Area hospital founder fought for equality

Dr. B. Franklin Jackson will be remembered as the namesake for Jackson Hospital, one of the state’s largest hospitals.
He’ll also be remembered as an individual who cared for others and fought for social equality.
“He treated every person with respect no matter what their station in life,” his son, Robert Jackson, recalled this week in an e-mail.
“The poor white farmer from Crenshaw County, the black laborer from Montgomery’s west side and the president of Union Bank were treated with the same amount of respect and good humor… He dedicated his life to building Jackson Hospital into a caring and friendly institution.”
Jackson,  95, a native of Barbour County, passed away last Friday. His wife of 69 years, Kathleen Flanagan Jackson, was by his side.
Graveside services were held Thursday from Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery.
According to information from Dr. Jackson’s obituary, he was born in Clayton and moved to Montgomery at age 7. After graduating from Sidney Lanier High School, he attended Vanderbilt University and then the University of Alabama Medical School, which was at that time a two-year program.
He finished his medical degree and internship at New York University Medical School in 1936. He married Kathleen Flanagan in 1939 after meeting her at NYU.
At one time he had thought of becoming a medical missionary and journeyed all the way to Everett, Wash., to catch a ship to China, according to Robert Jackson.
“He had second thoughts, though, and at the last minute, telegraphed (his future wife) asking her to marry him if he returned to New York.”
They moved to Montgomery to start a family. He opened a private practice but was temporarily interrupted by military duty as a flight surgeon in the U. S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
Upon his return home, after seeing the need to expand health care services, he joined his father, his brother and the other founders to open Jackson Hospital in 1946.
“He borrowed $30,000 on a handshake from Louisville native A. J. Price, who was a prosperous pharmacist in Montgomery,” Robert Jackson said.
The non-profit hospital grew from humble beginnings and is now licensed for 344 beds and one of the largest hospitals in the state.
“Dr. Jackson was a visionary,” Jackson Hospital CEO Don Henderson said, according to media reports. “His foresight and leadership helped transform health care in central Alabama to the cutting edge of modern science.”
Dr. Jackson was not afraid to break societal norms from decades ago.
“(He) battled racism and sexism all his adult life. He brought women doctors, Indian doctors and African-American doctors into Jackson Hospital over the years,” his son said.
Dr. Jackson was elected to six terms on the Montgomery County Board of Education, serving from 1966 until ‘90. He worked to smooth the transition from segregation to integration.
Robert Jackson said his father lived a life of humility.
“When (he) took you on a fishing trip, he was more interested in you catching the fish than him,” he said. 
Dr. Jackson practiced medicine and stayed active in the management of Jackson Hospital until he was 86. In 1989 he was inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.
“Of course, he couldn’t have done any of this without the strong support of his wife, Kathleen Flanagan Jackson. He was truly one of the greatest of the ‘Greatest Generation’,” Robert said.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Jackson Hospital Foundation, 1725 Pine Street, Montgomery, AL 36106.