website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Dr. L. H.
Nowack
Dr. L. W.
Nowack
1913-2001
519 East
Main Street
WHS_006_075b
c1957
WHS_005_289
1975
LOUIS H.
NOWACK, 1ST LT MEDICAL CORPS
WORLD WAR I
1931
LOUIS W. NOWACK
THE KLUB member
Watertown High School
1953
07 20 Dr. L. H. NOWACK
RESTORES REPLICA OF OCTAGON HOUSE
This year the miniature Octagon House may be said to rival
its parent structure in the field of favorable criticism and attention.
In sunshine or rain it stands in all its new splendor seeking as it were
the protective wing of the nigh century-old building at its side, the Octagon
House itself, where it is on display.
Dr. L. H. Nowack. retired Watertown physician, has shown a decided
aptitude in the restoration of the replica which was about ready to collapse
due to its general debility and wasting away of its parts.
Dr. Nowack,
with the skill of a veteran cabinet-maker, restored
every detail of the miniature Octagon House, even to the openings for the
lentils at the front door. It required
unlimited patience and expertness, which many employed regularly in the
wood-makers art had refused to attempt.
The verandas with their
intricate railings and the top balustrade between the four chimneys are now
complete. The front and side porch steps
with the bay-window and the detailed French windows and paneled doors are very
realistic. Miniature blinds have been
attached with tiny screws and the wood used throughout gives the entire
structure a tone of permanence.
It has been placed on a
cement foundation which makes it appear as if it is aspiring to the stature at
the Octagon House itself.
Dr. L. H. Nowack has several hobbies which include floral culture and
poultry raising, but he seems to have excelled in wood craft. He is also a member of the Watertown Board of
Education. WDT
1954 APPOINTED
WATERTOWN’S HEALTH OFFICER, Nov. 1, 1954.
1957
03 02 MIXING GARBAGE
AND RUBBISH
Dr. L
.H. Nowack, city commissioner of health, said
today that despite warnings in the past some persons here are still mixing
garbage and rubbish and expect the city department to collect it. He said that there have been numerous
statements issued by him in the past which have defined what constitutes
garbage and rubbish and that despite this some persons are still mixing the two
in their garbage cans. WDT
1958
02 14 TO LEAVE FOR BOWLING GREEN UNIVERSITY
Dr. L. W. Nowack, with offices at 519 Main Street, announced today that
he will leave the city on April 1 to go to Bowling Green University at Bowling
Green, Ohio. His family will remain here
until the schools close in June and then plans to join him in Ohio. Dr. Nowack said
that Dr. Raymond Doyle would take over his office here and that Mrs. Mary
Murphy, a registered nurse who is employed in Dr. Nowack's
office, will remain. Dr. Nowack at this time declined to enlarge on his future plans. WDT
1958
03 11 AUF WIEDERSEHEN
Sunday
evening, in expression of their appreciation for the services rendered to them
and to their families by Dr. Louis W. Nowack, a group
of about 124 individuals met at the Legion Green Bowl to share in an
“Auf Wiedersehen” dinner honoring the doctor.
The event was arranged as a surprise to Dr. and Mrs. Nowack. Maurice Lawton was the master of
ceremonies. Highlight of the evening was
a sketch entitled “This Is Your Life, Dr. Louis Willard Nowack.” The sketch, which was presented by Mrs. Peter
McFarland, expressed in behalf of the patients present,
the feeling of esteem and good fellowship each felt toward the doctor. WDT
1959
02 27 DR. L. W. NOWACK HONORED BY BOWLING GREEN
STATE
Ralph W.
