a092_001_158.jpg

Female Medical College of Pennsylvania 1863 Commencement Records

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:30:12 PM

Added description

Description

Female Medical College of Pennsylvania 1863 Commencement Records Collection

Overview

This collection comprises a series of scanned images and accompanying metadata that document the 1863 commencement ceremony of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania (FMCP) in Philadelphia. The materials include faculty meeting minutes, session reports, and the official proceedings of the graduation event held on Saturday, March 14, 1863. The collection was created by the FMCP and is housed in the Drexel Legacy Collections, accessible through the PINAX platform.

Background

The FMCP, founded in 1850 as the first institution dedicated to the medical education of women, held its eleventh annual session from October 15, 1862 to March 14, 1863. The faculty, led by President Morris Pratt, organized the commencement under the auspices of the college’s governing board. Key faculty members involved in the ceremony included Dr. Teed, Prof. E.H. Cleveland, and several others who served as lecturers and examiners. The event was opened with prayer by Rev. E.E. Adams and featured a valedictory address by Prof. E.H. Cleveland.

Contents

The collection contains:
  • Faculty Meeting Minutes (March 10, 1861) – detailing the vote for graduation of Misses W.J. McChesn, J.M. McCray, and S.A. Cook, and the authorization of the dean to recommend diplomas.
  • Eleventh Annual Session Report – summarizing the session’s duration, financial matters, and the decision to advertise the commencement.
  • Commencement Proceedings (March 14, 1863) – including the introductory lecture by Dr. Teed, the list of faculty present, and the conferral of Doctor of Medicine degrees to Sarah J. Maclean, Irving Mills, M.J. McGray, and F. Amelia Cook.
  • Photographic and TIFF scans of pages 158–160, which capture the minutes, session notes, and ceremony details.

Scope

The collection covers the period from the faculty meeting in March 1861 through the graduation ceremony in March 1863, focusing on the administrative and ceremonial aspects of the FMCP’s annual commencement. It is geographically centered on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and thematically concerns women’s medical education, faculty governance, and the conferral of medical degrees. The materials are in English and are subject to copyright restrictions; reproduction requires written permission from the copyright holders.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania:organization {founded: @date_1850_06_25, renamed: "Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania", location: @philadelphia}

@commencement_1863_collection:document {title: "Female Medical College of Pennsylvania 1863 Commencement Records", creator: [@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, @edwin_fussell, @ann_preston, @emeline_h_cleveland, @c_h_j_scarlett, @morris_pratt], institution: "Drexel Legacy Collections", created: @date_1863_03_14, subjects: ["Commencement ceremonies","Medical education","Women in medicine","Women physicians","Medical colleges--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia","Female Medical College of Pennsylvania"]}

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

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

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

@c_h_j_scarlett:person {full_name: "C.H.J. Scarlett"}

@morris_pratt:person {full_name: "Morris Pratt", title: "Esq."}

@dr_teed:person {full_name: "Dr. Teed"}

@dr_temple:person {full_name: "Dr. Temple"}

@rev_preston:person {full_name: "Rev. Preston"}

@edgivio_finsell:person {full_name: "Edgivio Finsell", title: "Prof. of Principles & Practice"}

@agna_preston:person {full_name: "Agna Preston", title: "Prof. of Physiology"}

@m_gramphe:person {full_name: "M. Gramphe", title: "Prof. of Chemistry & Forensics"}

@emelius_h_cleveland:person {full_name: "Emelius H. Cleveland", title: "Prof. of Institutes"}

@raynwell_coalis:person {full_name: "Raynwell Coalis", title: "Prof. of Surgery"}

@frank_g_rose:person {full_name: "Frank G. Rose", title: "Prof. of Materia Medica"}

@mary_s_scarlett:person {full_name: "Mary S. Scarlett", title: "Prof. of Anatomy & Histology"}

@w_j_mcchesn:person {full_name: "W. J. McChesn", gender: "female"}

@j_m_mccray:person {full_name: "J. M. McCray", gender: "female"}

@s_a_cook:person {full_name: "S. A. Cook", gender: "female"}

@sarah_j_maclean:person {full_name: "Sarah J. Maclean", gender: "female"}

@irving_mills:person {full_name: "Irving Mills", gender: "male"}

@m_j_mcgray:person {full_name: "M. J. McGray", gender: "male"}

@f_amelia_cook:person {full_name: "F. Amelia Cook", gender: "female"}

@rev_e_e_adams:person {full_name: "Rev. E.E. Adams"}

@e_h_cleveland:person {full_name: "E.H. Cleveland"}

@doctor_of_medicine:concept {description: "Doctor of Medicine degree"}

@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event {when: @date_1861_03_10, where: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, type: "special meeting of the Faculty"}

@eleventh_annual_session:event {when: {start: @date_1862_10_15, end: @date_1863_03_14}, where: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, description: "Eleventh annual session of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania"}

