Faculty Meeting Minutes, 1856
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 11/14/2025, 4:15:20 PM
Added description
Description
FacultyMeetings1856
Overview
The FacultyMeetings1856 collection comprises a series of scanned minutes from faculty meetings held in 1856 at a medical institution in Chester, Pennsylvania. The materials are presented as high‑resolution JPEG and TIFF images (files a092001102–105) with accompanying OCR transcriptions. The documents record the proceedings of six meetings dated May 28, September 11, September 27, October 27, December 11, and a “Dept. Bed 1656” session, covering decisions on appointments, bylaws, fees, and institutional policy.Background
The minutes were produced by faculty members of the institution now identified as “final‑drexel‑university,” a precursor to the modern Drexel University. The creators listed in the metadata—Ellwood Harvey, Mark G. Kerr, T. Furrell M.D., G. Furcell M.D., and Edwin Finsell M.D.—were active faculty and administrators in 1856. The meetings took place in Chester, Pennsylvania, during a period of rapid expansion in American medical education. The collection is held in the PINAX digital archive, with an unknown rights status.Contents
Each scanned page contains the full text of a meeting’s minutes, including:- Attendance lists of faculty and invited speakers.
- Motions and votes on appointments (Dean, Treasurer, Demonstrator of Anatomy).
- Amendments to bylaws (e.g., transfer of janitorial duties to the Dean).
- Financial decisions (abolition of matriculation fee, setting a $25 graduation fee).
- Policy statements (free education for subscribers, suspension of lecture series during Christmas).
- Administrative notes (postponement of communion mass due to building repairs).
The OCR text is reproduced in the description, providing a ready reference for researchers.
Scope
The collection covers the calendar year 1856, focusing on faculty governance within the Chester medical faculty. It includes only the minutes of the six meetings listed above and does not contain correspondence, financial ledgers, or other institutional records from other years or departments. The materials are relevant to scholars of 19th‑century medical education, institutional governance, and the early history of what would become Drexel University.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@chester_pa:place {state: @pennsylvania, country: @united_states}
@final_drexel_university:organization {type: "university"}
@board_of_corporators:organization {affiliation: @final_drexel_university}
@dean:position {role: "Dean of faculty"}
@treasurer:position {role: "Treasurer"}
@demonstrator_of_anatomy:position {role: "Demonstrator of Anatomy"}
@committee:organization {type: "committee"}
@museum_committee:organization {type: "committee", purpose: "Museum oversight"}
@general_introductory:lecture {type: "introductory lecture"}
@valedictory_address:lecture {type: "valedictory address"}
@general_lecture:lecture {type: "general lecture"}
@communion_mass:event {type: "religious service"}
@matriculation_fee:concept {type: "fee"}
@graduation_fee:concept {type: "fee"}
@session:concept {type: "faculty session"}
@lecture_series:concept {type: "lecture series"}
@free_education:concept {description: "Education provided free of expense to students funded by $150 subscriptions"}
@repairs:concept {description: "Building repairs causing unpleasant conditions"}
@ellwood_harvey:person {full_name: "Ellwood Harvey", role: "Faculty member"}
@mark_g_kerr:person {full_name: "Mark G. Kerr", role: "Faculty member"}
@t_furrell:person {full_name: "T. Furrell M.D.", role: "Dean"}
@g_furcell:person {full_name: "G. Furcell M.D.", role: "Dean"}
@edwin_finsell:person {full_name: "Edwin Finsell M.D.", role: "Dean"}
@dr_preston:person {full_name: "Dr. Preston"}
@dr_russell:person {full_name: "Dr. Russell"}
@dr_gillingham:person {full_name: "Dr. Gillingham"}
@dr_kerr:person {full_name: "Dr. Kerr"}
@dr_birdsell:person {full_name: "Dr. Birdsell"}
@dr_h_j_brown:person {full_name: "Dr. H. J. Brown"}
@mrs_caroline_horton_cleveland:person {full_name: "Mrs. Caroline Horton Cleveland, M.D.", role: "Demonstrator of Anatomy"}
@dr_harvey:person {full_name: "Dr. Harvey"}
@rev_hunt:person {full_name: "Rev. Hunt", role: "Lecturing and financial agent"}
@rev_gillingham_bradell:person {full_name: "Rev. Gillingham Bradell"}
