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Hahnemann University Academic Affairs records
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Held at: Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Hahnemann University’s long history begins in 1848 with the founding of the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania by Drs. Jacob Jeanes, Walter Williamson, and Constantine Hering. The college began in rented rooms at the rear of a pharmacy in the 200 block of Arch Street with just 15 students and 8 instructors, but grew quickly, moving to a new location the following year at 11th and Filbert Streets.
A split in the college came in 1867 when Dr. Hering resigned after a disagreement with Dr. Adolphe Lippe. Hering and a group of physicians purchased the charter for the Washington Medical College, a defunct medical school in Philadelphia. They quickly changed its name to Hahnemann Medical College, in honor of Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician and pioneer of homeopathic medicine, and elected Hering as Dean. However, in 1869 the two colleges merged back together under the new name, Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia. Hahnemann and a neighboring hospital merged in 1884, forming the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Philadelphia. Then, in 1890, a new hospital unit and the School of Nursing opened.
Significant advancements from this time include the addition of one of the finest surgical amphitheatres in the country, and the award winning dissection of a complete human nervous system, commonly known as “Harriet,” by Dr. Rufus Weaver. Further advancements and accomplishments for Hahnemann include the first school of X-ray technology in the country (1921), a new 20-story hospital (1928), the first recording of human heart sounds (1939), the world’s first successful closed-heart surgical repair of mitral valve stenosis (1948) by Dr. Charles P. Baily, and the development of the country’s first cross-disciplinary Cardiovascular Institute under the direction of Dr. William Likoff.
In the middle and later twentieth century, with the decline of homeopathy, Hahnemann re-invented itself as a nationally known academic medical center with prominence in cardiac surgery and cardiology, oncology, transplantation, training of non-physician health professionals, community health, and community mental health. The Graduate School of the Basic Medical Sciences was organized in 1949, leading to the first PhD granted in 1956. A symposia program began in 1958 that grew to include multiple faculty presentations each year, eventually leading to a continuing education program, and later, the School of Continuing Education (1972). This period also saw growth of affiliate programs, residency programs, faculty appointments, and a focus on research and increased research facilities with a marked effort on educating academically deprived or otherwise disadvantaged students.
A new building for the School of Nursing (1963), the New College Building (1973), and the North Tower (1979) added lecture, teaching, medical practice, operating, and research space to the College. The College of Allied Health Professions was formed in 1968, with two- and four-year programs offered in nine different fields. In 1981, Hahnemann gained university status and became Hahnemann University, with four fully accredited schools: the School of Medicine, the Graduate School, the School of Allied Health Professions, and the School of Continuing Education.
Running almost in parallel, the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (1850-1867) was the world's first medical school for women. This became Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1867 and then Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) in 1970 when male students began to be accepted. In 1987, MCP and its affiliate hospitals were acquired by the Allegheny Health, Education, and Research Foundation (AHERF). And in 1993, AHERF acquired Hahnemann University and its affiliated hospital. Hahnemann University and MCP were fully merged in 1996 to form MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine of Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, the largest private medical school in the country. However, just a few years later in 1998, AHERF declared bankruptcy.
The assets of Allegheny University were transferred to the nonprofit MCP Hahnemann University, with Drexel University agreeing to assume operation of the university. In 2002, the Drexel University board of trustees voted unanimously in favor of merging MCP Hahnemann University into Drexel, renaming the school as the Drexel University College of Medicine.
Sources consulted:
"History." Drexel University College of Medicine. Accessed April 16, 2014. http://www.drexelmed.edu/Home/AbouttheCollege/History.aspx
"History of the Institution." Drexel University College of Medicine: Legacy Center Archives and Special Collections. Accessed on April 16, 2014. http://archives.drexelmed.edu/history.php
Rogers, Naomi. An Alternative Path: The Making and Remaking of Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Philadelphia. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1998.
Schwartz, Lynne, ed. "From Yesterday to Today: 133 Proud Years of Passage" The World of Hahnemann 7, no. 6 (November/December 1981).
Wells, George Harlan. "A History of the Department of Medicine at the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Philadelphia." June 1965.
