Amelia Levinson Gates

Amelia Levinson Gates (July 7, 1866 – June 2, 1947) was a German American pediatrician. She is best known for her contributions to the field of pediatrics in San Francisco and the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. She helped to establish the Florence Ward Hospital in San Francisco, and the Amelia Gates commercial building in downtown Carmel.

Gates was born on July 7, 1866, in Gdańsk, Germany. She was the daughter of Louis Levinson (1824–1877) and Rosalia Waldstein (1830–1904). Gates immigrated to the United States as a child. Her passion for medicine led her to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where she met her future husband, Howard Baker Gates (1867–1914) of San Jose, California. Howard Gates was appointed as the Superintendent of the County Hospital of Santa Clara County. They had one child, Harold Keith Gates (1909–1978).

After completing their studies, the couple established a joint medical practice in San Jose, California. In 1910, they moved to Los Angeles, California, where they had a large medical practice in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Amelia Gates was chairman of the public affairs committee of the Friday Morning Club.

Due to peripheral neuropathy, her husband abandoned his medical and surgical practice in 1913, focusing instead on regaining his health. Seeking to resolve his condition, he travelled abroad. He died in Rome on May 8, 1914.

Gates returned to San Francisco, where she continued her medical career with a renewed focus on preventative care for children. Gates played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Florence Ward Hospital in San Francisco. Her work highlighted the importance of early intervention and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Buildings

In 1922, Gates retired in the coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. She and her husband had owned a parcel of land on El Camino Real, where they built a cabin. She replaced the original cabin on El Camino Real with a one-story Vernacular-style cottage of her own design, now known as the Dr. Amelia Gates Cottage. The home is an example of early Vernacular architecture. It was registered with the California Register of Historical Resources on October 14, 2001.

In 1924, Gates designed and supervised the construction of the Amelia Gates Building, a two-story wood-framed Tudor Revival style commercial building in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea. The building is at the southwest end of the Court of the Golden Bough. It was constructed by Fred McCrary in 1928, as an investment for her retirement. The building featured a ground floor occupied by retail shops, and a studio apartment at the upper level. It has clinker brick veneer, faux half-timbering, and a distinctive pair of gable roofs. The building was registered with the California Register of Historical Resources on February 13, 2002.

On June 2, 1947, Gates died of cardiovascular disease, at her home on El Camino Real in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Private services were held at the Paul Chapel in Pacific Grove, followed by interment at the Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose.

Gates's philanthropic efforts included a generous bequest to the Stanford University School of Medicine. She established the Howard Gates Loan Fund, a $5,000 equivalent to $65,529 in 2022), endowment aimed at assisting medical students in pursuing their education.