Here is a story few people in the DR know about.
Under Trujillo, there was a scholarship program that took the brightest child out of each high school in the DR and educated them for free in Santo Domingo. This system was enacted to help facilitate bringing the brightest, most qualified people in the DR to the Dominican government--where they helped serve in different positions of their expertise. My uncle, Francisco (Frank) Clodomiro Genao won this brightest scholarship award in Bonao in the 40's and was immediately sent to Santo Domingo, and then to the University of Chicago.
Under the scholarship, you were free to study whatever subject you wanted. My uncle chose medicine. To give you a little background info on my uncle Frank, he was the oldest of three boys (my dad was the youngest); they were from Masipedro--which is a mountain town up in the hills surrounding Bonao. They grew up dirt poor, with dirt floors, no electricity, no plumbing, and with a fanatical religious father who went to church every day and read the Bible constantly, but couldn't tell you what made it rain, thunder, or lightning except to say "It is the will of god."
When my uncle won the scholarship award, he was sent to Santo Domingo where he started medical school. From there he went to the University of Chicago where he specialized in Urology and also did his internship. He married another Dominican doctor, and together they had three daughters (two of which are doctors, the other is blind and runs her own school).
He got a job offer in Dayton, Ohio, where he moved to and became a medical surgeon of Urology, first at the VA hospital, and then at Kettering memorial hospital.
While he was in the U.S practicing, he pioneered some advanced medical surgery techniques for urology. As a result, he spent the greater part of his adult life travelling, giving lectures at medical conferences around the world where he demonstrated some pretty clever advanced medical surgery techniques on what else: The Penis.
Anyway, this scholarship system under Trujillo educated a lot of very bright Dominican children and gave them--and my uncle a unique--once in a lifetime--opportunity to follow their dream and become whatever they wanted at the expensive of the government--including housing, supplies, and food. Everything was covered. Keep in mind, were talking about the 1940's and 50's here.
Afterwards, these scholarship adults served on the DR government in whatever capacity they qualified for. My uncle became the chief urologist for the president and all of the big shot in the government.
Some interesting facts about DR. Francisco Clodomiro Genao
1. He was an Atheist. His father (my grandfather) was a fanatical religious catholic that didn't believe anything that was not written down in the Bible. he believed the earth was 6000 yrs old and no one could convince him otherwise.
2. He (my uncle) raised three daughters--two became doctors, and one, Loli Genao, runs her own school in Santo Domingo which has become a sort of orphanage for poor, disenfranchised, abused children who's parents can no longer take care of them. She's ended up adopting many of the children herself. These children have grown up and now take care of my cousin, Loli Genao (she is blind.)
3. His wife (my aunt) was a well known doctor of Pediatrician and is still living in Santo Domingo.
4. His two younger brothers (my father & uncle) didn't even get to attend high school, but educated themselves on their own after rebelling against their religious fanatical father.
5. My uncle now has a few buildings named after him, and Avenue in Santo Domingo, a street in Bonao, and some other stuff.
6. While growing up, i spent my summers in the DR with him, where i was majorly influenced by him, his books, his philosophy, and his brilliance. Sadly, none of his brilliance rubbed off on me, but his life long love for reading did. And for that i am eternally thankful.
Frank
Under Trujillo, there was a scholarship program that took the brightest child out of each high school in the DR and educated them for free in Santo Domingo. This system was enacted to help facilitate bringing the brightest, most qualified people in the DR to the Dominican government--where they helped serve in different positions of their expertise. My uncle, Francisco (Frank) Clodomiro Genao won this brightest scholarship award in Bonao in the 40's and was immediately sent to Santo Domingo, and then to the University of Chicago.
Under the scholarship, you were free to study whatever subject you wanted. My uncle chose medicine. To give you a little background info on my uncle Frank, he was the oldest of three boys (my dad was the youngest); they were from Masipedro--which is a mountain town up in the hills surrounding Bonao. They grew up dirt poor, with dirt floors, no electricity, no plumbing, and with a fanatical religious father who went to church every day and read the Bible constantly, but couldn't tell you what made it rain, thunder, or lightning except to say "It is the will of god."
When my uncle won the scholarship award, he was sent to Santo Domingo where he started medical school. From there he went to the University of Chicago where he specialized in Urology and also did his internship. He married another Dominican doctor, and together they had three daughters (two of which are doctors, the other is blind and runs her own school).
He got a job offer in Dayton, Ohio, where he moved to and became a medical surgeon of Urology, first at the VA hospital, and then at Kettering memorial hospital.
While he was in the U.S practicing, he pioneered some advanced medical surgery techniques for urology. As a result, he spent the greater part of his adult life travelling, giving lectures at medical conferences around the world where he demonstrated some pretty clever advanced medical surgery techniques on what else: The Penis.
Anyway, this scholarship system under Trujillo educated a lot of very bright Dominican children and gave them--and my uncle a unique--once in a lifetime--opportunity to follow their dream and become whatever they wanted at the expensive of the government--including housing, supplies, and food. Everything was covered. Keep in mind, were talking about the 1940's and 50's here.
Afterwards, these scholarship adults served on the DR government in whatever capacity they qualified for. My uncle became the chief urologist for the president and all of the big shot in the government.
Some interesting facts about DR. Francisco Clodomiro Genao
1. He was an Atheist. His father (my grandfather) was a fanatical religious catholic that didn't believe anything that was not written down in the Bible. he believed the earth was 6000 yrs old and no one could convince him otherwise.
2. He (my uncle) raised three daughters--two became doctors, and one, Loli Genao, runs her own school in Santo Domingo which has become a sort of orphanage for poor, disenfranchised, abused children who's parents can no longer take care of them. She's ended up adopting many of the children herself. These children have grown up and now take care of my cousin, Loli Genao (she is blind.)
3. His wife (my aunt) was a well known doctor of Pediatrician and is still living in Santo Domingo.
4. His two younger brothers (my father & uncle) didn't even get to attend high school, but educated themselves on their own after rebelling against their religious fanatical father.
5. My uncle now has a few buildings named after him, and Avenue in Santo Domingo, a street in Bonao, and some other stuff.
6. While growing up, i spent my summers in the DR with him, where i was majorly influenced by him, his books, his philosophy, and his brilliance. Sadly, none of his brilliance rubbed off on me, but his life long love for reading did. And for that i am eternally thankful.
Frank
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