History

The quest to establish a hospital in Northern Mendocino County began as a result of a heartbreaking accident. Frank R. Howard was critically injured in an auto accident on his father’s ranch just outside Willits. Without immediate, close-by emergency care, tragically, the young man succumbed to his injuries. Young Frank’s father, a successful auto distributor and owner of the champion race horse Seabiscuit, Charles Howard, along with the support of Dr. Raymond Babcock and a group of citizens, devised a plan to build a hospital in memory of Howard’s son. Believing that Frank would have survived the accident if a hospital had been in operation close by, the elder Howard pushed for construction to begin. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held during the 1927 Willits Frontier Days, a local rodeo celebration that continues today.

The Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital has been in operation since 1928. Today, the day-to-day operation is under the Adventist Health Care System while the ownership of the facilities remains with the Frank R. Howard Foundation.

Frank R. Howard with puppies. This picuture hangs in the hall of the hospital to this day.

Charles Howard aboard Seabiscuit