Faculty Meeting Minutes of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1853

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 11/13/2025, 10:54:39 PM

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Description

Faculty Meeting Minutes of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1853

Overview

This archival item is a set of 33 handwritten and printed faculty meeting minutes from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (FMCP) covering the calendar year 1853. The documents are bound in a single volume, each page dated and signed by the college’s dean, Dr. David I. Johnson, M.D. The collection is held in the Drexel Production repository and is in the public domain.

Background

The FMCP, founded in 1850 in Philadelphia, was the first institution to grant medical degrees to women in the United States. The 1853 meetings documented the college’s governance, faculty appointments, curriculum planning, and graduation ceremonies. The minutes were produced by the college’s faculty and circulated among the “Corporators,” the governing body of the institution.

Contents

The volume contains the following key subjects:
  • Faculty appointments and resignations (e.g., Dr. Joseph Longshore’s resignation, appointments of Dr. Ellwood Harvey, Dr. Edwin Russell, and Dr. Hilbern Darlington).
  • Committee formations (e.g., committees on the Dissecting Room, Dispensary, and Advertising).
  • Curriculum and lecture schedules (including introductory lectures, course outlines, and the establishment of the Medical Clinic).
  • Graduation and honorary degrees (e.g., conferral of M.D. degrees to Elizabeth Bates, Lucinda Brown, Minna Elliger, and Elizabeth Shattuck; honorary M.D. to Harriet K. Hunt).
  • Administrative decisions (e.g., janitor contracts, eviction notices, and financial allocations for printing and advertising).
  • Student and beneficiary admissions (records of applications and approvals).

The OCR text of each page is preserved in the accompanying JPEG/TIFF images, providing a searchable record of the minutes.

Scope

The collection covers the period from March 7, 1853, to February 25, 1855, with a focus on the 1853 calendar year. Geographic references include Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and other locations such as Boston, New York City, and Galveston, Texas, reflecting the residences of faculty, students, and honorary degree recipients. The materials address medical education, women’s participation in medicine, faculty governance, and institutional administration, excluding detailed clinical case reports or external correspondence.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

**Institution & Core Persons**

@female_medical_college:organization {full_name: "Female Medical College of Pennsylvania", location: @philadelphia, type: "Medical school"}

@david_johnson:person {full_name: "David I. Johnson", title: "Dean", affiliation: @female_medical_college}
@david_johnson -> holds -> @dean_position:concept {institution: @female_medical_college}

@harriet_hunt:person {full_name: "Harriet K. Hunt", residence: @boston, honor: "Honorary Doctor of Medicine"}
@harriet_hunt -> awarded -> @honorary_md:document {recipient: @harriet_hunt, date: @date_1853}

@henrietta_johnson:person {full_name: "Henrietta W. Johnson", residence: @new_york_city}
@hannah_ellis:person {full_name: "Hannah W. Ellis", residence: @philadelphia}
@maria_minnis:person {full_name: "Maria Minnis", residence: @phelps_ny}
@almina_fowler:person {full_name: "Almina S. Fowler", residence: @new_york_city}
@annah_anderson:person {full_name: "Annah N.S. Anderson", residence: @bristol_pa}
@julia_beverly:person {full_name: "Julia A. Beverly", residence: @providence_ri}
@augusta_montgomery:person {full_name: "Augusta R. Montgomery", residence: @attica_ny}
@margaret_richardson:person {full_name: "Margaret Richardson", residence: @philadelphia}
@charlotte_adams:person {full_name: "Charlotte G. Adams", residence: @boston_ma}
@dr_cornell:person {full_name: "Dr. Cornell", role: "Faculty"}
@dr_rolfe:person {full_name: "Dr. Rolfe", role: "Faculty"}
@dr_ponceast:person {full_name: "Dr. Ponceast", role: "Faculty"}
@dr_hannah_longshore:person {full_name: "Dr. Hannah E. Longshore", role: "Demonstrator of Anatomy"}

**Key Places (common‑knowledge references)**  
@philadelphia, @boston, @new_york_city, @phelps_ny, @bristol_pa, @providence_ri, @attica_ny, @marlboro_oh, @galveston_tx, @lincoln_me, @utica_ny, @salem_oh, @fulton_ny, @allentown_pa, @morris_ny, @fulton_ny, @marlboro_oh, @oxford_ma, @musical_fund_hall, @musical_nona_hall, @breiters_band, @rev_mrs_cheney, @rev_mr_dickinson, @rev_mr_barzilain

