Health - Historical Notes

The following summaries are included herein for reference purposes.

1. Acts of 1887, Chapter 146, named the 32 counties in the Eastern Section of Tennessee in the organization of the hospitals for the insane, which number included Robertson County.
2. Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 477, was the legal authority for the Quarterly Court of Robertson County to establish and maintain a county hospital. The Hospital would be governed and controlled by a Board of five directors named annually by the Quarterly Court at its October meeting, one director each from the north, south, east and west portions of the county and one at large. No physician would be eligible to serve on the Board. Quarterly Court could levy taxes to raise the funds to effectuate the provisions of this law. Rules for the admission of patients, the charges to be made, and the allowances for indigents were generally referred to in the act. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1976, Chapter 237.
3. Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 511, amended Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 477, above, in Section 2, by establishing the method for choosing the Board of Directors for the County Hospital. This act was repealed by Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 806, and by Private Acts of 1976, Chapter 237.
4. Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 806, amended Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 477, above, in Section 2, by deleting the whole Section, thus repealing Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 511, in effect, and inserting a new Section 2, which allowed the Quarterly Court to select the five directors on the Board at its October meeting in the manner specified previously, one to come from major geographical sections of the county and one at large. Two members were to be taken from the Quarterly Court but no physician was permitted to serve on the Board. This Act was repealed by Private Acts of 1976, Chapter 237.
5. Private Acts of 1955, Chapter 120, set up a Board of Trust for hospitals in Robertson County and was properly ratified by the Quarterly Court.
6. Private Acts of 1955, Chapter 271, established a non-profit hospital in Robertson County to be called the Jesse Jones Memorial Hospital, to be controlled and managed by a seven member Board of Directors. Robert A. West, County Judge, John R. Long, Mayor of Springfield, and five others who were Mrs. Graydon Morris, Reams Rawls, John Dunn, Maxie Jones, and Mrs. Buelah Dunn, but no druggist, or physician could serve on the Board. The Board was given full authority to promulgate rules, hire an administrator, and otherwise manage the facility. All services could be charged but allowances were to be made for indigent patients. The Quarterly Court was empowered to levy taxes to support and maintain the hospital and Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 477, was repealed. This Act was rejected by the Quarterly Court of Robertson County and never became an effective law.
7. Private Acts of 1963, Chapter 200, amended Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 477, as it was amended prior to this Act, in Section 2 by changing the composition of the Board of Directors of the hospital to six in number who were to be elected annually by the Robertson County Quarterly Court, one each from the east, west, north and south portions of the county. Present members would continue in office until their successors were named by the court. These new Directors would serve initial staggered terms and then all terms after that would be for three years. This Act was rejected by the Quarterly Court and never became an active law in Robertson County. Further, it was expressly repealed by Private Acts of 1976, Chapter 237.
8. Private Acts of 1987, Chapter 7, which amended Chapter 120 of the Private Acts of 1955, included in its entirety herein, was not approved by the Robertson County Legislative Body and never became an effective law.