Dr. James Frederick McFadden, who in keeping with the tendency of the age toward specialization has become a successful neurologist, was born in Belmont, Missouri, September 22, 1888. His father, James McFadden, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was an enterprising merchant of Belmont until a few years prior to his death, when he removed to St. Louis and retired from active business, passing away in 1907, at the age of fifty-three years. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Josephine L. Klinge, was born in Wabasha, Minnesota, and came to St. Louis with her parents when very young and is now a resident of Charleston, Missouri. By her marriage she became the mother of four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are living.
Dr. McFadden, the second child, was educated in the country schools at Belmont, Missouri, to the age of eight years and afterwards in the graded schools of St. Louis and St. Louis University. In preparation for his professional career he attended the St. Louis University Medical School and won his M. D. degree in 1913. Prior to his graduation he served as interne in the Alexian Brothers Hospital, where he remained until September, 1913, when he became resident neurologist of the Alexian Brothers Hospital and acted in that capacity until July, 1914. At that date he removed to Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a member of the staff of the Boston Psychopathic Hospital, being the first Missourian to fill a similar position in that institution. There he continued until March, 1915, and was afterward at the Massachusetts State Hospital at Foxboro, where he became first assistant to the superintendent, continuing in that institution until August, 1917.
Feeling that his duty to his country was paramount to every other interest Dr. McFadden then enlisted in the United States army, becoming a first lieutenant in the neuro-psychiatric branch of the medical department and in this connection organized the first nervous department at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, remaining in charge there for fourteen months. He was advanced to the rank of captain and afterward was transferred to Camp Grant at Rockford, Illinois, to reorganize the nervous department. He was next sent to Plattsburg Barracks in New York, a shellshock hospital known as United States General Hospital, No. 30. A month later he was transferred to Camp Meade, Maryland, where he continued for a brief period, having charge at all times and places of nervous diseases. His next assignment was to General Hospital, No. 1, of New York city, where he specialized in diagnosing peripheral nerve injury, continuing there from the 1st of March, 1919, to the time of his discharge on the 16th of May, following, his military service continuing from September 6, 1917, until May 16, 1919, or for a period of almost two years.
After receiving his discharge from the army Dr. McFadden returned to St. Louis for a short rest and then went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he pursued a six months’ post-graduate course in the University of Pennsylvania, in the study of neurology. Again he came to St. Louis on the 15th of December, 1920, and opened his office, since which time he has continued in active practice here, specializing in nervous diseases. He is instructor on nervous and mental diseases in the St. Louis University School of Medicine and is associate neurologist of St. John’s Hospital of St. Louis. He is also assistant neurologist in the St. Louis Jewish Hospital and visiting neurologist of the St. Louis City Hospital. Along professional lines he has various membership connections, being thus identified with the St. Louis Medical Society, the Missouri State and American Medical Associations, the St. Louis Neurological Society, the American Medico-Psychological Association, the Southern Medical Association, the American Congress of Internal Medicine and the Missouri Society of Mental Hygiene, of which he is the secretary. He is also well known to the profession through his various valuable contributions to medical journals on the subject of mental deficiency. He improves every opportunity that will in the least promote his knowledge and advance his skill in the field of his chosen specialty and is regarded today as one of the eminent neurologists of St. Louis.
In the Immaculate Conception church, April 27, 1915, Dr. McFadden was married to Miss Olivia Genevieve Imbs, a daughter of Joseph F. and Christine (Eberle) Imbs and they have become parents of two children: Marie Angela, born in St. Louis, May 2, 1918; and James Frederick, December 5, 1920. The parents are members of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic church and Dr. McFadden is a fourth degree Knight of Columbus. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and is a member of the Harvard chapter of the Phi Beta Phi medical fraternity. He has few recreations and few leisure hours, for his professional duties make constant and steady demand upon his time and energy.