Call Number:

CPP 1/007-01

Repository:

Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

Extent:

.4 linear feet (1 document box)

Language:

English

Date:

1900-1937 (inclusive)

Creator:

College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Office of the Secretary

Form:

Applications -- Fellowship

Abstract:

The office of the Secretary of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia was created during the organization of the College in 1787. The Secretary is the appointed officer of record. His original duties were to record the minutes and transactions of the College and preserve its documents and correspondence. In 1834, the Secretary was also empowered to keep lists of the fellows and provide them with certificates of membership. In 1863, the responsibility for notifying officers and committee members of election or appointaent devolved upon the Secretary. An annual report on the fellowship became part of the Secretary's responsibilities in 1870. At this time, a related office, the Recorder, was created to keep the minutes of all scientific sessions. The office of Recorder was abolished in 1914, and a salaried position, the Clerk, was created under the Secretary; the Secretary devoted himself to matters of fellowship while the Clerk preserved the minutes and papers of the College. The position of Clerk was abolished in 1925, and his duties were returned to the Secretary. In 1990, the Secretary was empowered to perform "all the duties appropriate to his or her post as the elected recording officer of the College and assure the duties and powers of the President in the absence or temporary incapacity of both the President and President-Elect".

This collection of failed fellowship applications, spanning 1900 to 1937, is part of the records of the office of the Secretary of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Each fellowship application consists of an application form containing basic information about the applicant and three or more letters of recommendation from Fellows of the College. These applications are useful in that they reveal some of the reasons why candidates were rejected from the fellowship, provide the names of the ~ellows who proposed each candidate, and explain why the Fellows gave certain candidates their support.

In the election process, the completed application was submitted to ihe Secretary of the College of Physicians, who assigned a number to the application and read the name of the candidate and his proposers at the next College meeting. The Council then had to approve the candidate before the Fellows could vote. Numbers were assigned to the candidates to preserve their anonymity; they were referred to by their numbers instead of their names in College and Council minutes. The candidate's identity was revealed in the minutes only if he was successfully elected to the fellowship of the College.

The applications in this collection reveal some of the reasons why candidates did not become Fellows of the College of Physicians. In some cases, the candidate was too young to become a Fellow or was planning to leave the Philadelphia area. Other candidates were turned down because they were practicing dentists. Occasionally, an application was rejected because of an unfavorable letter from a Fellow as to the character or conduct of the applicant. Many of the rejected applicants re-applied in later years and were eventually accepted into the fellowship of the College of Physicians.

The applications are arranged by applicant number, which also places them in chronological order. The applicant number does not appear on many of the early applications; in some cases, the number could be determined from College and Council minutes. The applications for which numbers could not be determined are listed in chronological order.