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William H. Coleman Hospital Photo: Ryan Hamlett
Coleman Hospital
Location: I.U.P.U.I Campus
Named For: William Henry Coleman
In 1927, William H. Coleman endowed the hospital for women, in memory of his step-daughter who died from pregnancy complications. Coleman was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in New York. He moved to Indianapolis in 1880, where he started a booming lumber business that grew to have additional operations in Terre Haute and Tennessee as well, even making barrels for the Standard Oil Company.
Coleman married Sallie Downing Vajen, who had a daughter, Suemma, from her previous marriage to John Henry Vajen III, who died when Suemma was an infant. Suemma’s grandfather was Michael A. Downing, who served as Indianapolis’ police commissioner and park commissioner.
Suemma was married to William Avery Atkins and became pregnant in 1923. She and her child on died on April 24, 1924. After her death, the Colemans donated money to Indiana University to build a maternity hospital, which was dedicated in 1927.
To learn more about the Vajen family, check out these HI articles:
What’s in a Name: Vajen Exchange Block
Sunday Adverts: Lilly Hardware Company
Indianapolis Then and Now: Democratic Club/Indiana War Memorial, 22 E. Vermont Street
In addition, HI has also featured the Atkins family in other articles:
Indianapolis Collected: SAWS – A Halloween History Tale
Indianapolis Collected: New Year’s Eve at the Boom Boom Room
I remember the William H. Coleman Hospital from when I was in the Science Scholars program at the IU Med Center while I was in high school at Tech (1968-1972).
Is the hospital still standing and, if so, what is its current function?
Hi Steve. Thanks for posting. As a sequel, I’d suggest you continue this fascinating story with a report on the home for unwed mothers that evolved and continues to operate.
I do have one question. Was Coleman sometimes referred to as “City Hospital”?:
Again, thanks for your report.
Lynne
Thank you for this interesting article – I was born in this hospital in 1946.
I was born in Coleman Hospital on September 28, 1941. When was the original hospital torn down and what replaced it?
Hi, David,
.
Coleman Hospital for Women was located at 1140 West Michigan Street. The building is still standing, but it is no longer a hospital. It is surrounded by IU Medical School and IUPUI buildings. You can read more about Coleman Hospital here: http://www.iupui.edu/~history/OLDSITE/trail/2.htm.
.
Sharon Butsch Freeland
My son was born there in 1964 on December 3, 1964 it’s sad to know it is gone. My son Danny is with the Lord now!! Danny died on September 27, 2012 at Methodist hospital ☹️??
My daughter was born in Coleman Hospital in February, 1958. I don’t remember much…they knocked you out in those days!
I know I was there several days and the food was good!
I was born at Coleman Hospital June 10, 1949. I am now 68 years old. I regret to say that my mother, now 88, is suffering from mental disorders and thinks that there was another baby born on that same date at that same place. I would like to be able to confirm that the hospital’s successor has no records of any such “duplicate” birth.
I’m filling out a “Grandma, Tell Me Your Story” book and wanted to know about Coleman Hospital where I was born in November, 1945. I thought the building was probably gone, so I’m glad to know it is still standing. Since I knew none of it’s history, this article has been interesting to me. I knew the procedure was to deliver the babies with the mothers under anesthesia and to keep both mothers and babies in the hospital for several days. I believe my delivering doctor’s name was Gustafson.
i was born on April 1st 19– in the back of my grandmother powder blue caddillac on the back footboard. we were on our way to Coleman Hospital, didnt quite make it. But, once an officer was stopped and asked the way it was April 2nd 1965. so to say i have 2 birthdays. when i was born my grandmother said the doctor had lost his granddaughter and asked if i would carry her name since mom had no idea what to name me. so i became Tamara Ta-mar-a’.
I was born in Coleman on June 18, 1945. My parents were based at the Army Ft. Ben. Harrison.
Thank you. I was just recently told that was were l was born. I am now trying to see if there were pictures and info about my birth. I will also go visit the building that l have probably passed by numerous times.
Aida Cowans, Have you had luck finding info about your birth? I am having problems locating a birth certificate. Thank you.
Hi there. I was born at this hospital in December of 1950. My mom was a high risk pregnancy at the time 34 years old…almost unheard of. Anyway, there were 30 babies on the newborn ward….all of us became very ill. Two of us survived. We both had the same pediatrician…they had no idea what cause so many babies to die but it was an epidemic of some sort. I was transfused completely as was the other baby. Can anyone track down any information about this? I recently tested for Hepatitis B…never in that danger area to get Hepatitis B…so wondering if this could have been the reason so many babies died that year on the ward….It was kept pretty quiet. I guess there were reports in the newspaper…When my dad and step grandmother went to pick me up on the 24th of December, my dad asked what the charges would be…They said nothing…just to get me out of there. Please help me track this information down. It would help so much with my medical information now.
