DR. DAVID D. HELM JR. was born in Camden NJ on May 31, 1895 to David and Barbara Helm. The Helm family had been in Camden as early as 1867. David Helm Sr. was a butcher, and his grandfather, Charles Blaine, was also a butcher was his uncles Harry and Walter Helm. The David Helm family lived at 413 Walnut Street in Camden at the time of the 1900 Census, Harry and Walter Helm lived next door at 415 Walnut. Grandparents Charles and Louisa lived at 31 North 3rd Street at that time, along with five adult children – daughters Mary Clara, and Emily; and sons Joseph and George, who also worked as butchers in the family business.
Another son of Charles Helm, Dr. Charles Blaine Helm, appears to have been away at school at that time. He would become a veterinarian in the city of Camden, serve as the city’s purchasing agent in the 1920s, and also was the co-owner of the 1919-1920 Eastern Basketball League championship team, the Camden Crusaders.
When he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917 David Helm had received his doctorate. he was still single, and still lived at 413 Walnut Street in Camden.
David Helm married around 1924. His wife Lizzett soon bore a son, Albert Harry, late in 1925. When the census was taken in 1930, Dr. Helm was working as the health inspector for the city of Camden. The family then lived at 514 Spruce Street. The family was still at that address in 1947. By this time Dr. Helm held the title of Director of the city’s Board of Health, a title previously held by Dr. Arthur L. Stone, who had passed in 1945.
As director of Camden’s health department, Dr. David Helm added pertussis and tetanus immunization to the city clinics and school program and eliminated rabies from the area, through rigid control of stray dogs. He worked closely with long-time health department clerk Lewis Lee.
Dr. Helm appears to have moved to Audubon NJ by 1956. His son followed him into medicine. Dr. Albert Harry Helm was assistant cardiologist at Cooper Hospital in the mid-1950s.
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