Dr. Sudler Settles In
Signaling a shift in his life, Dr. Sudler purchased this property in 1925. Two years later the Sudlers moved into their new home. Numerous pursuits filled the doctor’s days.
Private medical practice
Parting with the medical school did not end Dr. Sudler’s medical career. He continued to see patients in a practice on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence. At times he accepted clients regardless of their ability to pay. On June 3, 1924, Mrs. W.E. Lawson of Baldwin, Kansas wrote to Dr. Sudler explaining her young daughter needed an operation the family could not afford. Sudler replied he would perform the surgery for free. All he asked in return was for Mrs. Lawson to refer her friends to him.
International and national travel
Dr. Sudler was an adventurer. Later in his life he traveled the world. Passports stamps from 1954 and 1955 show he visited over 15 countries:
- Singapore
- Italy
- Turkey
- Thailand
- Lebanon
- Hong Kong
- France
- India
- Israel
- Jordan
- Spain
- Egypt
Charity work with Elizabeth Watkins
During the late 1920s, Elizabeth Watkins, a wealthy charity-minded widow, donated funds to the Lawrence Memorial Hospital for a new 50-bed hospital. Watkins relied on Dr. Sudler’s expertise for tasks such as ordering supplies, corresponding with architects, and budgeting.
Fortnightly papers
A lifelong learner, Dr. Sudler spent his free time musing over diverse topics. Every two weeks Dr. Sudler selected a topic to explore in what he called “fortnightly papers.” Topics included current events, religion in Norway, and malaria. When pondering the role of doctors in late 1939, Dr. Sudler wrote: “A physician has an opportunity to note the factors, within and without, which influence our usefulness to society, our happiness, success and failure in the struggle for existence.”
Woodworking
In the home’s basement Dr. Sudler set up a woodworking shop. A favorite project was cabinetmaking.
In the neighborhood
Some of Lawrence’s notables lived next door to the Sudlers. In the house to the northeast, which is currently home to Audio-Reader, resided the Dinsmore family. Paul Dinsmore was a vice president of the Lawrence Paper Company, which Mary Dinsmore’s father founded. They sold their residence to Tommy Constant, the founder of Lawrence National Bank, in the 1940s.