Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, November 1850

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:27:23 PM

Added description

Description

Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, November 1850

Overview

This bound minute book records the deliberations and resolutions adopted at the faculty meetings of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania during November 1850. The collection contains scanned images of the original pages (both JPEG and TIFF formats) and OCR‑extracted text, covering six meetings held between October 28 and November 29, 1850. The book is 213 cm in height and 23.2 cm in width, comprising 213 pages in total, though the November‑specific portion is a subset of the full volume.

Background

The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, founded in 1850 in Philadelphia, was the first institution in the world organized to train women for the medical profession. Its faculty, composed of physicians such as Nathaniel R. Moseley, James F. X. McCloskey, David J. Johnson, Ellwood Harvey, Edwin Fussell, Emeline H. Cleveland, and Ann Preston, governed the college’s academic and administrative affairs. The minutes provide insight into early governance, curriculum decisions, and the operational challenges of a pioneering women’s medical school.

Contents

The collection includes the following key elements:
  • Meeting Records: Minutes from meetings held on Oct 28, Nov 9, Nov 15, Nov 18, Nov 26, and Nov 29, 1850.
  • Resolutions: Decisions on sanitor duties, rent of lecture rooms, the rights of the anatomy demonstrator, faculty examinations of applicants, and financial matters such as matriculation fees and rent payments.
  • Elections: Appointment of surgeons and physicians to the college clinic.
  • Administrative Actions: Requests for resignations, interviews with faculty members, and arrangements for evening parties for matriculants.
  • Photographic Evidence: High‑resolution scans of the original pages, with accompanying OCR text that captures the handwritten minutes.

Scope

The collection covers the period of November 1850, focusing on the faculty’s governance of the college during its inaugural year. It is geographically centered on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and thematically addresses women’s medical education, faculty administration, curriculum development, and institutional policy. The materials are relevant to scholars of medical history, women’s studies, and early American higher education.

Entities

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "Female Medical College of Pennsylvania Faculty Meeting Minutes, November 1850", type: "Collection", creator: [@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, @nathaniel_r_moseley, @james_f_x_mccloskey, @david_j_johnson, @ellwood_harvey, @edwin_fussell, @emeline_h_cleveland, @ann_preston], institution: "Drexel Legacy Collections", created: @date_1850_11, language: "en"}

@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania:organization {founded: @date_1850, renamed: "Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania"}

@nathaniel_r_moseley:person {full_name: "Nathaniel R. Moseley"}

@james_f_x_mccloskey:person {full_name: "James F.X. McCloskey"}

@david_j_johnson:person {full_name: "David J. Johnson"}

@ellwood_harvey:person {full_name: "Ellwood Harvey", lifespan: "1820-1889"}

@edwin_fussell:person {full_name: "Edwin Fussell", lifespan: "1813-1882"}

@emeline_h_cleveland:person {full_name: "Emeline H. Cleveland", lifespan: "1829-1878"}

@ann_preston:person {full_name: "Ann Preston", lifespan: "1813-1872"}

@faculty:organization {part_of: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania}

@dr_sangphore:person {full_name: "Dr. Sangphore"}

@dr_gleason:person {full_name: "Dr. Gleason"}

@dr_chaloner:person {full_name: "Dr. A D Chaloner"}

@dr_longshore:person {full_name: "Dr. J W S Longshore"}

@president_w_d_mullen:person {full_name: "W D Mullen"}

@mrs_m_b_gleason:person {full_name: "Mrs. M B Gleason"}

@mrs_mitchell:person {full_name: "Mrs. Mitchell"}

@historical_society:organization {type: "Society"}

@trustees:organization {type: "Board"}

@position_surgeon_physician:concept {title: "Surgeon & Physician to the College Clinic"}

@resolution_sanitor_duties:concept {text: "Sanitor shall not attend to private business of faculty members; no member may call upon him for such services"}

@resolution_sanitor_sundays:concept {text: "Sanitor shall not be required on Sundays except for care of the College Building"}

