a092_001_098.jpg

Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, March-May 1856

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:29:00 PM

Added description

Description

Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, March‑May 1856

Overview

This collection comprises three scanned pages (98‑101) from the bound minute book of the faculty of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania. The pages record faculty meetings held on March 26, April 28, and May 28, 1856. The material is presented in English, in the form of handwritten minutes, and is part of the Drexel Legacy Collections.

Background

The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, founded in 1850, was the world’s first institution regularly organized to educate women in medicine. The faculty minutes were produced under the direction of Dean Ellwood Harvey and reflect the college’s early governance, curriculum development, and administrative decisions. The minutes were originally bound in a larger volume (a092_001) and have been digitized for preservation and research.

Contents

  • March 26, 1856: Resolutions to publish matriculants and graduates in the Seventh Annual Announcement; amendment to Article 17 of the Regulations concerning the supervision of the Demonstrator of Anatomy; appointments of Dr. Herb and Prof. Gillingham to inquire with Mrs. Eliza L.S. Thomas; payment orders to the janitor and Weigmer & Brother.
  • April 28, 1856: Appointment of a committee to confirm Mrs. Thomas’s continued service as Demonstrator of Anatomy; reporting and adoption of the Seventh Annual Announcement; scheduling of the next meeting.
  • May 28, 1856: Appointment of Emeline H. Cleveland as Demonstrator of Anatomy for one year; election of Dr. Edwin Fussell as Dean, succeeding Dr. Hawley; recommendation of Dr. H.J. Brown for Chair of Surgery; appointment of Dr. Birdell as lecturer.

Scope

The collection covers faculty deliberations from March 26 to May 28, 1856, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It includes decisions on by‑law amendments, faculty appointments, curriculum changes, and administrative finances. The material is relevant to scholars of women’s medical education, institutional governance, and 19th‑century medical practice. The rights for reproduction are restricted; permission must be obtained from the Drexel College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@female_medical_college_faculty_meetings_1856_collection:collection {title: "Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, March‑May 1856", created: "1856-03-26/1856-05-28", institution: @drexel_legacy_collections, language: "en"}

@drexel_legacy_collections:organization {name: "Drexel Legacy Collections"}

@file_pinax:file {title: "Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, March‑May 1856", type: "Collection"}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @female_medical_college_faculty_meetings_1856_collection

@philadelphia:place {state: "Pennsylvania", country: @united_states}

@ellwood_harvey:person {full_name: "Ellwood Harvey", role: "Dean"}

@ann_preston:person {full_name: "Ann Preston"}

@farrell:person {full_name: "Farrell"}

@herb:person {full_name: "Herb"}

@gillingham:person {full_name: "Gillingham"}

@kerr:person {full_name: "Kerr"}

@birdell:person {full_name: "Birdell"}

@fussell:person {full_name: "Edwin Fussell", role: "Faculty"}

@ken:person {full_name: "Ken"}

@brown:person {full_name: "H.J. Brown"}

@kilbrough:person {full_name: "Kilbrough"}

@henderson:person {full_name: "Henderson"}

@emeline_cleveland:person {full_name: "Emeline Horton Cleveland", role: "Demonstrator of Anatomy"}

@eliza_thomas:person {full_name: "Eliza L.S. Thomas", title: "M.D."}

@hawley:person {full_name: "Hawley"}

@board_of_corporators:organization {name: "Board of Corporators"}

@committee_seventh_annual_announcement:organization {name: "Committee on Seventh Annual Announcement"}

@committee_publication:organization {name: "Committee on Publication"}

@regulations:document {title: "Regulations"}

@seventh_annual_announcement:document {title: "Seventh Annual Announcement"}

@weigmer_and_brother:organization {name: "Weigmer and Brother"}

@janitor:person {role: "Janitor"}

@meeting_1856_03_26:event {date: @date_1856_03_26, location: @philadelphia}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> present -> [@ann_preston, @farrell, @herb, @gillingham, @ellwood_harvey]

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> resolved -> @seventh_annual_announcement:document {action: "publish names of all matriculants and graduates", when: @date_1856_03_26}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> amended -> @regulations:document {article: "17", text: "...and shall be under the supervision of the Professor of Anatomy, whose lectures she shall attend, and shall give recapitulations of them twice each week.", when: @date_1856_03_26}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> appointed -> @herb:person {task: "call on Mrs. Eliza L.S. Thomas regarding Demonstrator of Anatomy"}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> appointed -> @gillingham:person {task: "call on Mrs. Eliza L.S. Thomas regarding Demonstrator of Anatomy"}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> ordered payment -> @janitor {amount: 20.25, purpose: "wages"}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> ordered payment -> @weigmer_and_brother {amount: 2.25, purpose: "stove work"}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> adjourned -> {type: "sine die"}

