Dr. Arlye M. McDemid of Middleton- 1954

Dr. Arlye M. McDemid of Middleton - WVMA President 1954

   

 Arlye M. McDemid, DVM 

Photo:  Taken in 1937 – Dr. D. Campbell’s archives 

                                            

Personal information

      I grew up in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, where my father was 

a large animal veterinarian. After attending the University of 

Wisconsin, I graduated from Iowa State University in 1938. 

I married a girl who graduated the same year in Home 

Economics. I feel very fortunate that I not only have good genes, 

but I married my Jeanne, so I am twice blessed.

      While attending Iowa State University from 1934 to 1938, 

there were two in our class from Wisconsin, Tom Schneckloth 

from Lodi and me. Two-thirds of our class had an intimate 

relationship with veterinary medicine. They had a father, brother, 

uncle, or cousin already in the profession. Our class started with 

77 enrolling and graduating 48 on schedule.

         Upon graduation from Iowa State University, I was employed 

as a state veterinary pathologist for the Wisconsin Conservation 

Department, which is now the DNR. My primary duties were with 

wildlife and fur-bearing animals, including mink and silver fox. Doing 

research on diseases of the same, we developed a vaccine for mink 

distemper. As time went on, Lederle Laboratories produced it 

commercially. Their veterinarian at that time was Dr. Charles 

Schroeder whom I met when he became the director of the San 

Diego Zoo. He was known worldwide as “Mr. Zoo.” There were 

several occasions when my wife and I visited the San Diego Zoo 

and were his guests. It was a great privilege to know him in the 

zoo business.

         In 1940 I was asked by the University of Wisconsin to be the 

second veterinarian in charge of the first artificial insemination 

association in dairy cattle. The first artificial insemination was done 

in Russia, and the first in the United States was in New Jersey. The 

following year it was organized in Wisconsin as the “Rock County 

Artificial Insemination Association.” That was quite a challenge 

because everything was so new.

        When I graduated from Iowa State University in 1938, we 

received a diploma in one hand and a First Lieutenant's 

Commission in the veterinary corps in the other. In 1941, prior to 

the bombing of Pearl Harbor, I was ordered into the military service 

for a year. It turned out to be four years and eight months of active 

duty. I retired as a Major.

       After World War II, I returned to Wisconsin and started my solo 

veterinary practice in Middleton. The Director of Agriculture, Donald 

McDowell, appointed me to serve on the Veterinary Examining Board 

when it changed from a three-man board to a five-man board. He also 

appointed me to serve on the Veterinary Advisory Committee, and the 

Animal Advisory Committee.

       Somehow with my very busy veterinary professional career, I 

managed to squeeze in a political career. I served on the Village of 

Middleton Board from 1957 to 1963 and was the last president of the 

village. In 1963 Middleton became a city and I was elected its first 

mayor. I trust I represented the veterinary profession in an honorable 

and trustworthy manner while serving public office.

       As a veterinarian, I had the pleasure and responsibility of being 

associated with the Henry Vilas Park Zoo of Madison. I served the zoo 

34 years as veterinarian and on the Board of Directors of the zoo for a 

combined total of 49 years. As such, this association permitted and 

encouraged my wife and me to visit most of the zoos in America and 

Europe, including three trips to Africa.

During his presidency

       As far as I know, my father and I may have been the first father 

and son to serve as president of the WVMA: He in 1934, and I in 1954.

       During my term I might have been the first president to attend at 

least one meeting of all district veterinary associations. Usually it was 

with Dr. Beach, Dr. O'Connell or Dr. Schwab. At these meetings it was a 

matter of discussing local and general problems. I still recall every time I

come down the Baraboo Hill when Dr. O'Connell was riding with me. It 

was midnight, and we were returning from a veterinary meeting. As we 

came down the hill there were two deer right smack in front of me, and

 there were two very frightened veterinarians riding in the car. Fortunately,

 we missed them by a very narrow margin. I did the same thing recently 

in northern Wisconsin, missing one by a half second.

        My greatest challenge when I was state WVMA President was to 

find time to conduct a very busy solo practice with the duties of service 

to the WVMA. That year I inaugurated the Veterinarian of the Year Award. 

As I recall, Sam Elmer from Richland Center was the first veterinarian to 

receive this award. Sam also was quite a baseball player.

Local veterinary issues

       During my time as president, there was a problem in artificial 

insemination – veterinarians versus lay artificial inseminators. Eventually, 

the veterinarians were phased out of actually doing most of the work.

       Another problem practitioners were encountering, including myself, 

was many false TB bovine test reactions - no lesions being found upon 

slaughtering. I called a meeting of many practitioners, plus state and 

federal officials. We all met in my office and there was no publicity nor 

minutes taken. Everybody let their hair down.

        The problem that most of us encountered was chickens with avian 

TB were loose to feed and defecate in the cattle mangers. The result 

was, and still with no publicity, a change in the tuberculin with more 

specificity and sensibility. I believe that probably the federal government, 

which was furnishing the tuberculin at that time, had this version of the 

tuberculin on the back burner. This just stimulated them to get bovine 

tuberculin to the veterinary practitioners. Approximately 50 veterinarians 

from the area attended that meeting along with the brass of the state and 

federal government. I was pleased and everybody was happy that this 

change was made in the tuberculin.

       One of the concerns of this era of veterinary medicine was the 

proliferation of veterinary colleges. Upon my graduation, as I recall, 

there were 10 veterinary schools in the United States. Later, different 

universities began adding this particular professional education. Now 

there are 28.

WVMA Executive Board

       Our executive board met four times a year, or at the call of the 

president. The meetings usually were in Madison. Our Annual Meetings 

in those days were in the Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee in January or 

February. I recall one time at our annual meeting, when I was president, 

I happened to meet a Hollywood actor who was a Milwaukee native. He 

was headlining the entertainment in the hotel's nightclub. I convinced him 

to come in and say hello at our banquet. His name was Pat O'Brien. His 

big deal at that time was acting like Knute Rockny, former Notre Dame 

coach.

Continuing education meetings

       The summer meetings were held north of Wisconsin Dells. You 

asked me for the highlight and I only remember the low light. A young 

veterinarian working on his PhD at the University of Wisconsin was killed 

in an automobile accident en route home at the junction of Highway 12 

and 33.  Some drunk hit him.

Final thoughts

        In closing, I am very proud and very happy to say that the WVMA 

had a very fine relationship with the Veterinary Department of the 

University and the state and federal agricultural departments. When I 

see the names of Gentile, Metzig, Nussdorfer, and Curtis, it brings back 

memories. All of us were of an era and were all good friends and co-

workers in the best interest of the profession and the WVMA.

        I have been retired now since 1978, after selling my veterinary 

practice and hospital to the Waunakee Veterinary Group. My wife, 

Jeanne, and I spend half of each year in Sun City, Arizona, and half in 

Wisconsin. It has been a very interesting and rewarding career as a 

Wisconsin veterinarian.

Editor’s note:  Dr. McDemid’s comments have been extended because 

of the amazing historical information.   During the interview with Dr.

Arlye McDermid, WVMA President in 1954, Dr. Quint Metzig and myself 

in 1998, the following text was expressed and not included in his recorded 

interview.

    “In the early stages of TB testing in Wisconsin, many of the veterinarians 

were dealing with false positives as TB reactors.  To the point that a

 number of us felt we needed to address this problem.   I contacted some 

of the Federal  and State veterinarians to meet  with a group of interested 

veterinarians that have experienced this problem.   I invited as many as I 

could, we had between 50 to 55 veterinarians meet in the basement of my 

small animal hospital in Middleton one evening.

     After everyone was seated, one of the Federal officials went over to the 

only door to this room and locked it.  Turning to the group, said “No one will 

be allowed to leave this room till we resolve this issue!”  It didn’t take long 

before the discussion centered on the type of tuberculin being used.  The 

problem that most of us encountered was chickens with avian TB were 

loose to feed and defecate in the cattle mangers.

     The final result was to make a change in the tuberculin with more 

specificity and sensibility.  The decision was made to change the tuberculin 

and there would be no publicity or fanfare.  I believe that probably the 

federal government, which was furnishing the tuberculin at that time, had 

this thing on the back burner. This just stimulated them to get bovine 

tuberculin to the veterinary practitioners, sooner.   I was pleased and 

everybody was happy that this change was made in the tuberculin.”