Dr William Harold Storm’s dedication to the American Mission Hospital (AMH) spanned nearly four decades, leaving an enduring mark on Bahrain’s medical landscape.
As the hospital’s fifth chief medical officer, he led AMH through two pivotal periods, 1937-1941 and 1948-1964. However, his service extended far beyond these years, totalling 38 years of unwavering commitment.
In the wake of Awali Hospital’s establishment in 1937 to support Bapco employees and families, Dr Storm played a crucial role in ensuring its smooth operation. He facilitated the regular secondment of doctors and nurses from AMH to the newly founded hospital.
Dr Storm was born in Hope, New Jersey, on October 10, 1901 and arrived in Bahrain in 1927 as a doctor serving under missionary Dr Louis Dame’s leadership. Tragedy struck when Dr Storm’s wife succumbed to an illness in Arabia.
While on furlough in the US during the 1930s as a widower, he met Ida, a Cornell University PhD holder who was teaching in the University of Shanghai, but was on holiday in the US at the time.
Upon deciding to marry Dr Storm, Ida recognised the unique demands of their mission work and enrolled into the Medical College of Virginia, and graduated with a nursing degree.
The Storms made several medical trips to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, even treating the royal family. In a testament to their esteemed service, a royal banquet was hosted in Dr Storm’s honour at the Riffa Palace by the late Shaikh Isa, the Amir of Bahrain, upon their departure in 1965. The entire medical community of Bahrain was invited for this farewell celebration.
Dr Storm’s daughter Janet, from his first marriage, married Bapco engineer Bruce Pengelley and was well-known for her active social work in the Awali Township community. She authored a book about her father’s remarkable life.
An excerpt from The Islander, a weekly news magazine published by Bapco, dated June 16, 1965, aptly captured the deep respect Dr Storm commanded: “An indication of the respect which was held for him was that before his departure, His Highness Shaikh Isa, the Ruler, held a dinner at his Riffa Palace in Dr Storm’s honour and the guests included doctors and nurses from almost every medical institution on the islands.”
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