Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, 1858
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:28:59 PM
Added description
Description
Faculty Meeting Minutes of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1858–1859
Overview
This collection comprises scanned pages and OCR‑extracted text of faculty meeting minutes from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (FMCP). The documents record deliberations, decisions, and administrative actions taken by the college’s faculty during 1858, with additional entries from 1852 and 1857 that provide context for earlier governance. The material is presented in English, bound in a 213‑page minute book (18.5 × 23.2 cm) and is housed in the Drexel Legacy Collections.Background
Founded in 1850, the FMCP was the first institution in the world regularly organized to train women in medicine. Its faculty meetings were central to the college’s governance, covering curriculum, student theses, faculty appointments, and public lectures. The minutes reflect the college’s early efforts to establish a professional medical education for women in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its use of venues such as the Musical Fund Hall for public commencements.Contents
The collection includes:- Minutes of faculty meetings held on February 9, February 20, June 20, and September 15, 1858, detailing the reception of student theses (e.g., Susan Parry’s “Hygiene,” Henrietta Buckel’s “Insanity,” Hannah Jones’s “Sleep,” Rebecca Finselle’s “Manchester”), election of faculty members, and decisions on lecture schedules.
- Records of lectures delivered by faculty, including the General Introductory lecture at the Musical Fund Hall (February 27, 1858) and the opening lecture at the college (June 20, 1858).
- Earlier minutes from October 2, 1857 and October 13–15, 1852, documenting appointments of chairs (Materia Medica, Chemistry & Toxicology), the appointment of a clinic physician, and recommendations for surgical lectures.
- Administrative notes on postponement of the opening session to October 16, 1858, and on the distribution of lecture tickets.
All pages are scanned in high resolution, with accompanying OCR text that captures the handwritten minutes.
Scope
The collection covers faculty deliberations from 1852 to 1858, primarily in Philadelphia. It includes discussions of student theses, faculty elections, curriculum changes, lecture scheduling, and administrative appointments. The material is limited to minutes and related administrative notes; it does not contain student records, faculty biographies, or external correspondence. Use of the material is subject to Drexel Legacy Collections’ copyright and privacy restrictions, requiring written permission for reproduction beyond fair use.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
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@cleveland:person {full_name: "Emeline H. Cleveland", role: "Dean"}
@bradell:person {full_name: "Bradell"}
@edward_furseil:person {full_name: "Edward Furseil", role: "Dean"}
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@hannah_jones:person {full_name: "Hannah W. Jones"}
@rebecca_finselle:person {full_name: "Rebecca Finselle"}
@harvey:person {full_name: "Ellwood Harvey"}
@turrell:person {full_name: "E. Turrell"}
@rothing:person {full_name: "Frederick Louis Otto Rothing"}
@semple:person {full_name: "Matthew Semple"}
@temple:person {full_name: "Temple"}
@brown:person {full_name: "Brown"}
@birdwell:person {full_name: "Birdwell"}
@rodney:person {full_name: "Rodney"}
@gorminge:person {full_name: "Wm Gorminge"}
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@furrell:person {full_name: "E. Furrell", role: "Dean"}
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@chair_chemistry_toxicology:concept {title: "Professorship of Chemistry & Toxicology"}
@clinic_physician:concept {title: "Clinic Physician"}
@chair_obstetrics:concept {title: "Chair of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women & Children"}
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@thesis_buckel_insanity:document {title: "Insanity", author: @henrietta_buckel, referee: @bradell}
@thesis_jones_sleep:document {title: "Sleep", author: @hannah_jones, referee: @edward_furseil}
@thesis_finselle_manchester:document {title: "Manchester", author: @rebecca_finselle, referee: @cleveland}
@file_pinax:file {title: "Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, 1858", creator: [@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, @preston, @cleveland, @bradell, @finselle, @harvey, @edward_furseil, @turrell, @rothing, @semple], institution: "Drexel Legacy Collections", created: @date_1858, language: "en", subjects: ["minutes","medical education","women in medicine","medical colleges","faculty meetings","curriculum","lectures","appointments"], description: "Collection of faculty meeting minutes from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1858, documenting discussions on student theses, faculty appointments, curriculum decisions, and lecture schedules.", place: [@philadelphia, @musical_fund_hall]}
