Founded in 1930 by Dr. Charles Crawford and Dr. Montgomery Blair, Jr., this practice was one of the first medical offices focused solely on the medical care of infants and children in the Washington area.

For nearly ninety years Spring Valley Pediatrics has been delivering exceptional medical care to the children of the Washington metropolitan area.

Founded in 1930 by Dr. Charles Crawford and Dr. Montgomery Blair, Jr., this practice was one of the first medical offices focused solely on the medical care of infants and children in the Washington area. Dr. Blair, a native Washingtonian and member of an esteemed American political family, was an early pioneer in the nascent field of pediatrics. His great grandfather, Francis Preston Blair, Sr., was a valued member of President Zachary Taylor’s “kitchen cabinet”. His grandfather, Montgomery Blair, Sr., was a trusted and loyal member of Abraham Lincoln’s war cabinet serving as postmaster general during the Civil War. The family’s original home, across the street from the White House and now known as Blair House, is currently the official residence of visiting foreign dignitaries on official government business. Dr. Blair was a graduate of Harvard Medical School and received his pediatric training from some of the best pediatric minds of the day at the renowned Boston’s Children’s Hospital.

1930 – 1954

From 1930 through 1942, Drs. Blair and Crawford delivered some of the earliest and best of pediatric care to the children of Washington. As Dr. Blair’s medical practice and his wide ranging commitments within the local pediatric community continued to grow, he was joined in practice by Dr. William Howard in 1940. After a tour of medical service duty in Europe during World War II, Dr. Blair rejoined the practice and became active in early clinical research in the rapidly advancing field of infant and child care and was a key figure in the expansion and growth of Children’s Hospital of the District of Columbia, now known as Children’s National Medical Center. Dr. Blair became Medical Director of Children’s Hospital in 1946, combining administrative and pediatric expertise for the first time in the role of hospital director. In 1947, as an outgrowth of his interest in clinical research, Dr. Blair founded and served as the first president of The Research Foundation of Children’s Hospital which, under his leadership, contributed significant scientific advancements in the growing field of pediatrics. After a distinguished career, Dr. Blair resigned his positions at Children’s Hospital in 1954.

1954-Present

Dr. Howard continued to be very active in the clinical care of children in his office based practice and became nationally recognized as an expert in childhood allergy, eventually becoming chairman of the Department of Pediatric Allergy at Children’s Hospital. He was subsequently joined in clinical pediatric practice by Drs. Gordon Daisley and Beale Ong, who continued the tradition of active clinical practice with extensive commitments to Children’s Hospital and advancement of the field of pediatrics. Dr. Ong, with training in both pediatrics and pediatric neurology, served as chairman of the medical staff of Children’s Hospital and served as consultant to several schools and community organizations throughout northwest Washington. He also was the author of a parenting self-help guide, “The Doctor’s Call Hour”, which was popular in its time. Dr. Daisley retired from active practice in 1985, Dr. Howard in 1988 and Dr. Ong in 2008. Dr Franklin Stroud joined Drs. Howard, Daisley and Ong in early 1970’s and maintained a busy practice in general pediatrics with a special interest in learning disabilities until his untimely death in 2008. The current physician members of this venerable Washington institution, now known as Spring Valley Pediatrics, continue to strive to deliver the best of cutting edge, comprehensive pediatric care while continuing the tradition of community service and active participation in medical student education.

Over the decades, the office has moved from Cathedral Avenue to the Foxhall Square Building on New Mexico Avenue and finally to our current location at 4850 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.

The tradition of delivering the highest quality of personalized pediatric care, based on research and evidence based medicine, continues today.