@dr_bradell:person {full_name: "Dr. Bradell"}
@dr_brown:person {full_name: "Dr. Brown"}
@dr_furcell:person {full_name: "Dr. Furcell"}
@dr_doak:person {full_name: "Dr. Doak"}
@mr_sanders:person {full_name: "Mr. Sanders"}
@faculty_meeting_may_28_1856:event {when: @date_1856_05_28, where: @chester_pa, description: "Faculty meeting held on May 28, 1856"}
@faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event {where: @chester_pa, description: "Faculty meeting recorded in Dept. Bed 1656"}
@faculty_meeting_sept_11_1856:event {when: @date_1856_09_11, where: @chester_pa, description: "Faculty meeting on September 11, 1856"}
@faculty_meeting_sept_27_1856:event {when: @date_1856_09_27, where: @chester_pa, description: "Faculty meeting on September 27, 1856"}
@faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event {when: @date_1856_10_27, where: @chester_pa, description: "Faculty meeting on October 27, 1856"}
@faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event {when: @date_1856_12_11, where: @chester_pa, description: "Faculty meeting on December 11, 1856"}
@faculty_meeting_minutes_1856:document {year: @date_1856, institution: @final_drexel_university}
/* File‑to‑document links */
@file_pinax -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_minutes_1856:document
@file_a092_001_102_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_may_28_1856:event
@file_a092_001_103_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event
@file_a092_001_104_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_sept_11_1856:event
@file_a092_001_104_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_sept_27_1856:event
@file_a092_001_105_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event
@file_a092_001_105_jpg -> documents -> @faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event
/* May 28 1856 meeting actions */
@dr_russell -> unauthorized proxy for -> @dr_birdsell {authorized: false}
@dr_russell -> recommended -> @dr_h_j_brown {to: @board_of_corporators}
@dr_russell -> appointed -> @mrs_caroline_horton_cleveland {position: @demonstrator_of_anatomy, term: "one year"}
@dr_kerr -> elected -> @dr_russell {position: @dean, replacing: @dr_harvey}
@dr_kerr -> motion -> duty_of_treasurer rescinded {imposed_on: @dean}
@dr_gillingham -> appointed -> @treasurer
@mark_g_kerr -> signed minutes -> @faculty_meeting_may_28_1856:event
/* Dept. Bed 1656 meeting actions */
@ellwood_harvey -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event
@mark_g_kerr -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event
@dr_gillingham -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event
@t_furrell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event
@board_of_corporators -> proposition -> @free_education {status: "unanimously agreed"}
@dr_doak -> appointed -> @general_introductory {role: "deliverer"}
@dr_birdsell -> appointed -> @general_introductory {role: "deliverer"}
@t_furrell -> appointed -> @valedictory_address {role: "deliverer"}
@faculty_meeting_dept_bed_1656:event -> suggested -> @committee {purpose: "obtain services of Rev. Hunt"}
@dr_furcell -> member of -> @museum_committee
@ellwood_harvey -> member of -> @museum_committee
/* September 11 1856 meeting actions */
@rev_gillingham_bradell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_11_1856:event
@dr_bradell -> declined -> @general_lecture {reason: "ill health"}
@dr_harvey -> appointed -> @general_lecture {status: "fulfill duty"}
@dr_brown -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_11_1856:event
@g_furcell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_11_1856:event
/* September 27 1856 meeting actions */
@dr_preston -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_27_1856:event
@ellwood_harvey -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_27_1856:event
@dr_gillingham -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_27_1856:event
@g_furcell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_sept_27_1856:event
@repairs -> caused -> @communion_mass {postponed: true, delay: "one week"}
/* October 27 1856 meeting actions */
@ellwood_harvey -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event
@dr_preston -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event
@dr_birdsell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event
