Faculty Resignation Meeting Minutes, 1864
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 4:31:17 PM
Added description
Description
Faculty Resignation Meeting Minutes, 1864
Overview
This collection comprises scanned images of the faculty meeting minutes from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania that document the resignation of Dr. Edwin Fussell in April 1864. The material is held in the Drexel Legacy Collections and is presented in English as a series of photographic reproductions of the original minute book pages. The collection includes the minutes of the meetings held on April 8 and April 16, 1864, as well as the letter sent by Dr. Fussell to the faculty.Background
The Female Medical College of Pennsylvania, founded in 1850, was the first institution in the world dedicated to the medical education of women. The faculty minutes were recorded by the college’s faculty and preserved in a bound minute book. In 1864, Dr. Fussell, a faculty member, submitted a resignation letter and the faculty convened to discuss the implications, amend regulations, and appoint a committee of visitors. The minutes capture the deliberations and decisions made during these meetings.Contents
- Minutes of April 8, 1864: Records the meeting at Dr. Ann Preston’s house, attendance by Mrs. Preston, Rev. Leavitt, and Emeline Cleveland, and the reading of Dr. Fussell’s letter.
- Letter from Dr. Fussell (April 7, 1864): Expresses gratitude for the faculty’s support, outlines objections to certain regulations, and announces his resignation.
- Minutes of April 16, 1864: Documents the discussion of Dr. Fussell’s resignation, the appointment of a committee of visitors (Mrs. Kerr and Emeline Cleveland), and the amendment of regulations concerning diploma signing.
- Associated images: Photographic reproductions (JPEG and TIFF) of the relevant pages (a092001207, a092001208, a092001209) provide visual context for the textual records.
Scope
The collection covers the period of April 1864, focusing on the faculty’s response to Dr. Fussell’s resignation. It is geographically centered on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specifically 215 Birchwood St., the college’s faculty meeting location. The material is relevant to scholars of women’s medical education, faculty governance, and 19th‑century medical institutions. The collection excludes other faculty minutes outside the resignation context and does not include personal correspondence beyond the letter from Dr. Fussell. Use of the materials is subject to the stated copyright and reproduction restrictions.Entities
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Raw Cheimarros Data
@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania:organization {founded: @date_1850_06_25, description: "First college in the world regularly organized for the education of women in medicine"}
@drexel_legacy_collections:organization {type: "archive"}
@philadelphia_pa:place {city: "Philadelphia", state: "Pennsylvania", country: @united_states}
@215_birchwood_st_philadelphia:place {address: "215 Birchwood St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania", city: @philadelphia_pa}
@edwin_fussell:person {birth: @date_1813, death: @date_1882, role: "faculty member"}
@emeline_cleveland:person {birth: @date_1829, death: @date_1878, role: "faculty member"}
@ann_preston:person {birth: @date_1813, death: @date_1872, role: "faculty member"}
@rev_leavitt:person {role: "reverend"}
@dr_kerr:person {role: "committee member"}
@mrs_fussell:person {role: "spouse of Edwin Fussell"}
@mrs_kerr:person {role: "spouse of Dr. Kerr"}
@dr_temple:person {role: "faculty"}
@dr_sealull:person {role: "faculty"}
@faculty_resignation_meeting_minutes_1864:document {title: "Faculty Resignation Meeting Minutes, 1864", creator: [@female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania, @edwin_fussell, @emeline_cleveland, @ann_preston], institution: @drexel_legacy_collections, created: @date_1864_04_08, language: "en", subjects: ["Faculty resignations","Medical education","Medical colleges--Faculty","Women in medicine","Women physicians","Women medical students","Medical colleges--Committees","Medical colleges--By-laws"], description: "Minutes from faculty meetings discussing the resignation of Dr. Edwin Fussell from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1864.", place: [@philadelphia_pa, @215_birchwood_st_philadelphia]}
