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Presidential papers of Lewis C. Sheffey
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Held at: Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia [Contact Us]19 S. 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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The Office of the President of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia is first described in the 1787 constitution. The constitution states that the President "shall have power to call extraordinary Meetings whenever important, or unexpected Business shall require, of which he shall be the Judge", The constitution also states that the president was authorized to call a special session when requested by at least six Fellows. According to the 1834 by-laws, the president was responsible for presiding at College meetings and signing orders from the treasurer, but he could not discuss any questions while in the chair except when necessary to coae to a decision. This latter regulation was dropped from the 1863 by-laws, and new responsibilities were added in 1882, when the president was given "general supervision of the affairs of the College" and was required to present an annual address.
In 1886, due to the influence of president S, Weir Mitchell, the by-laws were again amended. Mitchell secured the right to be informed of all committee meetings and to attend them if he wished, Another of Mitchell's requests, for a five year presidential term, was never approved. The responsibilities of the president re•ained •uch the saae until 1914. In the by-laws of this year, the president's duty of "sign[ing] all warrants on the Treasurer" was omitted. 1925 marked a major change in the Office of the President; in this year, he was granted ex-officio membership in all standing committees and had the power to elect most committee members. The first regulation concerning the president's term was instituted in the 1935 by-laws, which state that no president aay serve more than three years in a row. Additional changes in the Office of the President did not occur until 1972. The by-laws of this year state that the president must publish his annual address, subait a yearly summary of ·the activities of the College, and "appoint all standing committees and designate the Chairmen", with the exception of the Noainating committee, The president's term was again restricted in the 1984 bylaws, which state that the president is liaited to one twoyear tera. As of 1991, the president presides at meetings, appoints coaaittees and defines their duties, serves as an ex-officio meaber of all coaaittees, and has "all other duties and powers usually pertaining to the office".
Lewis Cass Scheffey was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on 21 September 1893. He grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, where he held an after school job at a pharmacy. This early interest in pharaacology led Scheffey to the Philadelphia College of Pharaacy. After graduation in 1915, Scheffey secured a position as an assistant pharaacist and began to work his way through Jefferson Medical College. He was awarded his M.D. in June 1920 and began a twenty-seven aonth rotating internship at Jefferson Medical College Hospital. After his internship, Scheffey became an assistant to Dr. Brooke M. Anspach, Professor and Head of the Departaent of Gynecology at Jefferson. In 1940, Scheffey succeeded Anspach, and in 1945 becaae the first adainistrative head of the combined Departaent of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to fulfilling the deaanding roles of administrator and professor, Scheffey maintained an active private practice.
Scheffey became a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1945, when he was appointed to the Committee on Scientific Business. After holding the offices of elective counselor and vice president, Scheffey was elected President in 1955 and served a successful three year tera. After his presidency, Scheffey remained active in the College by serving as a Censor and as Chairaan of the Ad Hoc Coamittee on Bequests until his retirement in 1965. Scheffey is perhaps best known for his involvement in cancer research. His interest in this field began as early as 1928, when he established a pelvic cancer clinic in the gynecological department of the Jefferson Hospital. He collaborated with Dr. George N. Papanicolaou and Dr. Joe Meigs in establishing the Inter-Society Cytology Council in 1952, and served as its president in 1956. Scheffey was also an active member of the American Cancer Society; he received their gold medal in 1962 in recognition of his contributions to the study and diagnosis of pelvic cancer. Throughout his distinguished career, Scheffey received numerous awards and honors. He was elected President of the Aaerican Gynocological Society in 1958, and in the same year received the Philadelphia County Medical Society's Strittmatter Award for distinguished service to Philadelphia Medicine. He was awarded the honorary degree of Sc.D. from Ursinus College in 1943, and received an L.H.D. from Jefferson Medical College in 1959.
After suffering from a prolonged illness, Lewis Cass Scheffey died at his home in Haverford on 13 March 1969.
This collection of presidential papers of Lewis C. Scheffey was donated to the Historical Collections of the Library of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia by Mrs. Lewis C. Scheffey on 15 January 1976.
The collection was processed and catalogued in 1991.
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- Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia