Phone discussion with Dr. Ed Clausman by Ben Porter on February 4, 2002 regarding the history of ownership of the Morgan Animal Hospital. Augmented with notes by Paul Maravelas after phone discussion with Dr. Ed Clausman on February 25, 2022.
Dr. Leon Schnack (ISU 1969), owner of Lyndale Pet Hospital
Dr. Curt McDougall (ISU 1969), owner of East Lake Animal Hospital
Dr. Ed Clausman (ISU 1968), owner of Southdale Animal Hospital
Dr. Daniel Grindle, third owner of Morgan/Lyndale Animal Hospital
Dr. Ora “Pappy” Morgan (Kansas City 1914)
Dr. Jim Crockett (U of Missouri), purchased Morgan Animal Hospital January 21, 1965
Dr. Williams, owner of Kitty Clinic, briefly worked for Dr. Morgan
Dr. McDonald, owner of Kitty Clinic
Dr. Mike McMenomy, owner of Kitty Clinic
Dr. Walt Bonnet, owner of Southdale Animal Hospital.
[Norma Crockett still alive and alert at age 94 in Minneapolis]
Morgan Animal Hospital
The Morgan Animal Hospital building was the first small animal clinic in Minneapolis architecturally designed as a small animal clinic. The second floor space was originally used by hired staff as a residence.
Dr. Clausman remembers Dr. “Pappy” Morgan as a “real character” who was very innovative, including using radiation therapy for cancer. He remembers famously a quote of Dr. Morgan’s about Canine Distemper. “There are thos’ that had it, thos’ that have it, and thos’ going to get it.” It reminds Clausman of the current Corona Virus pandemic. Back then it was common to diagnose ten cases of Canine Distemper daily. No test was available, and none was needed, because you could tell just by looking at the patient. There was also no treatment, just supportive care. When the Canine Distemper vaccination became available, the disease quickly disappeared. When parvovirus started killing dogs, it was determined that the available Feline Distemper vaccination offered some protection from Canine Parvovirus. Both diseases were well controlled with vaccines.
Dr. James F. Crockett
After Dr. Morgan’s passing on January 21, 1965, Dr. James F. Crockett purchased the clinic from Lucille Morgan with a contract for deed. Monthly payments were made. He changed the name to the Lyndale Animal Hospital.
Ed Clausman was hired on graduation, and Dr. Crockett immediately went on vacation to fish.
Clausman says Crockett “walked out of the door to go fishing at about the same time that I arrived to work.”
At that time it was legal for students to practice under the direction of a supervising veterinarian. Crockett asked Clausman to find a senior student to work for the summer, and Curt McDougall was hired. Clausman knew nothing about a small animal practice, and was basically on his own. Curt McDougall took an interest in surgery and became quite proficient at a young age.
A short-lived partnership between Dr. Crockett and a Dr. Williams didn’t work out. Dr. Williams opened the Kitty Clinic. He then sold the Kitty Clinic to Dr. McDonald, but McDonald developed malignant melanoma. Dr. Mike McMenomy suddenly found himself as owner of the Kitty Clinic.
(Crockett’s daughter told Clausman that city wouldn’t allow Crockett to open full animal hospital, and limited him to cats.)
Crockett had many interests, including geology. He said “you’re a veterinarian in order to live; you don’t live to be a veterinarian.” Crockett loved to fish, and purchased a resort and guided people during the summer on Leech Lake. Crockett saw the resort as a way to write off his fishing trips on his tax returns.
In July 1973 Dr. Clausman purchased half of the ownership from Dr. James and Norma Crockett. At the time, Dr. Crockett was still making payments to Lucille Morgan. The building was appraised at $37,500.
Dr. Crockett died on February 15, 1976, of malignant lymphoma. He was a big man, and doctors couldn’t find the problem. One told him it was all in his head. Two months later, a lump in his neck confirmed the diagnosis.
Drs. Leon Schnack and Curt McDougall
Drs. Schnack and McDougall were classmates. Leon Schnack worked for Dr. Berrell as a senior student, but not at Lyndale Animal Hospital.
As a student at Iowa State, Curt McDougall enlisted in the army, because he got some money for just enlisting. Then, after senior year (1969), he was called to serve. He was unexpectedly stationed at Fort Snelling and was able to moonlight some afternoons and Saturdays. He worked full time at Lyndale after finishing a two year stint in the army. He then bought in to Lyndale Animal Hospital in August 9, 1974, acquiring a one-third interest, one-sixth from Crockett and one-sixth from Clausman.
After graduating, Dr. Leon Schnack worked for a year for Dr. Walt Bonnett at Southdale Animal Hospital at 3910 W. 70th Street in Edina. Dr. Bonnet wasn’t willing to increase his pay after the first year, so Schnack joined the army for two years of service. He then worked at Lyndale Animal Hospital. He purchased one quarter of the Lyndale Animal Hospital in 1975.
East Lake Animal Hospital
The East Lake Animal Hospital (at 4108 E. Lake?) was started around 1974, before Dr. Crockett died. There was not enough business for three vets at Lyndale Animal Hospital, so the vets opened the East Lake clinic to spread out. Dr. McDougall later worked there more or less full time, with help from Clausman and Crockett.
Affiliated Animal Hospitals
The area east of the Lyndale Animal Hospital was called “the jungle” because of growing drug activity and crime. The owners had concerns about the future. When Dr. Walt Bonnet offered the Southdale Animal Hospital for sale, Dr. Schnack was coming back from the army, and it was purchased by Clausman, Schnack, Crockett, and McDougall, who incorporated as Affiliated Animal Hospitals. The Lyndale Clinic business partnership was dissolved, the Affiliated Animal Hospitals partnership was formed, and the Southdale clinic was purchased, all on September 26, 1974. Affiliated Animal Hospitals helped make drug purchases and insurance more affordable, and allowed the doctors to coordinate emergency service.
At first the three owners rotated between the three clinics, but clients didn’t like seeing different veterinarians. It was decided that Dr. Clausman would stay at Southdale because it was near his home. Dr. McDougall worked at East Lake Animal Clinic, and Dr. Leon Schnack worked at Lyndale. At that time it was unusual because it had multiple owners and multiple locations. Buying and owning three clinics had benefits: the owners were able to share emergency call and make group drug purchases. Those on emergency call could count on three to four visits each night. These advantages became less important when the Veterinary Hospital Association (VHA) was established.
For economy, the original plan for the Affiliated Animal Hospitals was for each location to be run by a single veterinarian. Eventually additional veterinarians were hired, including Dr. Mary Peterson, a U. of Mn. graduate, at the Southdale clinic. She had worked for Dr. Clausman when she was in vet. school. (Peterson may now be at Flying Cloud).
After twenty years together, Leon wanted more time off, Curt wanted to work all the time, and Clausman was in between. “ We worked too hard as young veterinarians,” Clausman said. They continued under the partnership, but each vet. became more independent.
On December 21, 2000, Affiliated Animal Hospitals was split three ways. All three individuals decided to chart their own path to retirement. Each had a different idea of how long they wanted to work. Dr. McDougall intended to work the longest; Dr. Schnack was much more eager to leave Minnesota because he disliked the cold weather and the taxes.
In 2007 Dr. Schnack sold the Lyndale clinic to Dr. Daniel Grindle, who had worked there as a veterinary student. Schnack sold the clinic on a Monday morning and by that afternoon he was in Florida. He has rarely returned to Minnesota. Southdale was sold around 2013.
Affiliated Emergency Veterinary Service
Affiliated Emergency Veterinary Service (AEVS) started out of Southdale Animal Hospital with Dr. Terry Rapaz. Rapaz came back to Minnesota after a term in California, where he had observed that region’s changes in emergency services. Together with his friend, Dr. Paul Termin, they provided overnight emergency services seven days a week at Southdale.
Many vets were grouping together to provide emergency service at this time. Emergency service was generally of poor quality, because vets were usually alone and could provide only limited service. But other veterinarians were hesitant to send to the Southdale clinic because they feared losing clients to another clinic, so the AEVS group established a separate building located at Turners Crossroads (near the parking lot of today’s Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley).
Interview with Tony Crockett by Ed Clausman
She is Dr. Crockett’s daughter. Worked at Lyndale from a young age. He had six kids (adopted 2). She lives in the Twin Cities.
Crockett born Oct 13, 1929, Marshall, Missouri. Attended Marshall High School.
Jim’s sister was born with cleft palate, but had to wait until teenager for surgery. So family moved to Rochester Mn. He graduated from Rochester High School.
Graduated from Columbia Missouri Veterinary College, worked in large animal practice in a couple practices in Missouri.
Lyndale Animal Hospital was in financially strapped geographic area. To get by, Dr. Crockett bartered for TV’s, radios, and food, including cakes and bread. The items were often stored in the basement of the clinic. He also hated taxes. The practice of bartering stopped when Dr. Clausman was hired.
Morgan hired Dr. Clarence M. Penticuff. The kennel man killed Dr. Penticuff and shot the other kennel man, “Gus” Burns in the arm.
Dr. Penticuff’s death lead to Dr. Crockett being hired. Crockett saw the advertisement, and still liked Minnesota so left mixed animal practice and moved to Minnesota to work at Dr. Morgan’s clinic (1956).
Dr. Clausman remembers the April 5, 1957 murder at the Morgan Small Animal Hospital
[The Minneapolis Tribune of April 6, 1957, details the murder of Dr. Clarence Penticuff at the Morgan clinic by Berton F. McCutcheon, an employee at the clinic. McCutcheon, armed with a shotgun, first wounded Augustine Burns before killing Penticuff and then himself. Dr. Clausman recalls that McCutcheon was a “kennel man.”]
Dr. Penticuff went hunting with Berton McCutcheon, the man that killed him. McCutcheon was shy, and Penticuff was trying to help him be more confident. Penticuff in fact purchased a shotgun so McCutcheon could hunt, which turned out to be the weapon McCutcheon used to kill Penticuff. McCutcheon was mentally ill; when his wife had a miscarriage, for example, he wrapped the baby’s body in a newspaper and carried it around in his car.
The employee wounded in McCutcheon’s rampage was Augustine (Gus) Burns a life-long worker at the Morgan Animal Hospital who was well acquainted with the treatment of pets. Whenever Dr. Clausman, as a new graduate, was uncertain on a subject he would get an opinion from Gus, who would always say that he wasn’t a veterinarian prior to suggesting the next step. “You know I can’t tell you what to do, but if I was to do it, I’d do this” he would often say. Dr. Clausman remembers his particularly impressive skill of using a slip-knotted rope to remove a “mean” dog from its cage. He could toss the rope over the dog’s neck, and then with the flick of his wrist wrap another loop around the dog’s muzzle. The dog would pull back, and the rope would tighten around the muzzle and the neck. “He knew veterinary medicine as well as many vets” Clausman said.
Burns was very polite and was a good cook. On weekends he would often make lunch for everyone at the clinic in the autoclave, usually meat and sides.
Pappy Morgan was known as drinking man, and as Dr. Morgan was aging and drinking more, he increasingly relied on Burns. Burns would even go with Dr. Morgan to the MVMA conventions, and would push him around in a wheelchair.