Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of University of Illinois at Chicago (1921) [PAGE 7]

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HISTORICAL SKETCH i COLLEGE O F M E D I C I N E

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me during the life of the lease. This arrangement continued in operation until April [},. 1912. The property was owned by the Corporation known as the College of Phycians and Surgeons of Chicago. The University of Illinois conducted a medical 3hool for fifteen years in this leased property. During all this time the College had looked to the organic union of the two inbitutions, b u t the State had never contributed one dollar to the support of the medical chool. Every dollar needed for the maintenance of the institution had been furnished >y the Faculty of the College from the fees of its students. There was an active evolution in medical education at this time, and an enlargenent of the requirements for admission to the medical colleges. This had been esiablished by the Committee on Medical Education of the American Medical Associaion. The elevation of medical education met with general approval by the profession md by our College Faculty, but it was found impossible to maintain a state college m these high planes without state support, and the University had never been able bo secure an appropriation from the Legislature for its Medical College because it did not own the college, b u t only operated it on rented property. For several years each biennial session of the Legislature had refused the University a fund t o purchase the College. Once only was a bill passed making an appropriation for t h e purchase of the college, b u t even then the Governor violated his promise of support to the Trustees and Faculty and for political reasons vetoed the bill. Although t h e lease was made for twenty-five years, the actual life of it was only two years, as new appropriations had to be made every biennium for the support of the University, and the Trustees could only bind themselves for the period of t h e biennial appropriation. A majority of t h e stockholders of the College Corporation decided they would not continue the lease beyond April 30, 1912, and a communication to t h a t effect was sent to the Trustees of the University. On April 30, President James closed t h e Medical School of the University for lack of support. We were at the parting of the ways. Then the Alumni Association of the College took a hand and saved the day, restoring the College to t h e University as a gift, aided b y the faculty, stockholders, students, and other friends of higher medical education. Shortly after the Dean had announced t h a t the relations between the two institutions had been severed, and t h a t the college was again a private medical college, a movement was begun by the Alumni Association of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago which resulted in the appointment of a committee to secure the property of the College for the University of Illinois, as its permanent medical department. T h e Council of the Alumni Association appointed the writer chairman of this committee. After a strenuous campaign (from July, 1912, to January, 1913) this committee succeeded in securing every share (2,170) of the capital stock of the corporation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, as a donation to the University of Illinois, and on March 6, 1913, the title and deed of all t h e college property was transferred to the University and accepted by the trustees as the permanent medical department of t h e University. On t h a t occasion the writer said: " M r . President, in handing over to you this deed and bill of sale, I am not only transferring to the Trustees of the University the tangible property of the College, b u t with it also goes the franchise, the good will, and the high ideals we have maintained for the past thirty-one years in developing the College. We tender you also our faculty, our students, and our alumni, and I pledge you the loyal support of each and every one of them. ' ' Mr. President, and members of the Board of Trustees, in voluntarily relinquishing the control and ownership of this medical school, we realize t h a t the University is greater t h a n the College, t h a t the State is greater t h a n the University, and t h a t your aspirations and desire to build up a great medical department for the State University are equal, if not superior, to any other similar department in any State in t h e Union. I t is worthy of honor and praise for what it has done, b u t will be worthy of greater honor in what it promises to do under your guidance and direction in fulfilling its manifest destiny in the future." This transfer ended the corporate existence of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and ushered into being the University of Illinois College of Medicine as its medical department for all time, and under the splendid leadership of Presidents James and.Kinley, with their vision of the greatest medical college in the country, it has gone on and on and upward in the ranks of medical colleges, fulfilling its manifest destiny, and with the old Faculty and many additions of scientifically trained

f.riirliors, and the liberal support by University appropriations from the State, it is nMur» to occupy the magnificent new buildings now being erected for its use in the old liHMchull park. President Andrew S. Draper and every Board of Trustees have been our loyal and nviivv. supporters since 1897. Since 1913 the State has done its part in contributing IUIHIH necessary to the growth and development of your College, and I a m sure t h a t 1'ivMultmt Kinley, his Board of Trustees, and our Dean will continue to do their p a r t wil.li all the energy, enthusiasm, and courage of the founders and Faculty who led Mi«' way.

T H E 1912-1914 P E R I O D

B Y CHARLES DAVISON Al. the beginning of this period the University of Illinois College of Medicine was briuK conducted in buildings owned by the corporation of the College of Physicians »»MI Surgeons of Chicago, leased by the University of Illinois a t a rental of $18,500 a v«'»r. The lease provided for biennial renewals on the same terms until such a time nfi 11, was believed the State would provide buildings for the medical college. The local officers of administration a t this time appointed by the Board of Trustees, »i|Mm ncommendation of the President of the University of Illinois, were as follows: In William E. Quine, Dean; Dr. D . A. K. Steele, Actuary; Dr. F r a n k B . Earle, :-ii-<-ivt,nry. The. directors of the corporation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons who a t MH- mi me time were also professors in the various departments of the University of Hi mo is College of Medicine, became dissatisfied with the existing relationship with MH* University and declared the lease of the property to the University abrogated. Tim directors of the corporation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons were DI-M. Daniel A. K. Steele, President; William A. Pusey, Vice President; William M . 11 arsha, Secretary; Frank B. Earle, Treasurer; William E . Quine, Oscar A. King, Thomas A I )jivis, Henry T . Byford, and Albert J. Ochsner. The announcement by Dean Quine, March 29, 1912, t h a t the medical plant would i»n longer be leased to the University of Illinois and t h a t the College of Physicians urn I Surgeons of Chicago would reopen its medical school immediately following t h e rurrent term, caused great consternation among the faculty and alumni of the medical «lr|»n.rtment and the friends of advanced medical education throughout the state. An active and influential part of the faculty refused to take p a r t in the reorganization t»l" l.lie college along the lines of a corporation for profit. These men hoped for the continued existence of medical education in Chicago under control of the University of Illinois. They urgently recommended the obtaining of other quarters in which to con-' iimie the work without interruption. The Illinois Medical Society a t its annual MHvUng at Springfield discussed the subject and unanimously passed resolutions on May 22, 1912, pledging itself to support the policy of adequate appropriation from the Mi-iiic Treasury for the development by the University of Illinois of the work in public IHTIIMI, medical research and medical education. A standing committee consisting of one member from each county, under the chairmanship of Dr. Charles S. Bacon, was appointed, to urge .on public attention, MH 1 ie legislature and on the University authorities, t h e necessity of making adequate , 1 t»i*i»vision for this great public need. This committee conducted an active campaign until the University was in position to conduct its own medical department and pay Mio expenses, with the approval of the legislature, out of the general funds appropriated t.«» the University. The University of Illinois discontinued its medical department on June 30,1912, I «MH use it could no longer lease the property of the college of Physicians and Surgeons, find the continuance of medical teaching under the name of the College of Physicians mid Surgeons of Chicago was immediately announced b y the officers of t h a t corporation. The Alumni Association, composed of graduates of the medical college during all • •I I(H administrations, was very much concerned about the future of the college. Tin* members were sharply divided. Some bitterly condemned the officers of the corporation of the college of Physicians and Surgeons for taking advantage of what