REMARKABLE HISTORY LIFE-CHANGING LEGACY John Gaston Society honors Regional One Health’s founder by helping donors have a positive impact on patient care. Chartered in 1829, Regional One Health is the oldest hospital in Tennessee. Throughout its more than 180-year history, the acute care hospital has evolved significantly, housing a children’s hospital, tuberculosis hospital, military hospital, maternity hospital and ultimately the Regional Medical Center, which is home to nationally recognized Centers of Excellence and a commitment to providing quality healthcare to all citizens of the Mid-South. John Gaston was a successful businessman and philanthropist in Memphis during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Born in France in 1828, Gaston migrated to the United States sometime in the 1850s and landed a job as a waiter at the famed Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City. He quickly worked his way up to chef before moving to Memphis in the 1860s. After the Civil War was over, Gaston opened a successful restaurant in Memphis and began accumulating his vast wealth. Scan the QR Code to make a Planned Gift Shortly before he passed away in 1912, Mr. Gaston told several of his friends that he wanted his stately mansion converted into a public hospital following the death of his wife, Theresa Gaston Mann. After Mrs. Gaston Mann died in 1929, the Gaston mansion was deemed too small to accommodate the needs of a public hospital at that time. So, his home was demolished and turned into a park and a community center. The bulk of his estate was then supplemented by the Public Works Administration to construct a brand-new hospital, which was named in his honor. The John Gaston Hospital remained in operation until the 1990s, when it was razed to make way for expansions at Regional Medical Center. With the generous gift of his estate, Mr. Gaston created a legacy that lives on today. 32 2025 GRATITUDE REPORT
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