Hello Ann, have you been able to locate a birth record? I am looking for a female born at Coleman on 11 June 1951. I think I need to contact the Bartholomew Health Department to get a birth certificate. I do not know where else to locate a birth record.
Love the history my mom was born there in 1928and I am very interested in the history.
I was born at that hospital as well. I am interested on what info you find about it.
I clicked on the link for the history of Coleman Hospital and it does not work. I was born there on 10-3-1951 and recently moved back to Indy after a more than 50-year absence. Info?
Thanks!
Hi, I am not sure I understand what is not working? I must be missing something and would be happy to try to help if you could give me a little more specific info. Thanks for contacting us.
I was born at Coleman’s hospital on January 23 1953 looking for my birth mother and adopted.
My daughter was born at Colemans, January 15, 1963. Her name was Lynda Mansfield and an experiment was performed when electrodes was connected to her head to measure reactions as baby’s go through the birth canel. Are there any records available?
No idea.
My brother was born at Coleman Hospital in April of 1940. Our mother was about 32 y.o. Her husband graduated IU med school in 1930 and they thought they would have a good middle income life, but the Depression had just started, and few whom he treated could pay He had an office in their home and would stay home Decoration Day, July 4, Armistice Day, Xmas, etc. because travelers would have traffic accidents and the police knew that he was available. Travelers were more likely to be able to pay.
Because they had little money, they used some form of birth control, what I don’t know, for almost 10 years, before starting to have a baby. And then, ironically, she could not get pregnant, All the birth control had been pointless. She had to have her tubes blown open by the doctor (which iiuc is still a risky procedure. Imagine 1938. ) Then she got pregnant right away, but delivery was slow, maybe slower because of pain killer, and the baby died during delivery. I think she again needed her tubes blown open, and this time, delivery was Caesarean, to avoid the previous failure. That was my brother in 1940. His father died when he was 1, she remarried and I know she again could not get pregnant until her tubes were again blown open, after which she got pregnant right away, and I was born Caesarean in 1947 when she was 39 y.o. She had two ugly scars on her belly, vertical, about 5″ long, one in the center and one an inch and a half to the side, but she thought it was well worth it.
I went with her to a doctor’s appointment at Coleman when I was about 14 and she was in her 50’s and in the waiting room she admired a young woman’s slim ankles. My mother’s were not fat at all, but I guess they were not as slim as she wanted.
Where were the records on births sent when colemans closed im interested in finding out the time i was born
Was born at Coleman hospital 1971 2 months premature. Born with identical twin. Was studied from birth til 3yrs old in a twin study at the hospital…..looking for any information on this study. Also looking for any information on anyone who was a nicu nurse February 1971. Ty
I was born in Coleman November 12, 1945 at 2 lb 4 oz. They must have done great care since I was due the end of Jan 1946. They told my parents I would not live but here I am being 79 tomorrow.
I was born there in September 1961. My father was in the Indiana State Farm at Putnamville and mom was in the Indiana State Women’s Penitentiary. Both were doing three years for child neglect on my four older siblings. I was born while she was doing her time and immediately adopted out. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to find out about her (thanks to Indianas archaic adoption privacy laws), she had already died from a massive heart attack.
I was just curious to see if Methodist or St. Vincent had taken over Coleman years ago. I never guessed it would still be standing or that I could actually see a photo of it.
Thanks for sharing!
I was born in Coleman Hospital on December 5, 1948. My mother, father and I continued living in Indianapolis through 1949, possibly 1950, then moving to Columbus, Ohio likely in 1951 where my brother was born at St. Ann’s Hospital.
I was born at Coleman November 23, 1970. I’ve been winning ever since! Winning, winning, winning!!! I win so much I grow tired of winning. Yet, I go on winning.
I was born in Coleman Hospital May 2, 1936. At that time Mothers and their babies were kept for 2 week to be sure all the vitals were normal. When my dad and mom’s mother came to pick us up my grandmother asked my mother, “Lena, are you sure you have the right baby?” My mom said that yes mom my do you ask? Grandma said, “that is the ugliest baby I have ever seen.” Grandma and I got off to a good start, we were great buddies.