The Hahnemann University Academic Affairs records house the files of Hahnemann University and its various iterations, beginning with Homeopathic Medical College. This collection, which dates from 1848 to 2009, with bulk dates of 1928 to 1994, consists of annual and accreditation reports; minutes, memoranda, and correspondence from various committees, councils, and departments; records of student life and research; departmental research and publications; curriculum development and teaching materials; and other records created as a result of medical school governance. This collection thoroughly evidences the challenges, mission, accomplishments, and changes seen by a long-standing medical education program, and provides a rich account of what a medical school must accomplish to maintain a relevant and challenging curriculum, attract a student body, acquire research funding, and benefit its surrounding community.
The collection is arranged into ten series: “I. Academic Affairs Council/Medical College Council, 1928-1996,” “II. Administration and faculty, 1848-2006,” “III. Medical education and curriculum, 1962-1989,” “IV. Student life and research, 1849-1994,” “V. Academic departments, 1928-1995,” “VI. Graduate School, 1924-1994,” “VII. Allied Health Professions, 1913-1997,” “VIII. School of Nursing, 1905-1989,” “IX. School of Continuing Education, 1959-1992,” and “X. Publications, 1848-2009.”
This collection is unique in its documentation of Hahnemann University and the many transformations since its founding as the Homeopathic Medical College of Pennsylvania. The records evidence the development and governance of a school of medicine with origins in the mid-19th century, as well as shifting trends in the medical field away from homeopathy and towards more orthodox practices. The records provide a close look at the governance of a medical school, especially from the view of the deans and department heads, whose correspondence, memoranda, and reports often paint a vivid picture of various duties and challenges that the school faced. Additionally, the thorough accreditation documentation offers detailed and rich examples of the rigorous survey process and ongoing maintenance procedures required of medical schools. Student produced materials, such as newspapers and brochures, uniquely document the perspective of medical students throughout the history of the institution. While other medical school records exist elsewhere, this collection provides a unique perspective on a school rooted in alternative medicine that evolved to remain prominent in the ever-shifting realms of medical education, research, and practice.
Please see individual series’ descriptions and folder lists for more information.
Received over a period of years as internal transfers.
The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.
This collection was minimally processed in 2013-2014, as part of an experimental project conducted under the auspices of the Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries to help eliminate processing backlog in Philadelphia repositories. A minimally processed collection is one processed at a less intensive rate than traditionally thought necessary to make a collection ready for use by researchers. When citing sources from this collection, researchers are advised to defer to folder titles provided in the finding aid rather than those provided on the physical folder.
Employing processing strategies outlined in Mark Greene's and Dennis Meissner's 2005 article "More Product, Less Process: Revamping Traditional Processing Approaches to Deal With Late 20th-Century Collections," the project team tested the limits of minimal processing on collections of all types and ages in 16 Philadelphia area repositories. A primary goal of the project, the team processed at an average rate of 4 hours per linear foot of records, a fraction of the time ordinarily reserved for the arrangement and description of collections. Among other time saving strategies, the project team did not extensively review the content of the collections or complete any preservation work.
People
Organization
Subject
- Accreditation
- Annual reports
- Clinics
- Homeopathy
- Hospitals--United States
- Medical colleges--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Medical personnel
- Medical students
- Nursing schools--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Urban hospitals
Place
- Publisher
- Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Annalise Berdini and Steven Duckworth
- Sponsor
- The creation of the electronic guide for this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may apply. Please contact the Archives with requests for copying and for authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce the material.
Collection Inventory
Series “I. Academic Affairs Council/Medical College Council” dates from 1928 to 1996, with bulk dates from 1970 to 1990, and contains records of the two councils and a number of committees, including the Library Committee, the School of Medicine Promotions Committee, and the Student Affairs Committee. The bulk of these records consist of meeting minutes and related meeting materials. The library committee records also include documents regarding renovations, library newsletters and reports, and the Hahnemann Automated Library (HAL) system final report and logo designs. This series is arranged chronologically.