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@lecture_general_intro_feb_27_1858:event -> directed_by -> @edward_furseil:person
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@gorminge -> recommended_for -> @lecture_surgery {by: @meeting_oct_15_1852:event}Metadata
Files (8)
OCR Text
Feb 9th, 1858 Present: Preston, Cleveland, Bradell & Finselle. Essay of Inaugural Thesis were received from the following ladies & referred for examination: Miss Susan Parry on Hygiene, ref'd to Preston " C. Henrietta Buckel " Insanity " " " Bradell Mrs. Hannah W. Jones " Sleep " " " Finselle Mrs. Rebecca Finselle Manchester " " Cleveland Adjourned. G. Finselle Dean Plus Feb 20th, 1858 Present: Preston, Cleveland, Bradell, Temple, & Prof. Harvey adjoint; & Brown to be on by proxy according to request of the faculty. The thesis were all reported before favorably and the faculty proceeded to ballot for the several candidates with the following result: Mrs. Rebecca Finselle received 69 White to 1 Black vote Mrs. Hannah W. Jones " 66 " " 4 " C. Henrietta Buckel " 60 " " 10 " Susan Parry " 54 " " 16 " They were all therefore, according to our rule declared to be duly elected to the
OCR Text
honor of being worthy of the degree of M.D., & this Dean was accordingly directed that the President & Corporators be requested to confer the degree upon them at a public commencement to be held at the Musical Fund Hall on Saturday, Feb. 27th. Adjourned E. Furseil Dean June 20th, 1858 Present, by general understanding or proxy all the members of the faculty. Mr. Cleveland Dean by acclamation appointed to deliver the General Introductory lecture at the opening of the next session. E. Furseil Dean Sept. 15th, 1858 Present, in person or by proxy all the faculty. It was agreed to postpone the opening of the session until Saturday the 16th of October, and to proceed with the lectures in regular order on the following Monday omitting formal introductions. E. Furseil Dean
OCR Text
By consultation with and the consent of the Faculty, but without a formal meeting, Dr. F.S.C. Rothing was recommended to the corporation as a suitable person to fill the Chair of Materia Medica & Therapeutics made vacant by the resignation of Dr. Neer, and Mr. Semple was likewise recommended for election to the Professorship of Chemistry & Toxicology vacated by the resignation of Dr. Harvey. E. Turrell Dean Oct. 2nd, 1857 The General Introductory lecture for the opening of the session was read by Prof. Cleveland and unanimously approved of. Four o'clock was agreed upon as the time for the lecture. Communications were received from the Secretary informing the Faculty that Frederick Louis Otto Rothing, M.D., had been elected Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics, and that Matthew Semple, Esq., had been elected Professor of Chemistry & Toxicology in this institution. The committee on Beneficence reported the admission of no students. Adjourned E. Turrell Dean Oct. 16th, 1857. The General Introductory Lecture was delivered by Prof. E.H. Cleveland to a crowded audience of ladies & gentlemen, to the great satisfaction of all. It was given in the upper lecture-room.
OCR Text
October 13th, 1852 Present: Preston, Birdwell, Cleveland, Rodney, Temple & Furrell On motion Prof. E.H. Cleveland was appointed clinic physician until further ordered. By unanimous consent the chair of obstetrics and diseases of women & children was assigned four lectures a week instead of three as at last session and the chair of chemistry & toxicology three lectures a week instead of four as hitherto. A card of the order of lectures for the ensuing session was agreed to. On motion it was agreed that permits to teachers & pupils of schools should be given at five dollars each to any course of lectures or ten dollars to any other; but that in no case should the regular tickets be disposed of at a lower rate than ten dollars each, unless by express arrangement of the faculty. Adjourned E. Furrell, Dean Oct 15th, 1852 On motion Dr. Wm Gorminge was recommended to the corporation for appointment as lecturer on surgery for the ensuing session. Adjourned E. Furrell
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:28:59 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 4:18:56 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/4/2025, 4:08:17 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/4/2025, 4:04:18 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: 1858_meetings"
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