McDonald, president of Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, O., has
highly commended the work a former Watertown resident, Dr. L. W. Nowack, has done since joining the faculty staff of the
institution last year. Dr. Nowack gave up his practice here to become associated with
the university and he and his family moved to Bowling Green where they are now
residing. Dr. Nowack's
father is Watertown's commissioner of health, Dr. L. H. Nowack. WDT
1962
04 25 DR. L. H. NOWACK RESIGNED AS HEALTH COMMISSIONER
Dr. L. H. Nowack, 300 Elizabeth Street, Watertown’s health officer
since Nov. 1, 1954, has resigned his position as of May 11. Dr. Nowack, 78,
submitted his resignation to Mayor Robert P. White. The mayor is due to make an announcement of
an appointment to the position at the next council meeting when he submits a
nomination for confirmation. WDT
05 31 DR. L. H. NOWACK TRIBUTE
A dinner was held
Saturday night at the Legion Green Bowl to pay tribute to Dr. L. H. Nowack, retiring city health commissioner. Thirty-four city officials and their wives
attended the dinner to honor the doctor for his many years of service to the
community. Mayor R. P. White, master of
ceremonies for the evening, pointed out many of the highlights in the life of
Dr. Nowack.
Mayor White thanked him for his many years of service to the city and
extended to Dr. and Mrs. Nowack the wishes of the
citizens of Watertown for an enjoyable retirement. WDT
1967
10 22 DR. L.
H. NOWACK, 1883-1967
1971
02 22 Dr. LOUIS W. NOWACK, CHIEF
OF STAFF, WATERTOWN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
Dedication event of new hospital
07
12 NOWACK FUND USED TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT
Proceeds from the Nowack fund have been used to purchase equipment for the
Emergency Department of Watertown Memorial
Hospital. The fund was started by friends and patients of Dr. Louis W. Nowack following his recent retirement. The money, which was donated to the local
institution at his request, will be used for the purchase of three new patient
carts and a vacuum attachment for the cast cutter. The fund will also be used
to help underwrite
the educational costs of local students entering a health field. A total of 338
persons contributed a total of $7,867 to the fund. A bronze plaque recognizing
fund donors and honoring Dr. Nowack has been placed
at the entrance to the emergency room.
1983
11 19 Dr. L. W. NOWACK CONTINUES AS MEDICAL
DIRECTOR OF MARQUARDT MANOR
Dr.
Louis W. Nowack, a retired Watertown physician, will
leave his position as health commissioner for the city, effective Dec. 30 of
this year. Mayor Kenneth Thiel announced
Nowack's resignation at Tuesday evening's meeting of
the Watertown City Council. Dr. Nowack will continue as medical director of Marquardt Memorial Manor. WDT
1984
08 06 MAIN STREET BRIDGE NAMED NOWACK
Dr. Louis
W. Nowack, longtime Watertown physician who currently
serves as medical director of Marquardt Memorial Manor, has been named winner
of the
downtown Main Street bridge naming contest.
Nowack was nominated for his work in the
community and the many hours of caring for residents and employees at
Marquardt, will receive the award in a ceremony at 8:15 tonight at the
Riverside Park bandshell. WDT
1991
05 23 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CITATION
Louis Nowack, M.D., medical director at Marquardt Memorial Manor,
will receive a Distinguished Service citation from Madison Area Technical
College at a graduation ceremony Saturday at the Dane County Coliseum. The
Distinguished Service citation is awarded to individuals and organizations who
have contributed unusual or meritorious service to MATC. He was nominated for
the award by MATC-Watertown teachers Jean Jacob and JoAnn Schilling for his
support and contributions to the local campus.
WDT
Summer PROFILE OF LOUIS W. NOWACK, M.D.
MARQUARDT’S CARING MEDICAL DIRECTOR
From Marquardt
Village News, Summer 1991
While all
residents of Marquardt Village are required to have their own personal
physicians, Marquardt Manor has its own medical director. He’s an outstanding
retired Watertown physician, Louis W. Nowack, M.D.
Dr. Nowack’s first “official” connection with Marquardt came as
a member of its board of directors, from 1975 to 1980. His informal ties as a physician at Marquardt
go back about 20 years. And he became
its medical director soon after his retirement in 1976.
Louie -
people rarely call him “doctor” -- is a Watertown native. He graduated from Watertown High School in
1930 and was valedictorian of his class.
