Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of University of Illinois at Chicago (1921) [PAGE 5]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

HISTORICAL SKETCH viii COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

ix

college in Chicago; to look behind the men themselves to their teachers, who by their precept and example had inculcated ideas and ideals into the minds of these men that would mould their characters and dominate their lives with aspirations for the attainment of the highest and best attainable in medical science and medical education. It is interesting to note that three of the founders of this College were graduates of the old Chicago Medical College, now the Medical School of Northwestern University; and that Charles Warrington Earle, Samuel A. McWilliams, and the writer had listened to the matchless medical oratory of Nathan Smith Davis, the nestor of the medical profession, to Hosmer A. Johnson, with his polished address and graceful personality, as well as to the practical, forceful diction of the great surgeon, Edmund Andrews, and that each had been impressed by their ideas and idealism, and filled with aspirations to emulate their characters and reputation and to become surcharged with their professional spirit and enthusiasm for the profession of medicine. Even as we strove to forget some of their prescriptions and lectures a few years later—we could forget the lectures, but never the men who had left the impress of their personality oh our formative minds. To Earle must be given the credit of first broaching the question of establishing a new medical college in Chicago on the west side of the City, near the Cook County Hospital. In 1876 he began to agitate the project of establishing a new medical college adjacent to the County Hospital, but notwithstanding his energy, enthusiasm, and courage, he did not succeed in interesting a sufficient number of suitable people in the enterprise to make a successful start, so the project was dropped for five years. Early in 1881 he spoke to A. Reeves Jackson about the advisability of starting a new medical school adjacent to the County Hospital, and Jackson, who was a lecturer in Rush Medical College, readily assented to Earle's proposition. After several conferences and prolonged discussions, a preliminary meeting was held May 4, 1881, in the Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, to consider establishing a new medical school in Chicago. The time was propitious. The growth of the city had been phenomenal and many of the leading medical men of the city, not then connected with existing medical colleges, foresaw that Chicago was bound to become a great medical center. At this preliminary meeting four of the founders and three men not subsequently connected with the enterprise were present. Dr. Jackson was chosen president and Dr. Steele secretary of the meeting. After a full discussion of the question it was considered advisable to organize a new medical school in Chicago, having for its aim the elevation of medical scholarship. On motion of Dr. McWilliams the embryonic medical venture was christened "The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago," and this name was retained until 1913, when the College was affiliated with the University of Illinois, when it became known as the College of Medicine of the University of Illinois. Drs. Jackson, Earle, and the writer were appointed a committee to procure a license and to incorporate under the general State law. Dr. McWilliams was made chairman of a committee to look up a suitable location and ascertain the price of ground for the college site; and still another committee, of which the writer was chairman, was appointed to report on chairs, lectureships, etc., and to suggest the names of suitable persons to fill them. The license to incorporate was issued by the Secretary of State July 2, 1881, to Drs. Jackson, Earle, and the writer and on October 14, 1881, a final certificate of incorporation was issued to Drs. Jackson, McWilliams, the writer, St. John, and Earle, the founders and incorporators. On June 23, 1881, Dr. Jackson, on behalf of the Committee on grounds and location, reported that the lot on the northwest corner of Harrison and Honore Streets, 95 x 100 feet, could be secured Jor college purposes. Drs. Jackson and McWilliams were appointed a purchasing committee and authorized to secure the lot for the lowest cash price. On July 14, Dr. McWilliams of this committee reported that a contract had been made for the purchase of the lot for $5,000, all cash, and the purchase was immediately made. Drs. Jackson, McWilliams, Steele, and St. John advanced the amount in equal shares. The capital stock of the newcorporation was fixed at $30,000, and the entire stock was subscribed by the five incorporators. Bylaws were adopted, and Drs. Jackson, McWilliams, Steele, St. John, and Earle, were elected the first board of directors. In the preliminary announcement the following notice appeared: "The Faculty beg to state that this college has been organized in the interest of a more thorough and practical education than is usually furnished by the medical schools of this country. The Faculty believe that the medical practitioners who have been long engaged in their calling, and who realize the difficulties under which many of them have labored, desire that those who succeed them may receive more and better

facilities during their pupilage than were obtained by them for becoming qualified lor their work. In all other departments of learning it is deemed necessary to so clasMify and grade different studies that the pupil is systematically led from those of an elementary and fundamental character to the more advanced branches. In medicine, however, a science in which accuracy and completeness of attainment by its votaries involves more important interests than any other, this reasonable and philosophical .system is, for the most part, wholly ignored. The Faculty believe the time has come when medicine should no longer occupy this exceptional position, and in deference to the demand of the profession generally for a more systematic plan of college instruction than is usually offered, have adopted a system of instruction extending over three vears and including two or more graded winter sessions of six months each." On July 18, 1882, at a stockholders meeting called for the purpose, the capital .••.Lock of the corporation was increased to $60,000, each member of the Faculty subMcribing for $2,000 worth of the capital stock. The first regular session of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago commenced Tuesday evening, September 26, 1882. The introductory address was delivered by Professor A. Reeves Jackson. At this time the new college building, located on the northwest corner of Harrison and Honore Streets, opposite the Cook County Hospital, had been completed under the direction of George H. Edbrooke, the, architect, and as a result of his labors and the indefatigable work of Dr. McWilliams, < •Im.irman of the Building Committee, the college edifice was scarcely surpassed by any in this country in beauty of design, excellence of construction, or adaptation to its purposes. Or. McWilliams organized the West Side Free Dispensary, which occupied the lirwl, floor of the building, and which was under the exclusive control of the College faculty; patients being classified according to diseases and different rooms assigned to each class, students thus having an opportunity to learn the details of actual practice in the various specialties. When the session opened September 26, 1882, there was present a class of 100 .students, which gradually increased to 165. At the close of the session, 52 of these graduated. During the year 7,504 patients were examined and prescribed for in the college, most of them before small sections of the class in the different clinic rooms on the dispensary floor. On March 17, 1883, the Board of Directors met to elect a permanent Faculty according to a resolution adopted, the basis of the election requiring that the following Four questions should be answered in the affirmative about every candidate before he was eligible for election. (Each member of the Faculty had been elected the first year on probation.) 1. Is he a systematic and capable teacher? . 2. Has he a moral character and habits such as will reflect credit upon an educational institution? 3. Is he honorable and trustworthy in his treatment of and dealings with his colleagues? 4. Is he in accord with the general policy of the school, especially in its requirements for admission and graduation of students and its graded system of instruction? The requirements for graduation at this time were announced as (1) A good moral character; (2) attainment of 21 years of age; (3) three years of study under the direction of a physician in regular standing; (4) attendance on two or more winter lecture courses, 1 HI last of which must have been at this college; (5) dissection of each part of the . 1 cadaver; (6) attendance on two terms of clinical and hospital instruction; (7) satisfactory examinations; (8) deposit of final examination fee with the treasurer on or before February 1. No honorary degrees to be conferred. It was at this time that the illustrious name of Quine was added to the faculty list. lie was appointed Professor of Medicine, and from that date his dominant personality, wisdom, eloquence, and professional spirit was a source of strength to the College as rude by side we labored on together for its best interests. During the spring of 1890, the writer became satisfied that the future welfare and prosperity of the college depended upon a thorough reorganization of the teaching faculty and policy of the college so as to secure for it a greater share of the confidence and patronage of the medical public. He laid his plans before Profs. quine and Earle, and secured their ready co-operation and support for a reorganisation which with the sanction of President Jackson was immediately carried into eihet. At a stockholders' meeting April 19, 1893, the capital stock of the college