Combined families — Albany “regional medical center”

This is the latest in an occasional series of posts about the daughters of Samuel Pruyn and their families that lived in the three houses that now are the campus of The Hyde Collection art museum in Glens Falls.

Families of the daughters of Samuel Pruyn were consistent major donors and auxiliary volunteers at Glens Falls Hospital, and Maurice Hoopes, husband of Mary, was president of the hospital board for many years.

The combined families also supported the enhancement of Albany Hospital.

Finch Pruyn & Co. and the descendants of Samuel Pruyn in 1946 contributed $5,000 — the equivalent of $73,830 in 2021 dollars — toward a $3 million campaign “to transform Albany Hospital into a regional medical center,” The Post-Star reported on April 1, 1946.

The contribution covered the cost of a corner private room on the eighth floor that was to be dedicated to Finch, Pruyn employees that died while serving in the military during World War II.

“The development of such a center, with all its facilities for medical research, will be a direct benefit to local hospitals through the establishment of rotating fellowships and other cooperative projects,” Maurice Hoopes was quoted in the report.

In other Combined Families historic news:

• On July 27, 1918, The Lake George Mirror reported that Charlotte Hyde and Mary Hoopes were among more than 100 guests at “a delightful tea” that opera singer Louise Homer hosted July 23 at the Lake George Club.
• On July 31, 1922, The Post-Star reported that Polly Hoopes, daughter of Maurice and Mary, left with friends Martha Loomis and Ruth Sherman for a 10-day visit to Gloucester, Mass.
• On Oct. 12, 1922, The Post-Star reported that Mary Hoopes was chairwoman of the luncheon committee for the first annual Warren County League of Women Voters convention Oct. 18 at Church of the Messiah Parish House.
• On May 31, 1944, The Post-Star reported that opera and concert soloist Helen Spann, a student of Oscar Seagle, was guest soloist with the Glens Falls Choral Club at the annual garden party for the First Presbyterian shut-in department on Hoopes House lawn.
• On May 2, 1946, The Post-Star reported that Giovannina deBlasiis performed a piano concert the previous evening at Hoopes House featuring music of Beethoven, Ravel, Franck, Chopin and others.
• On June 7, 1946, The Post-Star reported that Cecil Wright would direct the Glens Falls Choral Study Club in a concert that afternoon at the annual garden party on Hoopes House lawn for the First Presbyterian Church shut-in department.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in this series.