Tierney, John Leo M.D.

The following data is extracted from Centennial History of Missouri.

Dr. John Leo Tierney, a St. Louis physician who specializes in internal medicine and diagnosis, was born in Lead, South Dakota, November 22, 1890, a son of William George and Mary (Yuren) Tierney. The family comes of Irish ancestry, although many generations ago representatives of the name removed to England, where one of the ancestors of Dr. Tierney was knighted as Sir Edward Tierney and a statue erected to his memory in Westminster Abbey. Another of the early ancestors was Sir Matthew Tierney, who was at one time court physician to King George III. William G. Tierney, father of the Doctor, in 1899 became interested in mining and went over the White Pass to Dawson and thence by dog team to Cape Nome, Alaska. He was twice elected mayor of Cape Nome but refused the office. He is now a retired mining engineer, making his home in California. His wife died in 1891, when her son, John L., was but a year and a half old.

Dr. Tierney received his early educational training from the Sisters of Mercy at Manchester, Iowa, and for one year was a student in St.'Viateur's College near Kankakee, Illinois. Later he attended St. Mary's College at St. Marys, Kansas, and next became a student in the St. Louis University of St. Louis, Missouri. He also pursued special courses in Harvard University and in Washington University in St. Louis. He was graduated at St. Mary's in 1910, receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree, and from the St. Louis University in 1914, at which time the 11 I. D. degree was conferred upon him. In 1912 he also received the Master of Arts degree from St. Mary's College. Since completing his medical course he has confined his efforts and attention to practice and has largely specialized in internal medicine and diagnosis. He served as interne in St. John's Hospital of St. Louis and afterward entered into partnership with Dr. William Engelbach of this city in 1916. He has also been well known as a lecturer upon medical subjects and following America's entrance into the World war he enlisted for service in the Medical Corps in August, 1917. He was sent to Camp Cody, near Deming, New Mexico, in September and was chief of the medical service there. In July, 1918, he wits transferred to Des Moines, Iowa, was afterward sent to New Jersey and sailed for France in September, 1918. While overseas he was stationed at Bazoilles sur Meuse in connection with Base Hospital No. 79, and when his aid was no longer needed across the water he returned to St. Louis with the rank of captain in May, 1919.

Dr. Tierney had been married in Normandy, St. Louis county, Missouri, on the 23d of May, 1914, to Miss Marguerite Mary Curran, a daughter of Con P. and Margaret Ann (Scully) Curran. Mrs. Tierney is a pupil of the Madames of the Sacred Heart. Her father built up a large publishing business in St. Louis. Mrs. Curran died in 1920, leaving a family of four daughters and three sons, while one daughter died in 1918. The children of Dr. and Mrs. Tierney are: Margaret Ann, John Leo, Florence Katherine and Mary Kathleen.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Roman Catholic church and Dr. Tierney belongs to the Knights of Columbus. Politically he maintains a non-partisan attitude and he is prominent socially through his membership in the University Club, the Glen Echo Golf Club and the Players Club, his geniality and unfeigned cordiality winning him friends wherever he goes. In the strict path of his profession he is identified with the American Medical Association, the Missouri State Medical Society, St. Louis Medical Society, the Southern Medical Society, the Southwestern Medical Society. the Mississippi Valley Medical Society and the Association for the Study of Internal Secretions.

Source: Centennial History of Missouri

  Go Back