**Committees (created once, reused)**  

@committee_announcement:organization {name: "Committee on the Announcement", chair: @david_johnson}
@committee_advertising:organization {name: "Committee on Advertising", chair: @ellwood_harvey}
@committee_beneficiaries:organization {name: "Committee on Beneficiaries", chair: @dr_darlington}
@committee_dissecting_room:organization {name: "Committee on the Dissecting Room and Anatomical Museum", chair: @dr_russell}
@committee_dispensary:organization {name: "Committee on the Dispensary", chair: @ellwood_harvey}
@committee_apparatus:organization {name: "Committee on Additional Apparatus & Preparations", chair: @david_johnson}
@committee_hall:organization {name: "Committee on the Hall for the Commencement", chair: @dr_russell}
@committee_fifth_announcement:organization {name: "Committee on the Fifth Annual Announcement", chair: @david_johnson}
@committee_scholarship_agents:organization {name: "Committee on Scholarship Agents", members: [@dr_thomas, @ellwood_harvey, @david_johnson]}

**Faculty Positions (concepts)**  

@prof_anatomy:concept {title: "Professor of Anatomy"}
@prof_surgery:concept {title: "Professor of Surgery"}
@prof_obstetrics:concept {title: "Professor of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children"}
@prof_physiology:concept {title: "Professor of Physiology & Medical Institutes"}
@prof_materia_medica:concept {title: "Professor of Materia Medica & General Therapeutics"}
@prof_principles_medicine:concept {title: "Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine"}
@demonstrator_anatomy:concept {title: "Demonstrator of Anatomy"}
@janitor:concept {title: "Janitor"}

**Meeting Events (selected key meetings)**  

---  

@meeting_18:event {date: @date_1853_03_11, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_048_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_18:event  
@meeting_18:event -> recorded resignation of -> @dr_joseph_longshore:person {title: "Professor of Obstetrics and the Diseases of Women and Children"} {when: @date_1853_03_07}  
@meeting_18:event -> resolved -> @janitor_contract:document {janitor: @henry_birenbaum, term_start: @date_1853_05_01, term_end: @date_1854_04_30, salary: 300}  
@meeting_18:event -> appointed -> @augusta_montgomery:person {role: "Dissector", pay_per_week: 6} {task: "Dissect subject for College"}  
@meeting_18:event -> changed chair title -> @chair_physiology_jurisprudence:concept {old_title: "Chair of Physiology and Medical Jurisprudence", new_title: "Chair of Physiology and Medical Institutes"}  
@meeting_18:event -> recommended appointment -> @ann_preston:person {to: @prof_physiology}  

---  

@meeting_19:event {date: @date_1853_03_25, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_049_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_19:event  
@meeting_19:event -> recorded election of -> @almira_fowler:person {to: @demonstrator_anatomy}  
@meeting_19:event -> recorded resignation of -> @abraham_sivey:person {title: "Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine"}  
@meeting_19:event -> recommended -> @hilbern_darlington:person {to: @prof_surgery}  

---  

@meeting_20:event {date: @date_1853_04_23, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_049_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_20:event  
@meeting_20:event -> recorded appointment of -> @hilbern_darlington:person {to: @prof_surgery}  
@meeting_20:event -> recorded appointment of -> @ann_preston:person {to: @prof_physiology}  

---  

@meeting_21:event {date: @date_1853_05_06, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_050_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_21:event  
@meeting_21:event -> janitor contract renewal -> @janitor_contract {janitor: @henry_birenbaum, term_start: @date_1853_05_01, term_end: @date_1854_04_30, salary: 300}  
@meeting_21:event -> ordered eviction of -> @mrs_logan:person {notice_date: @date_1853_08_01}  
@meeting_21:event -> elected -> @ellwood_harvey:person {to: @prof_principles_medicine}  
@meeting_21:event -> elected -> @mg_kerr:person {to: @prof_materia_medica}  
@meeting_21:event -> honorary MD awarded -> @martha_abowry:person {to: @prof_obstetrics}  

