William Dickerson Jennings was born in Edgefield, SC on February 7, 1882, the third William Dickerson Jennings in his family in the medical field. When he was eight years old, the family moved to Augusta, and he attended local schools, including The Academy of Richmond County. His son, grandson, and granddaughter were Richmond Academy graduates as well. After he left Richmond, he attended the University of Tennessee and then received an M.D. degree from The Medical College of Georgia in 1902.

 

He married Miss Jimmie Bohler of Augusta in 1903 and lived a good life together until her death in 1952.  The couple had three children: Mildred, Elizabeth and William D. Jennings Jr.  For many years, William Jr. remained a respected surgeon at the VA Hospital in Augusta and a professor at MCG.

 

"Dr. Will's" interest in public health led him to a dual career in both medicine and politics. He served as surgeon to the police and fire departments in 1913 and again in 1936. He worked as a public health assistant to Dr. Eugene Murphy to eradicate smallpox in 1914. As a City Council member from 1921-1923, he was successful in draining a boggy lagoon in Harrisburg to rid the area of the mosquito breeding ground that caused malaria.

 

Dr. Will was elected Mayor of Augusta in 1930 and again in 1948 and was a strong supporter of the Augusta Canal. He was a proponent of river development and the building of the lock and dam system down river from the city, which became part of the River and Harbors Act, overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers. In the 1940s, he served as a medical adviser to the local draft board during WWII.

 

The citizens of Augusta honored Dr. Will in many ways throughout the 1930s and 1940s -- a bronze monument at Chafee Park, Jennings Stadium, and the Jennings Wing at University Hospital.

 

He was a county physician into his eighties and saw patients at the city stockade.  He continued to treat patients at his downtown office and never gave up on the need for house calls. He remained active until his death at eighty-two in October 1964.

 

His grandchildren remember "Big Bill" with great affection - including his generosity and unstinting support for those in need. He always wore a rose on his lapel, and whenever anyone asked him how he was, he said, "Like a rose".

 

Dr. Will is survived by his grandson, Judge William D. Jennings, III (Julie) of Augusta, his granddaughter Lane Jennings Stewart of Athens, GA, great-granddaughter Ansley E. Stewart of Athens, GA. great-grandson William C. Stewart (Jenny) of Greenville, SC. Great-great-granddaughter Lousia S. Stewart and great-great grandson William H. Stewart of Greenville, SC. as well as the many descendants of his nine brothers and sisters.