Today is Father’s Day. Although I have many male ancestors I could be writing about, I decided instead to focus on a man who is not related to me (that I know of) but of whose existence I am reminded every time I fill out an application requiring my full legal name. This man’s name was Basil Mayo and he was a medical doctor who lived and worked in Weakley County, Tennessee. My paternal grandfather – Basil Mayo Trantham – was undoubtedly named after him. And, as I inherited my grandfather’s first name “Basil” as my middle name, I am also named after Dr. Mayo sorta kinda.

As followers of this blog know, my great grandfather liked naming his children after doctors. Dr. Mayo must have made a lasting impression on him because he could not have delivered my grandfather. The family had already moved to Texas when he was born and Dr. Mayo was still practicing in Dresden, Tennessee at the time. Perhaps he delivered one of my grandfather’s older siblings who was born in Tennessee. I know not.

In any event, I decided to research the man after whom my grandfather was named.

Dr. Basil Sylvester Mayo was born April 11, 1883 to parents (The Reverend) George Thomas and Ella Savannah (McWherter) Mayo. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army during World War I and received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee. He married Daye Hillis in 1915. Together they had three children including a son named Thomas who followed in his father’s footsteps and became a medical doctor. Thomas in turn named one of his sons Basil – he is still living. (For the life of me I cannot figure out why the voice messages I’ve left him have not been returned. Clearly, he does not follow my blog.)

Dr. Mayo’s name pops up here and there in Tennessee newspapers of the time. He helped amputate a man’s foot at the man’s home. Ouch. Visitors traveled to see Dr. Mayo in Dresden and on one occasion Dr. Mayo traveled to Chicago. These were slow news days for sure. But I discovered that Dr. Mayo was a bit of a performer – now I see the “family” resemblance. In 1896 the future “Dr.” Mayo sang the role of Sylvan the wood nymph in the operetta “Eulalla”. (Never heard of it.)  His performance was heard during part one of the closing ceremonies of the Dresden Academy that year. In part two of the ceremonies, he sang a lullaby. While in college, Dr. Mayo recited poetry competitively.

Dr. Mayo died April 19, 1957. He was buried in Dresden, Tennessee.

Kenfolk: Tranthams
Relation: namesake
Common ancestors: none that I know of

References:
Dresden Academy: Splendid Closing of the Academy Wednesday Evening. (1896, June 6). Nashville: The Tennessean, p. 8. Retrieved from newspapers.com.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62072245
Martin (news). (1915, July 11). Nashville: The Tennessean, p. 22. Retrieved from newspapers.com.
Mrs. G. T. Mayo. (1934, March 27). Nashville: The Tennessean, p. 4. Retrieved from newspapers.com.
Spring Hill, Tennessee (news) (1901, June 7). Nashville: The Tennessean, p. 3. Retrieved from newspapers.com.