and throat diseases. He has kept himself up-to-date by post-graduate work in the Chicago Poly-clinic, Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, and Chicago Post Graduate School. He is secretary of the Monroe County Medical Society, member of the Iowa State Medical Association and a fellow of the American Medical Association. Doctor Moran has for twenty years been a member of the Melrose Board of Education, and during seventeen years of this time has been president. He is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus. During the World war he volunteered but being the only doctor at Melrose the Government kept him there, where he was able to serve his country to a greater advantage than in the field. He prizes the badge of voluntary war service bestowed upon him by the Government. He enrolled in the Volunteer Medical Service Corps October 14, 1918. Doctor Moran married in June, 1909, Miss Margaret Cummins, of Lucas County, Iowa, daughter of James and Johanna (Geary) Cummins. Her father was born near Dublin, Ireland and died in Iowa in 1915, and her mother passed away in 1925. The four children of Doctor and Mrs. Moran are: Walter, now a student in the Junior College at Albia; Mary, who graduated from the Melrose High School in 1929; and Thomas Jr., and John A. Doctor and Mrs. Moran have a splendid home among the hills of Melrose, overlooking magnificent scenery in the country round about.