Читать книгу Memoirs of Milwaukee County, Volume 5 - Josiah Seymour Currey - Страница 36

Dr. Benjamin J. Birk, member of the medical profession in Milwaukee and specializing largely in surgery, was born in Michigan City, Indiana, August 17, 1894, his parents being Abraham and Ada (Katz) Birk, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father, who devoted his life to merchandising, died at the age of forty-one years arid is still survived by his widow, who makes her home in Chicago. They were married in Germany and had a family of five children, all born in Michigan City, with the exception of the eldest, a daughter, who was born in Germany but was only six months old when the parents came to the United States.

Dr. Birk was reared in his native city, where he passed through consecutive grades of the public schools in the acquirement of his preliminary education until graduated from the high school, at the age of seventeen years. During that period he took quite an active interest in school athletics. He won the Bachelor of Science degree on the completion of a course of study in the University of Indiana in 1916 and the following year obtained his M. D. degree from Rush Medical College of Chicago. He was one of the teachers of anatomy in the University of Indiana, also in the University of Illinois and in the Loyola Medical College of Chicago before becoming identified with the two first named. At the present time he is one of the teachers of general surgery on the staff of the Marquette Medical College. He became a resident of Milwaukee on the 1st of July, 1919, and he belongs to the Milwaukee Academy of Medicine, the Milwaukee County Medical Society, the Wisconsin State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Birk has membership in the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith. He finds his recreation largely in summer in a game of golf and he belongs to the Milwaukee Athletic Club. He is also a Master Mason and a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and enjoys the warm regard of his brethren of these fraternities. His professional duties make constant demand upon his time and energy and as a specialist in surgery he is enjoying a large practice of growing importance.