William Hooper Grafflin

Grafflin, a board member of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, was born in Baltimore. He attended the University of Maryland and, after completing his studies, joined the Patapsco Warner Co. as a bookkeeper. He later rose to treasurer and succeeded his father as president of the company. Grafflin was also involved in real estate, and was director of the International Cotton Mills Co. and the Drovers’ and Mechanics’ National Bank of Baltimore.

Grafflin joined the board of trustees of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1908, and was a generous benefactor of the hospital. His father had been a benefactor of the Home for Graduate Johns Hopkins Nurses, and Grafflin continued to support his father’s efforts.

In 1908, he established the William H. Grafflin Orthopedic Fund, the monies of which were to be used for treatment of child deformities. In 1913, he contributed the capital for a general fund for the hospital, stipulating that half of the net income was to be used for general expenses and half should be used to establish an emergency fund. Decades later, these funds were available for use in the renovation of  Halsted 3, a nursing unit which opened in 1966.