Alonzo Ray Petty of the Baptist Judson Memorial Church located at 55 Washington Square South.
Petty appealed to fellow Baptist and physician Eleanor A. Campbell to start the health and dental clinic, initially located in the church's basement, in order to provide care to the many Italian immigrants living on the west side of lower Manhattan.
Many of these 45,000 residents suffered from poor nutrition; rickets was prevalent among many of the area's children.
The health center quickly outgrew its space and in 1922 moved to Judson House at 237 Thompson Street.
In 1924 the clinic provided healthcare to 22,000 visitors and also conducted 14,000 field visits, making the center the largest of its kind in the U.S.[1] In 1950 the Center moved to 34 Spring Street and served residents living in the area bordered by Broadway, Washington Square and the Hudson River.