Then He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, in 1935. He continued his education at that school
where he received his medical degree in 1939 following an internship at the
University of Wisconsin Hospital, Madison.
After
graduation, he began practiced in Watertown with his father, Dr.
Louis H. Nowack. World War II had begun in Europe and Louie
applied for a reserve commission. He was
made a captain in the 127th Infantry, 32nd (Red Arrow) Division. It wasn’t long after
that his unit was called to active duty.
The regiment was first sent to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana. From there he was moved to Randolph Field in
Texas for further military training.
Within a short time he was detailed to the
Army’s Medical Field Service School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from it on December 7, 1941, the
very day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, throwing the United States directly
into the war.
Applications
for the Army Air Corps were being taken during this time and Louie applied for
transfer to it He
was accepted and in late 1942 shipped out to England as a flight surgeon. The long flight included stops at Gander,
Newfoundland, and Polebrook, Scotland. A companion on the trip was one of
Hollywood’s most famous personalities, movie star Clark Gable, now also in the
Air Corps.
Upon
arriving in England, Louie was named the first flight surgeon of the 351st Bomb
Group which later became part of the renowned Eighth Air Force. He was stationed at High Wycombe.
As his
B-17 unit accelerated its daytime bombing raids on Germany, it became apparent
to Louie that many casualties aboard returning aircraft had to be treated in
the planes themselves as soon as they touched down. Especially difficult to reach were tail and
ball-turret gunners, whose turrets were often damaged with wounded in
them. With others, he came up with a
solution, a traveling mini-emergency room which went directly to the wounded
when needed.
The
vehicles best suited to this task were British lorries which were converted to
hold four wounded men on litters, plus the doctor and one or two corpsmen.
These were the forerunners of today’s high - tech emergency ambulances.
As he
treated the men of his outfit, Louie noted that a number of
aircrew personnel were experiencing extreme stress or anxiety when on their
bombing missions. To help reassure some
of these crewmen, he went on raids with them, even though he was not required
to do so. He voluntarily made five such
trips over Germany.
Many older
Watertownians remember the flight jacket he had worn
on those missions. After the war, he
often wore it when making emergency house calls at night.
While in
England, the officers of his group were quartered in small three or four room
huts at their base. Louie and Clark
Gable lived in adjoining rooms in one of these huts for some time.
He was
ultimately returned to the U. S. During
his tour in Europe he had earned the Bronze Star, Air
Medal, Soldier’s Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, as well as the usual array
of campaign ribbons. He was discharged
as a lieutenant colonel in 1945.
Following
his military service Louie returned to Watertown and resumed working with his
father. His dad retired shortly
thereafter, however, and Louie continued to practice alone. He did so from 1945 until his retirement in
1976, with the exception of a two-year stint
(1958-1960) at Bowling Green University in Ohio as resident physician. In Watertown he was a family practitioner
although he was heavily committed to obstetrics and gynecology. He also performed surgery extensively.
Louie is
not one to sit back and watch the world go by.
He served many years as a director of the Merchant’s National Bank, now
Bank One. For years he was the city
health commissioner.
His
countless unselfish acts of helping people in the community are well
known. He’s
given financial aid to dozens of students who needed that kind of help,
including the granting of scholarships.
When some local nursing students lacked textbooks because they didn’t have money to buy them, he plunked down $500 to pay
for them. And when certain families were
in dire need, he bought groceries for them, and children’s clothing, and more.
Louie even
has time for reading which he enjoys immensely.
But he’s had to cut that back somewhat in the
last few years because of eye problems. He’s also a boating lover who doesn’t get on the water now
as much as in earlier years.
Louie has
received wide recognition for his many contributions to the community. This year he received a Distinguished Service
citation from Madison Area Technical College, in large measure because of his
on-going assistance in the nursing programs of the MATC-Watertown campus. Many of these nursing students are employed
at Marquardt where he can work directly with them. He has twice been the grand marshal of local parades, and has had the Main Street bridge named for him
for a year in 1984.