@resolution_examination:concept {text: "Faculty not authorized to conduct medical or physical examinations of applicants for admission into the Asylum or Infirmary"}

@resolution_rent_rooms_rescinded:concept {text: "Rescinded resolution to rent lecture rooms for $2 per night (Oct 10 1850)"}

@resolution_dean_trinity:concept {text: "Dean authorized to give the Trinity for the session 1850, 51 to Miss Taylor"}

@resolution_rent_lower_room:concept {text: "Dean authorized to rent the lower room in the College"}

@resolution_anatomy_demo:concept {text: "Committee report on rights of the Demonstrator of anatomy; subjects for dissection to be introduced under supervision of Prof. of Anatomy"}

@resolution_rent_rooms_phenological:concept {text: "Rent rooms to the Phenological Society for $50–$100 per night"}

@resolution_lecture_room_rent:concept {text: "Dean authorized to rent rooms for lectures at $2 per lecture or $1.50 per night for longer courses"}

@resolution_interview_mccloskey:concept {text: "Dean to interview Dr. McCloskey regarding his absence from lectures"}

@resolution_interview_mitchell:concept {text: "Dean to interview Mrs. Mitchell regarding graduating"}

@resolution_fees_collection:concept {text: "Dean to obtain matriculation and other fees due professors from Mrs. M B Gleason and others"}

@resolution_rent_funds_payment:concept {text: "Funds received for rent of rooms to be paid to President W D Mullen by Prof. McCluskey"}

@resolution_resign_chair:concept {text: "James F. X. McCloskey, Prof. of Theory and Practice of Medicine requested to resign his chair"}

@resolution_evening_party:concept {text: "Faculty to give an evening party to matriculants on the anniversary of the Charter signing"}

@meeting_oct_28_1850:event {when: @date_1850_10_28, where: @philadelphia, location_detail: "College Building"}

@meeting_nov_9_1850:event {when: @date_1850_11_09, where: @philadelphia, location_detail: "College Building"}

@meeting_nov_15_1850:event {when: @date_1850_11_15, where: @philadelphia, location_detail: "College Building"}

@meeting_nov_18_1850:event {when: @date_1850_11_18, where: @philadelphia, location_detail: "College Building"}

@meeting_nov_26_1850:event {when: @date_1850_11_26, where: @philadelphia, location_detail: "Dean's Office"}

@meeting_nov_29_1850:event {when: @date_1850_11_29, where: @philadelphia, location_detail: "College Building"}

@faculty -> held -> @meeting_oct_28_1850

@faculty -> held -> @meeting_nov_9_1850

@faculty -> held -> @meeting_nov_15_1850

@faculty -> held -> @meeting_nov_18_1850

@faculty -> held -> @meeting_nov_26_1850

@faculty -> held -> @meeting_nov_29_1850

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_sanitor_duties {when: @date_1850_10_28, proposer: @dr_sangphore, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_sanitor_sundays {when: @date_1850_10_28, proposer: @dr_sangphore, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_examination {when: @date_1850_10_28, proposer: @dr_gleason, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_rent_rooms_rescinded {when: @date_1850_11_09, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_dean_trinity {when: @date_1850_11_09, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_rent_lower_room {when: @date_1850_11_09, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_anatomy_demo {when: @date_1850_11_15, status: "Accepted"}

@faculty -> elected -> @dr_chaloner {position: @position_surgeon_physician, when: @date_1850_11_15}

@faculty -> elected -> @dr_longshore {position: @position_surgeon_physician, when: @date_1850_11_15}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_rent_rooms_phenological {when: @date_1850_11_18, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_lecture_room_rent {when: @date_1850_11_18, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_interview_mccloskey {when: @date_1850_11_18, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_interview_mitchell {when: @date_1850_11_18, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_fees_collection {when: @date_1850_11_26, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_rent_funds_payment {when: @date_1850_11_26, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_resign_chair {when: @date_1850_11_29, status: "Carried"}