@meeting_1856_03_26 -> signed by -> @ellwood_harvey

@meeting_1856_04_28:event {date: @date_1856_04_28, location: @philadelphia}

@meeting_1856_04_28 -> present -> [@ann_preston, @farrell, @kerr, @gillingham, @birdell, @ellwood_harvey]

@meeting_1856_04_28 -> appointed -> @committee_seventh_annual_announcement {task: "call on Demonstrator of Anatomy, report on Mrs. Eliza L.S. Thomas"}

@meeting_1856_04_28 -> resolved -> @seventh_annual_announcement:document {action: "read and adopted", delivered_to: @committee_publication, when: @date_1856_04_28}

@meeting_1856_04_28 -> adjourned -> {date: @date_1856_05_05, time: "12:00"}

@meeting_1856_04_28 -> signed by -> @ellwood_harvey

@meeting_1856_05_28:event {date: @date_1856_05_28, location: @philadelphia}

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> present -> [@ann_preston, @fussell, @gillingham, @ken]

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> proxy -> @fussell {for: @birdell, on_motion: @meeting_1856_05_28}

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> recommended -> @brown {position: "Chair of Surgery", to: @board_of_corporators}

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> appointed -> @emeline_cleveland {role: "Demonstrator of Anatomy", term: "one year"}

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> elected -> @fussell {position: "Dean", replaces: @hawley}

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> appointed -> @birdell {role: "Lecturer"}

@meeting_1856_05_28 -> signed by -> @ellwood_harvey

@meeting_by_law_change:event {description: "By‑law amendment meeting"}

@meeting_by_law_change -> amended -> @regulations:document {section: "Treasurer duties", text: "Duty of Treasurer to superintend Janitor and Building rescinded; duty imposed on Dean until otherwise ordered", when: @meeting_by_law_change}

@meeting_by_law_change -> motion by -> @henderson

@meeting_by_law_change -> elected -> @kilbrough {position: "Treasurer"}

@meeting_by_law_change -> noted -> @kerr {role: "Member"}

Metadata

Files (8)

a092_001_098.jpgJPEG
407.03 KB
OCR Text

March 26th, 1856 Present, Preston, Furrell, Herb, Gillingham and Harvey. It was resolved, that the names of all the matriculants, and of all the graduates, should be published in the Seventh Annual Announcement. It was resolved, that the following addition should be made to Article 17th of the "Regulations" adopted in Jan. 4th, 1854. "...and shall be under the supervision of the Professor of Anatomy, whose lectures she shall attend, and shall give recapitulations of them twice each week." Dr. Herb and Prof. Gillingham were appointed to call on Mrs. Eliza L.S. Thomas to inquire if she wishes to remain in the office of Demonstrator of Anatomy; and if so to inform her of her duties. The Treasurer was ordered to pay the balance due to the janitor for wages which was stated to be $20.25. And a bill for stove work to Weigmer and Brother of $2.25. Adjourned, sine die Ellwood Harvey, Dean. *See "Regulations" in last part of this book.

a092_001_099.jpgJPEG
357.36 KB
OCR Text

Monday, April 28th, 1856. Present: Preston, Farrell, Kerr, Gillingham, Birdell and Harvey. Committee appointed to call on the present Demonstrator of Anatomy, report that they called on Mrs. E.L.S. Thomas, M.D. and that she is willing to remain in her office and to perform the new duties required by the resolution passed at the last meeting. The committee was discharged. The Committee on the Seventh Annual Announcement reported a copy which was read and adopted, and ordered to be furnished to the Committee on Publication, which was appointed by the Corporators. Adjourned to meet on Monday, May 5th, 1856, at 12 O'clock M. Ellwood Harvey, M.D. Dean of the Faculty.

a092_001_100.jpgJPEG
372.92 KB
OCR Text

Faculty Meeting May 28/56 Present: Drs. Preston, Fussel, Gillingham and Ken; Dr. Fussel being authorized to act as proxy for Dr. Birdville on motion of Dr. Fussel, Dr. H.J. Brown was recommended to the Board of Corporators to fill the Chair of Surgery for this institution on motion of Dr. Fussel. Mrs. Emeline Horton Cleveland M.D. was appointed Demonstrator of Anatomy for one year in this School. On motion, Dr. Fussel was elected Dean of this Faculty in the place of Dr. Hawley who is now about from the City. Dr. Birdville was appointed lecturer of

a092_001_101.jpgJPEG
327.86 KB
OCR Text

On motion that part of the By-laws which makes it the duty of the Treasurer to superintend the Janitor and the Col. Building be rescinded; and the same duty be hereby imposed on the Dean, for until otherwise ordered. On motion by Mr. Henderson Prof. Kilbrough was elected Treasurer Mark G. Kerr

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:29:00 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 4:18:34 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 4:08:11 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 4:04:25 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: 1856_March_May_Meetings"

Parent

01KBN1NF6RRQY5BZ97YQWTS579

No children (leaf entity)