Retired village doctor helps to attract Chinese business

Richard Wan grew up in Hong Kong and immigrated to the US in the early 1960s. When he was doing his residency at the medical school at the University of Louisville, Kentucky, Wan got noticed by Congressman Richard Moore.

“The congressman came to me and said, Morgantown needs a doctor, why don’t you go there?’”

Wan fell in love with the rural area in Butler County, about 100 miles from Louisville. Declining offers from more affluent areas, he moved to Morgantown in 1966 with his wife and two children.

It was a big deal for a Chinese doctor to settle in town. He and his family were featured in the local newspaper Green River Republican when they arrived.

For seven to eight years, Wan was the only doctor in the area. He worked six days a week throughout his practice, often making house calls. He treated common illnesses, performed minor surgeries, did laboratory work, took X-rays, treated broken bones and skin cancer.

He also delivered babies during his 48 years of practice — more than 1,000 in Butler and surrounding counties — including Dana Phelps, the wife of Morgantown Mayor Billy Phelps, and Chad Flener, the principal of Morgantown Elementary School.

When people couldn’t pay, Wan treated them anyway. His local charity work includes setting up scholarships for students, providing Christmas toys and parties for children. The community has given the widely respected Wan a variety of leadership awards.

After retiring from his medical practice three years ago, Wan, 81, was enlisted to be a member of the Butler County Economic Development agency to create more jobs in the community. So far, he has brought three Chinese delegations to Morgantown to attract business interests.

“Morgantown has very good people. The land is cheap. We will help in any way we can. I want to help both Chinese and Americans to succeed,” he said.

Dr Richard Wan holds a photo of a story in the local newspaper about he and his family arriving in Morgantown.