@commencement_1863:event {when: @date_1863_03_14, where: @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, description: "Annual Commencement"}

@minute_book:document {title: "Minute book of the faculty of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania", date_range: {start: @date_1850_06_25, end: @date_1864_10_08}, location: @philadelphia}

@file_a092_001_158_jpg:file -> depicts -> @faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event

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@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event -> present -> [@edwin_fussell, @dr_temple, @rev_preston, @c_h_j_scarlett, @emeline_h_cleveland]

@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event -> adopted -> @minutes_of_last_meeting:document {description: "Minutes of the last meeting"}

@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event -> voted_for_graduation -> [@w_j_mcchesn, @j_m_mccray, @s_a_cook] {votes: {"w_j_mcchesn": "66-4", "j_m_mccray": "60-10", "s_a_cook": "55-15"}}

@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event -> resolved -> @dean:person {action: "recommend diplomas for", recipients: [@w_j_mcchesn, @j_m_mccray, @s_a_cook]}

@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event -> ordered_advertisement -> @commencement_1863:event {placement: "Press"}

@faculty_meeting_march_10_1861:event -> authorized -> @committee:organization {task: "take note from Miss Cook for amount due to professors"}

@commencement_1863:event -> featured_lecture -> @dr_teed

@commencement_1863:event -> faculty -> [@edgivio_finsell, @agna_preston, @m_gramphe, @emelius_h_cleveland, @raynwell_coalis, @frank_g_rose, @mary_s_scarlett]

@commencement_1863:event -> opened_by_prayer -> @rev_e_e_adams

@commencement_1863:event -> conferred_degree -> @doctor_of_medicine {recipients: [@sarah_j_maclean, @irving_mills, @m_j_mcgray, @f_amelia_cook]}

@commencement_1863:event -> valedictory_address -> @e_h_cleveland

Metadata

Files (6)

a092_001_158.jpgJPEG
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OCR Text

should be held on Saturday the 14th inst. at 4 P.M. at the College, adjourned. C.H.J. Scarlett Sec pro temp. March 10, 1861. A special meeting of the Faculty was held at the College. Present: Drs. Fussell, Temple, Rev. Preston, Scarlett & Cleveland. The minutes of the last meeting were read & adopted. Dr. Preston from the Committee on Announcement read an essay which was approved & which it was agreed to propose to the Corporators for publication. The faculty then proceeded to vote upon the candidates for graduation with the following result: Miss W. J. McChesn. 66 - 4 Miss J. M. McCray. 60 - 10 Miss S.A. Cook. 55 - 15 Whereupon it was resolved that the Dean be authorized to recommend to the Sta Corporators these several named ladies as worthy to receive the Diploma of the College. The Dean informed the faculty that

a092_001_159.jpgJPEG
420.12 KB
OCR Text

Miss Cook who was received in the autumn, upon indulgence in time of paying fees, had received letters from her father stating his present & prospective inability to give her the assistance he had promised & upon which she had depended & recommend returning her to her own resources. In view of these circumstances it was resolved that the Committee be authorized to take a note from Miss Cook to the amount due to several professors for tickets payable at such times as she may find convenient. On motion it was agreed that an advertisement for the commencement to be held on Saturday 10-4 & must be inserted over in the Press. Adjourned E. H. Cleveland Sec. Memoranda. The eleventh annual session of the Female Medical College of Penn. commenced on Wednesday Oct. 15th & closed on Saturday March 14th 1863.

a092_001_160.jpgJPEG
427.92 KB
OCR Text

The general Introductory Lecture was delivered by Dr. Teed in the larger of the Webb lecture rooms of the College at the Woman's Hospital. The Faculty for the session was constituted as follows: Edgivio Finsell, M.D., Prof. of Principles & Practice. Agna Preston, M.D., Prof. of Physiology &c. M. Gramphe, M.D., Prof. of Chemistry & Forensics. Emelius H. Cleveland, M.D., Prof. of Institutes &c. Raynwell Coalis, M.D., Prof. of Surgery. Frank G. Rose, M.D., Prof. of Mat. Medicine. Mary S. Scarlett, M.D., Prof. of Anatomy & Histology & Demonstrator of Anatomy. The Annual Commencement was held at the College on Saturday March 14th, 1863, at 4 o'clock P.M. The services were opened with prayer by the Rev. E.E. Adams. The degree of Doctor of Medicine was conferred by the President of the College to Morris Pratt Esq. upon the following named ladies: Sarah J. Maclean, Irving Mills, N.Y. M.J. McGray, Coylean Indiana. F. Amelia Cook, San Francisco, Calif. The valedictory address was delivered by Prof. E.H. Cleveland.

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:30:12 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 4:21:01 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 4:09:14 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 4:04:53 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Commencement_1863"

Parent

01KBN1NKZ5R8PHFKPCQ1N6S27H

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