Dr. Elbyrne Grady Gill (1891-1966)

Dr. Elbyrne G. Gill, a native of Bedford County, opened the Gill Memorial Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in this block in 1926. Through the hospital, one of the first of its specialty in VA, Gill hosted annual congresses that offered postgraduate courses for eye, ear, nose, and throat specialists. By featuring renowned faculty, including current and future Nobel laureates, these conferences attracted physicians from across the U.S. Gill, a charter member of the Roanoke Lions Club, served a term as president of Lions International in 1943-44. In 1957, he opened the first eye bank in western VA. A leader in Roanoke's civic life, Gill chaired the local board of health for 25 years.