Abstract:
Ben Royal was the doctor responsible for Morehead City’s first hospital. A local resident, Royal attended the University of North Carolina and returned to Morehead City in 1910, where he established the 8-bed hospital two years later. Dr. Royal and his assistant, Edith Broadway, were the only two hospital staff for the first decade of its service. In 1918, Royal again opened a larger 28-bed hospital in Morehead City to meet growing demands. As the hospital served residents located throughout the Outer Banks, the larger hospital had an associated pier to assist in transport. During the Second World War, over 300 victims were treated by Royal and his staff.