Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:28:02 PM
Added description
Description
Faculty Meeting Minutes of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (1853–1854)
Overview
This bound minute book contains 213 pages of faculty meeting minutes from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, a pioneering institution for women’s medical education founded in 1850. The pages were scanned in high‑resolution TIFF and JPEG formats and are preserved in the Drexel College of Medicine Legacy Center Archives (Accession No. ACC‑092). The book measures 18.5 × 23.2 cm and is written in English.Background
The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, later renamed the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, was the world’s first college regularly organized for the education of women in medicine. The minutes were produced by the faculty and recorded by the Dean, David J. Johnson, and other faculty members such as Edwin Fussell, Ellwood Harvey, Emeline H. Cleveland, and Ann Preston. The collection is part of the college’s Dean’s office records and reflects the early administrative and curricular decisions of the institution.Contents
The minutes document meetings held from 27 May 1853 to 2 January 1854. Key subjects include:- Curriculum and instruction: resolutions on practical anatomy courses, medical jurisprudence lectures by William Elder, and the requirement that graduates complete two courses in practical anatomy.
- Faculty appointments and committees: establishment of committees on dissecting rooms, medicines dispensary, apparatus, announcement, advertising, and beneficiaries; recommendations for the Chair of Surgery (H. G. Thomas).
- Financial matters: setting matriculation, professor, demonstrator, and graduation fees; appropriation of funds for printing, advertising, and laboratory equipment.
- Administrative policies: resolution that the demonstrator of anatomy be a female, and the regulation of the janitor’s bell schedule.
Each page is a verbatim record of motions, resolutions, and discussions, providing a detailed view of the college’s governance during its formative years.
Scope
The collection covers faculty meetings held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, between 27 May 1853 and 2 January 1854. It includes all minutes from those meetings, but does not contain ancillary documents such as correspondence or financial ledgers. The material is suitable for researchers studying early women’s medical education, institutional governance, and 19th‑century medical curricula.Entities
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Entity Relationships
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Raw Cheimarros Data
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@philadelphia:place {city: "Philadelphia", state: "Pennsylvania", country: @united_states}
@david_j_johnson:person {full_name: "David J. Johnson", role: "Dean", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@edwin_fussell:person {full_name: "Edwin Fussell", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@ellwood_harvey:person {full_name: "Ellwood Harvey", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@emeline_h_cleveland:person {full_name: "Emeline H. Cleveland", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@ann_preston:person {full_name: "Ann Preston", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@darlington:person {full_name: "Dr. Darlington", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@kerr:person {full_name: "Dr. Kerr", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@russell:person {full_name: "Dr. Russell", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@moody:person {full_name: "Dr. Moody", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}
@h_g_thomas:person {full_name: "H. G. Thomas", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, notes: "Recommended as Chair of Surgery"}
@william_elder:person {full_name: "William Elder", affiliation: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, notes: "Delivered lectures on Medical Jurisprudence"}
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@meeting_1854_01_02 -> recommendation -> @h_g_thomas {position: "Chair of Surgery"}Metadata
Files (6)
OCR Text
to consider the applications of candidates to be received as Beneficiaries, with power to act. On motion, it was resolved that Dr. Johnson deliver the general introductory to the next course of lectures. Drs. Fussell and Darlington were appointed a Committee to fit up and arrange the Dissecting room and Anatomical Museum: Drs. Harvey and Kerr, a committee to fit up and procure medicines for the Dispensary; and Drs. Johnson, Fussell and Darlington a committee to purchase and procure additional apparatus and preparations for the use of the College. Then adjourned: - present, Drs. Harvey, Darlington, Fussell, Kerr and Johnson. David I. Johnson M.D., Dean. No. 23. Phila. May 27th 1853. Minutes of last meeting read and adopted. The Dean stated that Dr. William Elder had consented to deliver, during the next session, a series of lectures on Medical Jurisprudence. On motion of Dr. Fussell, it was resolved that the fees be fixed as follows:- Matriculation fee $5. Each Professor's fee 10. Demonstrator's fee 5. Graduation fee 20. On motion of the same, it was also resolved:- "That each candidate for graduation be required to have taken two courses of instruction in practical anat-
OCR Text
omy and Chemistry." On motion, it was resolved that the Corporators be requested to appropriate the following sums for the purposes specified:- $100 for printing Announcements. 500 for advertising 4th Annual Session. 60 for fitting up dissecting room and Museum. Boiler 16 Sash 15 Lumber & Carpenter's Work 29 = $60. 100 for fitting and arranging Dispensary. 79 to repay money advanced by Dr. Harvey. 66 to pay Miss Montgomery for dissecting. 100 for the purchase of apparatus and preparations. $1005 Then adjourned: - present, Drs. Harvey, Darlington, Russell & Johnson. David I. Johnson M.D., Dean. No. 24. Philad. Oct. 1st 1853. Minutes of last meeting read and adopted. The Committees appointed May 12th, being called upon, reported successively as follows: - The Committee on the Announcement, Dr. Johnson Chairman, reported that they had prepared the Fourth Annual Announcement, and, according to instructions, had procured the printing of 10000 copies thereof at the cost of $100. The Committee on advertising, Dr. Harvey Chairman, reported progress. The Committee on Beneficiaries, Dr. Darlington Chairman, reported,
OCR Text
On motion, it was resolved that, until otherwise ordered, Dr. Harvey should have charge of the Medical Clinic, and Dr. Russell of the Surgical Clinic. On motion, it was ordered that the janitor should ring the bell precisely at the hours of 10, 11, 12, 1 and 2 O'Clock in the morning, and at 4, 5, and 6 in the evening. Then adjourned:—present, Drs. Harvey, Russell, Johnson, Kerr, Moody and Preston. David J. Johnson M.D., Dean. No. 26. Philad. Oct. 28th 1853. The reading of the minutes of the last two meetings having been postponed, it was unanimously agreed that Dr. H.G. Thomas of Marlboro, Ohio, be recommended to the Corporators as fit and proper to fill the Chair of Surgery in this institution. Then adjourned:—present, Drs. Harvey, Russell, Johnson, Kerr, Moody and Preston. David J. Johnson M.D., Dean. No. 27. Philad. Jan. 2nd 1854. Minutes of the last three meetings read and adopted. The following Resolution of the Corporators, adopted by them on the 28th of September 1852, was read; and, on motion, was ordered to be inserted on the minutes. "The Demonstrator of Anatomy shall be a female, and shall be elected by the Corporators; to whom alone, she shall be responsible for the discharge of her duties."
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:28:02 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/4/2025, 4:13:31 PM · View this version
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"Reorganization group: College_Regulations"
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