---  

@meeting_22:event {date: @date_1853_05_12, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_051_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_22:event  
@meeting_22:event -> elected -> @edwin_russell:person {to: @prof_anatomy}  
@meeting_22:event -> resignation accepted -> @ellwood_harvey:person {from: @prof_materia_medica}  
@meeting_22:event -> elected -> @ellwood_harvey:person {to: @prof_principles_medicine}  
@meeting_22:event -> elected -> @mg_kerr:person {to: @prof_materia_medica}  
@meeting_22:event -> honorary MD awarded -> @martha_moory:person {to: @prof_obstetrics}  

---  

@meeting_23:event {date: @date_1853_10_01, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_054_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_23:event  
@meeting_23:event -> reported printing of Fourth Annual Announcement (10 000 copies, cost $100) by @committee_announcement  
@meeting_23:event -> reported progress of advertising by @committee_advertising  
@meeting_23:event -> reported progress of beneficiaries by @committee_beneficiaries  

---  

@meeting_24:event {date: @date_1853_10_17, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_055_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_24:event  
@meeting_24:event -> resignation of @hilbern_darlington from Chair of Surgery; correspondence initiated with @dr_h_g_thomas:person {from: @marlboro_oh}  

---  

@meeting_25:event {date: @date_1853_10_28, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_056_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_25:event  
@meeting_25:event -> assigned charge of Medical Clinic to @ellwood_harvey and Surgical Clinic to @edwin_russell  

---  

@meeting_26:event {date: @date_1853_11_03, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_066_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_26:event  
@meeting_26:event -> scholarship certificates introduced (price $100, redeemable for lecture tickets)  

---  

@meeting_27:event {date: @date_1854_01_02, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_057_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_27:event  
@meeting_27:event -> resolution: Demonstrator of Anatomy must be a female, elected by Corporators, sole control of Dissecting Room, issue Dissecting Ticket, receive proceeds, attend during fixed hours, recapitulate anatomy lectures twice weekly.  

---  

@meeting_28:event {date: @date_1854_01_27, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_058_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_28:event  
@meeting_28:event -> application of @mrs_jane_beala:person (Lincoln, ME) for MD rejected per rules  

---  

@meeting_29:event {date: @date_1854_02_13, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_059_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_29:event  
@meeting_29:event -> candidates presented for MD: @lucinda_brown, @minna_elliger, @elizabeth_shattuck, @elizabeth_bates; all passed ballot (white/black ball counts recorded)  

---  

@meeting_30:event {date: @date_1854_02_21, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_060_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_30:event  
@meeting_30:event -> Hall for Commencement secured: @musical_nona_hall; Breiter's Band engaged for $36  
@meeting_30:event -> Secretary @wm_peirce reported election of @kg_thomas:person (Salem, OH) as Professor of Surgery  

---  

@meeting_31:event {date: @date_1854_03_20, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_064_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_31:event  
@meeting_31:event -> standing committees appointed (Museum, Dispensary, Beneficiaries, Apparatus, Advertising) with listed chairs  

---  

@meeting_32:event {date: @date_1854_11_03, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_066_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_32:event  
@meeting_32:event -> scholarships sold; certificates limited to issue before 1855‑08‑01, redemption by 1860‑01‑01; proceeds allocated to faculty salaries and college debt repayment  

---  

@meeting_33:event {date: @date_1854_12_18, location: @philadelphia, type: "Faculty Meeting"}  
@file_a092_001_067_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_33:event  
@meeting_33:event -> faculty reported refusal of Corporators to cooperate on scholarship fund administration  

**Annual Sessions & Commencements**

@fourth_annual_session:event {start: @date_1853_10_01, end: @date_1854_02_25, institution: @female_medical_college, type: "Academic Session"}  
@fourth_annual_commencement:event {date: @date_1854_02_25, location: @musical_fund_hall, institution: @female_medical_college}  
@fourth_annual_commencement -> opened by -> @rev_mr_dickinson:person {role: "Chaplain"}  
@fourth_annual_commencement -> degrees conferred by -> @president_college:person {full_name: "Prof. Charles D. Cleveland"}  
@fourth_annual_commencement -> music provided by -> @breiters_band  