@faculty -> passed -> @resolution_evening_party {when: @date_1850_11_29, status: "Carried"}

@file_a092_001_015_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset", ocr: "on motion adjourned to meet on Monday at 5 o'clock\nN R Masly MD\nDean\nAdjourned Philadelphia Oct 28 1850\nA meeting of the Faculty was held at the college Building. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted Dr Sangphore offered the following Resolved that it is no part of the Sanitors duties to attend to the private business of any member of the Faculty and no member has a right to call upon him for such services Carried\nDr Sangphore offered the following Resolved that no services shall be required of the Sanitor during Sundays except the care of the College Building Carried\nDr Gleason offered the following Resolved that the members of this Faculty are not authorised to make any medical or physical examinations of applicants for admission into the Lying in Asylum in Connection with this College or Infirmary Resolved that a copy of the above resolution be transmitted to the Board of Managers of that"}

@file_a092_001_015_jpg -> depicts -> @meeting_oct_28_1850

@file_a092_001_017_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset", ocr: "Philadelphia Nov 9 1850\nA meeting of the Faculty was held at the College Building the minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted.\nOn motion of Dr Langshore it was resolved that the Resolution passed Oct 10th in regard to renting the lecture rooms for two dollars per night be rescinded. Carried\nDr Gleason offered the following:\nResolved that the Dean be authorized to rent the lower room in the College."}

@file_a092_001_017_jpg -> depicts -> @meeting_nov_9_1850

@file_a092_001_019_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset", ocr: "Philadelphia Nov 15, 1850\nThe Committee of the Faculty of Female Medical College of Penn appointed to take action relative to the rights of the Demonstrator of anatomy in the college respectfully report that they deem it proper that subjects to be used for dissection by the students shall be introduced under the supervision of the Prof of Anatomy and recommend that he and the demonstrator make such arrangements as they may deem most advantageous to the students and the interest of the Institution.\nSigned\nA D Chaloner MD\nJ W S Longshore"}

@file_a092_001_019_jpg -> depicts -> @meeting_nov_15_1850

@file_a092_001_018_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset", ocr: "Nov 18, 1850\nA meeting of the Faculty was held at the College Building the minutes of the previous meetings were read and adopted.\nOn Motion of Dr. Longshore the Dean was requested to have an interview with Dr. McClosey in regard to his absence from lectures. Carried.\nOn motion it was resolved that the Dean have an interview with Mrs. Mitchell in regard to Graduating. Carried."}

@file_a092_001_018_jpg -> depicts -> @meeting_nov_18_1850

@file_a092_001_020_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset", ocr: "Nov 26, 1850\nA meeting of the Faculty was held at the office of the Dean. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted.\nOn motion of Dr Chaloner it was resolved that the Dean of the Faculty be requested to obtain from Mrs M B Gleason and any other person who is in attendance on the regular lectures of the Course in the College the Matriculation and other fees due the Professors.\nOn motion it was resolved that the funds received for rent of rooms in the college be paid to the President W D Mullen by Prof McCluskey."}

@file_a092_001_020_jpg -> depicts -> @meeting_nov_26_1850

@file_a092_001_021_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset", ocr: "Nov 29, 1850\nA meeting of the Faculty was held at the College Building. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and adopted. On motion of Dr. Langshore it was resolved that James F. X. M. Clasky, MD, Prof of the Theory and Practice of Medicine be respectfully requested to resign his chair in the Institution forthwith.\nResolved that the Dean be requested to solicit the aid of the Trustees in the settlement of bills due by the Faculty for the benefit of the College.\nAt the suggestion of the Dean it was resolved that the Faculty give an evening Party to the matriculants of the College on the night of the anniversary of the signing of the Charter of the College."}

@file_a092_001_021_jpg -> depicts -> @meeting_nov_29_1850

Metadata

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:27:23 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 4:12:44 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 4:06:27 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 4:04:32 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: November_1850_Meetings"

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