Louie is far
more than a fine physician and good citizen.
He’s been married for many years to his wife,
Esther. They have three children. Robert
is an associate professor of physics at Purdue University, West Lafayette,
Indiana. Judy works as assistant to the
vice president of academic affairs at the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor. Mary Helen is in private practice
as a psychologist at Michigan State University, East Lansing.
Marquardt
is proud to have such an outstanding member of its staff as Louie - Dr. Louis
W. Nowack.
1993
07 07 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CITATION
A
well-known Watertown physician has announced his second retirement. Dr. Louis W. Nowack
has retired from Marquardt Memorial Manor where he has served as medical
director for many years. A retirement
party in his honor was held Wednesday at Marquardt. Prior to joining Marquardt, he was active in
the medical profession for 35 years before closing his local practice in
1976. With his 80th birthday approaching
on Sunday, Nowack said, "I've done my duty and
I'm kind of worn out." His duties
at Marquardt included lending his medical expertise to staff members. WDT
2001 DR. L. W.
NOWACK
Nowack
was born July 11, 1913, in Watertown, son of Dr. Louis and Clara (Hilgendorf) Nowack. He married the former Esther Witzke on Oct. 17, 1945, in Watertown. She preceded him in death on Feb. 8, 1993.
Nowack
was a graduate of Watertown High School, Northwestern University and
Northwestern Medical School. A physician
and surgeon, he practiced in Watertown for 35 years.
Nowack
was an Army flight surgeon during World War II and attained the rank of
lieutenant colonel. He was called to
active duty in October 1940. He attended
flight surgeon school at Randolph Field and left for overseas in April
1943. He served with the 8th Air Force
Somber in England, and also served in France and
Germany.
While
in the military Dr. Nowack was the subject of a
lengthy feature story written by United Press International. That article was titled "He never lost a
man who came back to his base alive," and was distributed to U.P. clients
worldwide on June 29, 1944. The article
detailed his incredible military successes of saving the lives of soldiers
injured in the war.
Nowack
served as a flight surgeon in combat and on reconnaissance missions. He
coordinated military ambulances and doctors meeting returning aircraft as well
as directing ambulances and doctors in the field. He devised, designed
and implemented techniques to prevent amputation of limbs of injured soldiers.
Among
his many military decorations were the Air Medal, Bronze Star, Soldiers Medal,
Flight Surgeon Wings, Lt. Colonel Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, Unit Presidential
Citation, Theater of Operations Medical and Theater of Operations - European
Active Theater.
Nowack
also served as Watertown Commissioner of Health, director of the former Marine
Bank Watertown, Johnson Arms board of directors, Watertown Memorial Hospital
board of directors and in retirement served as medical director at Marquardt
Memorial Manor.
Nowack
received a citation on Dec. 29, 1976, for his 35 years of selfless dedication
and sacrifice demonstrated while serving the Watertown community and its
hospital. He received the Outstanding
Community Leader citation from the Jefferson County chapter of the Reserve
Officer Association on May 18, 1982. The
Watertown Jaycees honored him on April 7, 1970, for outstanding and unselfish
medical service during the previous 31 years.
In 1958 he received a citation from the Bowling Green State University
football team. He had served at Bowling
Green for several years.
The
Main Street bridge in Watertown was renamed
the Dr. L. W. Nowack Bridge on Aug. 18, 1984, during
Watertown River Days. The bridge naming
for one year was in recognition of his contributions to the city of Watertown.
On
May 18, 1991, he received the Madison Area Technical College
Distinguished Service Citation for his exceptional effort on behalf of the
college.
He
served as a grand marshal for the annual Fourth of July parade and was awarded
the Paul Harris Fellowship, the highest award given by Rotary International.
He
presented scholarships to more than 20 local young people and established a
fund to purchase medical equipment for Watertown Memorial Hospital. WDT
Cross
reference:
Home of Dr. Nowack, 105 N. Concord Ave
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin