Dr. Jane Carswell - Biography by Gretchen Griffith

This biography of a family doctor in Lenoir, North Carolina, is a story that begs to be read and studied as an example for all to follow. When Kenneth Roberts approached me about writing a biography of his late wife, Dr. Jane Carswell, my first question was, “Would she be okay with this?” “Probably not,” he replied. “But it’s too important not to share.” He was right. From all my discussions with her friends and colleagues, she was an extremely private person who preferred the spotlight to focus on others while she worked behind the scenes. She was the first to give others the credit, and yet her own story is too remarkable not to bring out into the open as an inspiration. She thought out solutions to society’s limitations. She stepped up when she saw a need and she lived her faith as she practiced her medicine. Much of this book was written by Jane herself. Not only was she a hard working physician, a dedicated humanitarian and a friend to many, she was a prolific writer who set her thinking in words that have lived well beyond her life. She was also an accomplished photographer. Included at the beginning of each chapter are pictures showcasing Jane’s gift in nature photography. Her story reveals a life of integrity and faith in action that can best be described with verbs rather than adjectives. She organized the first shelter for abused women in the state that became a model for many others that followed. She was instrumental in developing the first Hospice in western North Carolina and the first Hospice structure in the state that was independent of a hospital facility. In a time when few women received medical degrees, she courageously persevered against the odds to reach her dream of becoming a physician. Born in 1932, she grew up as a daughter of a Presbyterian minister in the Raeford, North Carolina area, attended Flora Macdonald College and the University of North Carolina before graduating from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Nationally recognized as the 1984 American Family Physician of the Year, she merged the medical with the practical. She was also recognized as the 1980 L. A. Dysart Citizen of the Year in Lenoir, by the Rotary Club with a scholarship in her name, and with honors from the University of North Carolina, St. Andrews University, and Duke University. Her cradle-to-the-grave practice extended beyond delivering babies and providing care for family members of all ages. She responded to society’s ills by advocating for her abused patients and those suffering from addiction. She fought against racial injustices. She pushed for a facility offering affordable medical treatment. Her fingerprints can be found in the background of numerous humanitarian organizations in Lenoir, although she preferred to remain out of the spotlight. Whether she was photographing wildflowers on a hike through the Appalachians, diagnosing an illness, or delivering a baby, Dr. Jane Carswell was well respected by all those fortunate enough to come upon her. Her late in life love story and marriage is a delightful part of the book that takes the reader through to her death in 2015.