Series “II. Administration and faculty” dates from 1848 to 2006 and includes reports, research, correspondence, and other records collected by and relating to various faculty members and departments. These create an excellent record of departmental activities, and evidence the evolution of the faculty and their responsibilities, research foci, and the ongoing accreditation process. This series is divided into twenty subseries: “IIa. Academic Affairs annual reports,” “IIb. Carol Montgomery collection of administrative materials,” “IIc. Office of the Provost,” “IId. Herman S. Belmont,” “IIe. Hugh D. Bennett,” “IIf. Amedeo Bondi,” “IIg. Milford John Boyd,” “IIh. Richard L. Crowell,” “IIi. Joseph R. DiPalma,” “IIj. Carl C. Fischer,” “IIk. Richard Gutekunst,” “IIl. Samuel N. Kolmen,” “IIm. John H. Moyer,” “IIn. Dean W. Roberts,” “IIo. Henry W. Schneider,” “IIp. John C. Scott,” “IIq. George Spivack,” “IIr. Joseph C. Torres,” “IIs. Robert A. J. Walker,” and “IIt. Other administration and faculty.”
Subseries “IIa. Academic Affairs annual reports” dates from 1903 to 1992, with bulk dates from 1951 to 1992, and predominantly consists of compiled annual reports of Hahnemann Medical College, with some memoranda, letters, and accreditation materials also included. The annual reports generally consist of information regarding admissions, student activities, national board results, budgets, and faculty lists, followed by annual reports by each department within the college. These departmental reports include program descriptions; research plans, proposals and results; presentation and publication lists; budget reports; and staff achievements. The departmental reports provide a more specific breakdown of the accomplishments, goals, and curriculum plans of the college, as well as to provide examples of yearly projects and staff turnover. Additionally, some accreditation reports are included, as well as a Children and Youth Program narrative report. This subseries is especially helpful for evidence of the college’s organization, research topics by year and department, and evolution of the course programs. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IIb. Carol Montgomery collection of administrative materials” dates from 1981 to 1998 and consists mainly of minutes and meeting materials collected by Carol Montgomery (nee Fenichel), a former librarian for Hahnemann University. Of note here are reports and other accreditation-related materials for the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and the Middle States Association; minutes and meeting materials of the councils on academic affairs, the graduate school, university research, the School of Health Sciences and Humanities, and the School of Medicine; and minutes of the committees of general faculty, executive faculty, and curricula. Also found here are records on strategic planning and budgeting, including minutes and reports of a faculty task force. Additionally, some records relate to the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University by-laws, as well as Allegheny University of the Health Sciences. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IIc. Office of the Provost records” dates from 1986 to 1999 and includes materials documenting the college’s accreditation process with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Records include reports, correspondence and letters, memoranda, minutes, notes, and accreditation resources (such as reports on standards and guidelines, published to help inform organizations about the accreditation process). Many of the reports included are self-study reports for submission for accreditation to LCME, and include explanations of the mission, available programs of education, statistics on students, finances, offered services, and compiled recommendations. Also included are site visit and surveyor’s reports, generated before and during the accreditation process. Minutes, memoranda, and correspondence document the planning and preparatory work done by the college in order to gather accreditation material, and the Medical Education Data Base sections reflect information compiled for submission. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IId. Herman S. Belmont” dates from 1952 to 1998, with bulk dates of 1970 to 1987. The records in this subseries relate to Herman S. Belmont’s activities as professor and chairman in the Division of Child Psychiatry, Department of Mental Health Sciences. The bulk of this collection is split between Belmont’s writings and minutes, as well as related materials of various committees and councils. Belmont’s writings include articles, essays, and book chapters, as well as talks and presentations given at various events. Included here are drafts and manuscripts along with notes and correspondence regarding publication efforts. Minutes, memoranda, and other meeting materials stem from a variety of committees and councils, including the Academic Affairs Council, the Graduate School Council, and the College of Allied Health Professions Council. Additional materials in this subseries include a report of the Task Force on Mental Health of Children and Youth, course materials, school newsletters, psychiatry manuals and reports, and Department of Mental Health Services Research and Evaluation reports. