Samuel Greene Daniel was born November 1, 1867 in Sedalia, Missouri the son of William Poindexter Daniel and Lavina Hatchett Daniel. His grandfather was James Simpson Daniel and early settler in Searcy County, Arkansas, who died two years after his youngest child, (of six children) William Poindexter was born. William grew to adulthood and married Lavina Hatchett. Their family of eight children included the subject of the sketch, Dr. Samuel Greene Daniel.
Dr. Daniel graduated from the University of Louisville Medical School and started his practice of medicine in 1892 at the age of 25 in Marshall, Arkansas. After four years he married Melissia Bratton on May 24, 1896. The couple had four children. Their youngest son had two sons who followed their Grandfather profession as medical doctors, one in home town, Marshall, the other in Conway not far from their historic roots.
Arkansas first required registration of doctors in 1903, Sam took the Arkansas licensure exam. He was one of the 51 out of 61 who passed it. He grew financially successful for he gave one of the top donations to the railroad company to built a depot at Marshall and was one of three corporators of the Citizens Bank.
In the early years of his practice Dr. Daniel rode horseback to all sections of Searcy County to tend the sick. He was known as a kind, jolly man. He also helped when called by other doctors in the area with surgery and at the sick bed. He treated typhoid fever patients for weeks visiting every day. One person wrote he was “committed, compassionate with a sense of caring”*. A good diagnostician he identified encephalitis when in a patient when others could not. He also served as surgeon for the Saint Louis and North Arkansas Railroad line at Marshall.
Dr. Daniel was member of the American Medical Association and the Arkansas Medical Society. He also founded the Sevier County Medical Society. Attended courses at Universities, he maintained currency in the latest advances in medicine.
In politics he had no enemies. A friend was Chairman of the County Republican Party. Dr. Daniel was Chairman of the Democratic Party. The friendship never faltered. He was a member of Lodge No. 115 F. and A.M. and active in the Methodist church. He served on the local school board and helped with the purchase of 55 acres for the school.
Dr. Daniel and his wife built a house on what was known as the Harrell Property about 1902. Later they added a porch. In 1993 it was placed on the National Register for Historical Places.
Dr. Daniel practiced medicine for 50 years in Searcy County retiring in 1942. He died on October 1, 1958 at nearly 91 years of age, remembered as the prominent doctor of his time and as one who cared for his fellow man.
*James Johnston, Email, April 16, 2019
Betty L. Battenfield, May 2019