From the 1880s, the New York-based ‘Arabian Mission’ operated several institutions in Southern Iraq and the Arabian Gulf region.
Among these was the American Mission Hospital (AMH) in Bahrain, known then as Mason Memorial Hospital.
The mission also managed hospitals, schools, churches, bookstores, and orphanages across Bahrain, Kuwait, Mesopotamia (Iraq), and Oman.
Dr Louis Dame arrived in Bahrain in 1918 and led the hospital from 1922 to 1936.
According to the 1929 Annual Report of the Arabian Mission: “In Bahrein(sic), the outstanding feature of the year was the touring done by Dr Dame -- two months on the Trucial coast and one in Hassa.
“Four invitations were received to visit Hassa. One of these was to treat Amir Saoud (sic), oldest son of King Ibn Saoud and heir to the throne, a most gracious host and a frank, charming personality.
“Another was to treat the Governor of Hassa [Ibn Jalawi], who was suffering from melancholia after the death of his son in a battle with some rebel Bedouins.
“On the last trip to Hassa, Dr Dame was, for the first time, allowed to treat the public.” (Annual Report-1929, Neglected Arabia, Number 152, January-March 1930, pg.11)
The first king of Saudi Arabia was King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (Ibn Saud). His son and heir whom Dr Dame had treated later became the second King of Saudi Arabia. Amir Saud was considered the oldest son because the eldest son, Amir Turki, had died during the Spanish Pandemic in 1919.
In 1919, Dr Paul Harrison, Dr Dame’s predecessor, rushed from Bahrain to Riyadh after receiving the king’s letter, but the prince had died before the doctor could reach him.
Over the years, Dr Dame made numerous medical trips to Riyadh, Al-Hasa, Qatif, Dammam, Unayzah, Buraydah, Taif, Jubail, and many other places. He provided medical care, earning the friendship of the ruling family and the gratitude of commoners in villages.
Dr Dame was born on December 16, 1886, in the Netherlands. He moved to the US, graduating from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and Lewis Institute. He served in the First World War in Puerto Rico. After the war, he met Arabian Mission workers and decided to join them.
Dr Dame married Elizabeth Purdie in Chicago on September 18, 1918. After Arabic language training, they arrived in Bahrain around 1919. His wife revived the mission school, now called Al Raja School, in 1922.
Years later, on October 7, 1939, when Crown Prince Saoud had an equestrian accident, Dr Dame successfully treated the prince’s fracture.
Like his predecessor Dr Harrison, Dr Dame significantly impacted the people of the Saudi Arabian kingdom, especially during the early oil discovery period.
During his time in Bahrain and his visits to Saudi Arabia, Dr Dame became a close friend to King Abdulaziz Al Saud and his son, the second King of Saudi Arabia.
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