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IIe. Hugh D. Bennett” dates from 1957 to 1984, with bulk dates of 1967 to 1983, and primarily consists of materials created during Hugh D. Bennett’s position as Associate Dean for Student Affairs. These include minutes, memoranda, correspondence, curriculum program plans, brochures, course manuals, and student statistics. Many of these records come from the various committees and organizations of which Bennett was a part, including the Curriculum Committee, the National Intern and Residency Matching Program, the Philadelphia County Medical Society Committee on Medical Student Affairs, the Clinical Science Promotions Committee, and the Basic Science Promotions Committee. Course programs and track descriptions, which include order of courses and detailed class descriptions, are included as part of the Core Curriculum and Multiple Track program records. There are many student records, such as grade lists, Intern and Residency Matching Program result lists, exam grades, and National Board Exam results. However, many of these records may have access limitations. A small section of records in the beginning of the subseries consists of various manuscripts, proposals, and article drafts by Bennett and others, most of which seem to have been created while Bennett worked at Baylor University College of Medicine/Veterans Administration Hospital. There are also graphs, notes, and submission letters included as part of this section of records. Because most of these records come from Bennett’s time in Student Affairs, this subseries will be of interest to those looking for documentation of curriculum development and student issues. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IIf. Amedeo Bondi” dates from 1964 to 1984, with bulk dates of 1970 to 1983, and relates to Amedeo Bondi’s tenure as Dean of the Graduate School. Located here are minutes, reports, memoranda, and other administrative records of various councils and committees, including the College Council, Graduate School Council, Long Range Academic Planning Committee, Academic Affairs Council, Institutional Research Council, and Institutional Coordination Committee. Programs and planning materials for commencement ceremonies, by-laws and other regulations, various course materials, and programs and handbooks for the Hahnemann/Villanova Joint Law-Psychology Graduate Program are also included. Additionally, records, minutes, and reports relating to accreditation and the application for university status are also found within this subseries. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IIg. Milford John Boyd” dates from 1949 to 1979, with bulk dates of 1959 to 1971, and relates to Milford John Boyd’s activities as chairman of the Department of Biochemistry. The bulk of the materials found here relate to Boyd’s research, mostly relating to burns and trauma. These include papers, manuscripts, and article reprints; grant proposals; budget, progress, and final reports; and research notes, including many nuclear magnetic resonance spectrograms. These files cover Milford’s work with the Defense Atomic Support Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Office of Naval Research, and the Atomic Energy Commission, as well as correspondence, research proposals, and article reprints of colleague Arthur W. Wase. Materials covering Boyd’s teaching in biochemistry include lectures notes, course schedules, quizzes, and examinations. Administrative files include letters of recommendation, correspondence, memoranda, and letters regarding faculty promotions. Other files of note include homeopathic research; writings of, and correspondence with Rudolph B. Smith, Jr.; and Wyeth Award nomination letters for Amedeo Bondi. Notably absent from this collection are materials relating to Boyd’s role as founder and first director of the Graduate School. This subseries is arranged chronologically.
Subseries “IIh. Richard L. Crowell” dates from 1952 to 2006, with bulk dates of 1963 to 1995, and includes materials from Richard L. Crowell’s position as a professor and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. These records include research notes and data, student theses, manuscript drafts, photographs and negatives, correspondence, grant applications and proposals, memoranda, article reprints, reports, minutes, clippings, and newsletters. Much of the research material, manuscripts, and photographs are included in employee files, which were kept for student workers. These students were usually performing thesis research, overseen by Crowell, as part of his department’s overarching research goals. The research focuses on the coxsackievirus group, and as such, the research files and student theses generally relate to work done on that virus. The employee files also include curriculum vitae, evaluation notes by Crowell, status forms, and correspondence. Records from potential hires for the Microbiology Department are also included, as well as materials from the American Society for Microbiology and related conferences. Letters of recommendation for Amedeo Bondi’s nomination for the Wyeth Award are also found in this series in addition to various other records related to the organization and function of the Microbiology Department. This subseries is of particular interest because, through the inclusion of student research materials and their completed theses, the full student research process and contribution to academia is documented. This subseries is arranged chronologically.