Virgil Tupper

Who was Virgil Tupper?

Virgil Langstaff Tupper was an American physician and surgeon. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1869. He was the son of Benjamin and Selena Tupper. As a child, Tupper was sent to live with his uncle, Dr. Horace Tupper, in Bay City, Michigan. He attended the public schools in Bay City and then studied at Washington and Jefferson College for one year. He next attended the University of Michigan where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Literary Department. He played college football at the guard position for the 1891 and 1892 Michigan Wolverines football teams. He subsequently attended Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, receiving his degree in 1896. He also studied at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, taking specialized courses in gynecology, surgery and children's diseases. He returned to Bay City and took over the medical practice of his uncle, Dr. Horace Tupper. He married Mary Hill Cranage in 1901, and they had two children, Thomas C. Tupper and Marjory Tupper. In 1908, Tupper ceased his general practice and specialized in surgery. He shared ownership of the Cranage Block in Bay City with his brother-in-law, Samuel P. Cranage. He died in April 1951.