@edwin_finsell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event
@faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event -> resolved -> @matriculation_fee {status: "abolished"}
@faculty_meeting_oct_27_1856:event -> set -> @graduation_fee {amount: 25, currency: "USD"}
@mr_sanders -> permitted to attend -> @session {cost: "half", tickets: "none"}
/* December 11 1856 meeting actions */
@ellwood_harvey -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event
@dr_birdsell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event
@dr_brown -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event
@edwin_finsell -> present at -> @faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event
@faculty_meeting_dec_11_1856:event -> voted -> @lecture_series {suspended: true, period: "Christmas to New Year's Day"}Metadata
Files (8)
OCR Text
Thirty years after the meeting of the Faculty that was held on May 28th, 1856, I take the liberty to transcribe to this page the minutes as I find them recorded on a piece of paper pinned to it. Ellwood Harvey February 27th, 1886. Chester, Pa. "Faculty Meeting, May 28th, 1856. Present Drs. Preston, Russell, Gillingham and Kerr. Dr. Russell being unauthorized to act as proxy for Dr. Birdsell, on motion of Dr. Russell, Dr. H. J. Brown was recommended to the Board of Corporators to fill the chair of surgery for this institution. On motion of Dr. Russell, Mrs. Caroline Horton Cleveland, M.D. was appointed Demonstrator of Anatomy for one year in this school. On motion of Dr. Kerr Dr. Russell was elected Dean of this faculty in the place of Dr. Harvey who is now absent from the city. On motion, that part of the By-laws which makes it the duty of the Treasurer to superintend the Janitor and the college buildings be rescinded, and the same duty be hereby imposed on the Dean until otherwise ordered. Prof. Gillingham was appointed treasurer. Mark G. Kerr"
OCR Text
Dept. Bed 1656 Present: Harvey, Pastor Kerr, Gethingham and Furrell Minutes of last meeting read and approved. The proposition of the Board of Corporators, that the Faculty educate free of expense such students as may be sent by the subscribers of $150 to the funds of this College (1 student for each subscription) was unanimously agreed to. On motion Doak & Birdsell was unanimously appointed to deliver the general Introductory; and Dr. Furrell the Valedictory address. On motion 4 o'clock was agreed to as the time for the General Introductory Resolved - That the Faculty suggest to the Corporators, the propriety of appointing a committee for the purpose of obtaining the services of Rev. Hunt as lecturing and financial agent for this College. Noted that Furrell & Harvey be the committee on the Museum. Adjourned to Dept. 11th at 12 M. T. Furrell M.D., Dean
OCR Text
Sept 11th, 1856 Present - Rev. Gillingham Bradell Brown & Furcell was received A communication from Dr. Bradell declining to deliver the General Lecture on account of ill health, whereupon he was released and Dr. Harvey was unanimously appointed to fulfil their duty. Adjourned G. Furcell M.D. Dean Saturday Sept 27th, 1856 Present - Preston Harvey Gillingham and Furcell - Noticed - that in consequence of the repairs now going on in the front building, making the situation extremely unpleasant, the Communion mass of the Session be postponed for one week. Lively Furcell G. Furcell M.D. Dean
OCR Text
Oct 27th, 1856 Present Harvey Preston Herr Birdsell, Finsell On motion. Resolved that the Matriculation fee be abolished; and that the Graduation fee for those who have not already paid a matriculation fee be $25.00 Voted That Mr. Sanders be permitted to attend half the session at half the regular cost of the session but without revenue tickets. Adjourned Edwin Finsell M.D. Dean Dec 11th, 1856 Present Harvey Herr Birdsell Brown & Finsell On motion. Voted that the lectures be suspended from Christmas to New Year's day inclusive. Adjourned E. Finsell M.D. Dean
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 11/14/2025, 4:15:20 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 11/14/2025, 4:07:45 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 11/14/2025, 3:59:16 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 11/14/2025, 3:56:45 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Faculty_Meetings_1856"
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