@third_annual_commencement:event {date: @date_1854_02_25, location: @musical_fund_hall, institution: @female_medical_college}  
@third_annual_commencement -> valedictory oration delivered by -> @ellwood_harvey  

@fifth_annual_session:event {start: @date_1854_10_05, end: @date_1855_02_25, institution: @female_medical_college}  
@fifth_annual_announcement:document {prepared_by: @committee_fifth_announcement, copies: 10000, cost: 100}  

**Graduates (selected from 4th Annual Commencement)**  

@elizabeth_bates:person {full_name: "Elizabeth H. Bates", residence: @morris_ny, thesis: "Best Means of Preserving Health"}  
@lucinda_brown:person {full_name: "Lucinda R. Brown", residence: @galveston_tx, thesis: "Digestion"}  
@minna_elliger:person {full_name: "Minna Elliger", residence: @allentown_pa, thesis: "History of Chemistry"}  
@elizabeth_shattuck:person {full_name: "Elizabeth G. Shattuck", residence: @philadelphia, thesis: "Iodine"}  

@fourth_annual_commencement -> awarded degree to -> [@elizabeth_bates, @lucinda_brown, @minna_elliger, @elizabeth_shattuck]

**Faculty (as of 3rd Annual Commencement)**  

@faculty_list:organization {members: [@david_johnson, @ellwood_harvey, @ann_preston, @edwin_russell, @mg_kerr, @martha_mowry, @ellwood_harvey]}

@david_johnson -> title -> @prof_chemistry_toxicology:concept {title: "Professor of Chemistry and Toxicology"}  
@ellwood_harvey -> title -> @prof_principles_medicine  
@ann_preston -> title -> @prof_physiology  
@edwin_russell -> title -> @prof_anatomy  
@mg_kerr -> title -> @prof_materia_medica  
@martha_mowry -> title -> @prof_obstetrics  

**Other Notable Entities**

@breiters_band:organization {type: "Music Band"}  
@rev_mrs_cheney:person {title: "Reverend"}  
@rev_mr_dickinson:person {title: "Reverend"}  
@rev_mr_barzilain:person {title: "Reverend"}  
@eclectic_medical_institute:organization {full_name: "Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati"}  

**Scholarship & Financial Resolutions**

@scholarship_certificate:document {price: 100, benefits: "lecture tickets", issue_deadline: @date_1855_08_01, redemption_deadline: @date_1860_01_01}  
@scholarship_certificate -> proceeds allocated to -> @faculty_salaries:concept, @college_debt:concept  

**Janitorial & Facilities**

@janitor_hirenbaum:person {full_name: "Henry P. Birenbaum", role: @janitor}  
@janitor_contract -> terms -> {salary: 300, period: "1 year", start: @date_1853_05_01}  

@dissecting_room:place {function: "Anatomical dissection"}  
@dissecting_ticket:document {issued_to: @demonstrator_anatomy, proceeds: "allocated to College"}  

@college_dispensary:place {function: "Medical dispensary"}  

**Representative File‑to‑Entity Links (selected)**  

@file_pinax -> metadata -> @female_medical_college  
@file_a092_001_046_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_18:event  
@file_a092_001_048_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_18:event  
@file_a092_001_049_jpg -> documents -> [@meeting_19:event, @meeting_20:event]  
@file_a092_001_050_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_21:event  
@file_a092_001_051_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_22:event  
@file_a092_001_054_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_23:event  
@file_a092_001_055_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_24:event  
@file_a092_001_056_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_25:event  
@file_a092_001_058_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_28:event  
@file_a092_001_059_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_29:event  
@file_a092_001_060_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_30:event  
@file_a092_001_064_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_31:event  
@file_a092_001_066_jpg -> documents -> [@meeting_32:event, @meeting_33:event]  
@file_a092_001_067_jpg -> documents -> @meeting_33:event  

---  

*All entities are defined on first appearance; subsequent uses reference the code only.*

Metadata

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 11/13/2025, 10:54:39 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 11/13/2025, 10:45:07 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 11/13/2025, 10:37:24 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 11/13/2025, 10:32:00 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Faculty_Meetings_1853"

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Parent

01K9ZNDM7A1KM6BMW2H2PRXDKH

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