@letter_from_fussell:document {author: @edwin_fussell, date: @date_1864_04_07, title: "Letter to the Faculty of the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania", content: "Resignation and objections to regulations"}
@meeting_apr_8_1864:event {date: @date_1864_04_08, location: @215_birchwood_st_philadelphia, type: "faculty meeting"}
@meeting_apr_16_1864:event {date: @date_1864_04_16, time: "10 A.M.", location: @215_birchwood_st_philadelphia, type: "faculty meeting"}
@committee_of_visitors:organization {type: "committee", purpose: "investigate resignation"}
@motion_amend_regulation:event {date: @date_1864_04_08, description: "Amend regulations concerning diploma signing"}
@meeting_apr_8_1864 -> held at -> @215_birchwood_st_philadelphia
@meeting_apr_8_1864 -> attended by -> [@ann_preston, @rev_leavitt, @emeline_cleveland]
@dr_kerr -> reported -> @letter_from_fussell
@mrs_fussell -> delivered -> @letter_from_fussell
@committee_of_visitors -> appointed -> [@mrs_kerr, @emeline_cleveland]
@committee_of_visitors -> invited -> @edwin_fussell
@edwin_fussell -> resigned -> @female_medical_college_of_pennsylvania {date: @date_1864_04_08}
@edwin_fussell -> wrote -> @letter_from_fussell
@meeting_apr_16_1864 -> discussed -> @edwin_fussell
@meeting_apr_16_1864 -> attended by -> [@ann_preston, @dr_temple, @dr_sealull, @edwin_fussell, @emeline_cleveland]
@file_pinax:file -> documents -> @faculty_resignation_meeting_minutes_1864
@file_a092_001_207_jpg:file -> depicts -> @meeting_apr_8_1864
@file_a092_001_208_jpg:file -> depicts -> @letter_from_fussell
@file_a092_001_209_jpg:file -> depicts -> @meeting_apr_16_1864Metadata
Files (6)
OCR Text
Apr 8, 1864 Meeting of the Faculty at the house of Dr. Preston, 215 Birchwood St., present Mrs. Preston, Rev. Leavitt & Cleveland. Dr. Preston was called to the Chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read & approved. Dr. Kerr from the Committee to wait upon Dr. Fussell reported a visit made & resolutions delivered by Mrs. Fussell. The Doctor not being at home. The report was accepted & the Committee discharged. The following communication was read from Dr. Fussell. Phila. Apr 7th, 1864 To the Faculty of Le Fran. Med. Coll. of Pa. My dear Friends—I have received & carefully perused your resolutions of the 3d ult. I thank you for your words of kindness & sympathy. I am sure I feel toward you personally as kindly as you do to me. I am sure I never felt more useful for the welfare of the College & its Cause—but I can see no
OCR Text
rescuing or changing my course of view or conduct. I cannot permit myself to be a party any more to the grade-striving or incapacitants. If any means can be devised to secure herself from such results as have been reached this session, I shall only be too happy & labor on in St. College & for the Cause as heretofore—but a mere resolve & pledge will not assure me: thus we have had before—several probably did so & might have a stronger desire to do right than previous to the voting this Spring & yet—in my view & in yours too, now, if I mistake not—the faculty immutably proceed to do wrong—what will prevent such things from recurring? Not resolutions—not pledges. One may as many others have done—"resolve & unresolve—time is the same"—If a reconstruction of regulations or any other mode of effecting the object can be devised I shall be glad, if not—I cannot be induced to remain for I have full made up my mind never to sign an invalid diploma.
OCR Text
for one whom I believe to be unworthy of it. Yours truly, Edwin Fussell. On motion it was resolved that our regulation should be amended with reference to such alterations as might seem consistent with the good of the College. The invitation of Dr. Fussell to a member of the faculty. On motion Mrs. Kerr & Cleveland were appointed a Committee of visitors, to meet at the next meeting & which Dr. Fussell should be especially invited. On motion adjourned to meet on Saturday the 6th inst. at 4 P.M. E.B. Cleveland Sec. Apr 16, 1864 - 10 A.M. Meeting of the faculty to discuss Marshall & Dr. sent Mr. Temple, Preston, Sealull, Fussell & Cleveland. Dr. Preston in the Chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read & approved. The committee on the visitors of
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- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 4:31:17 PM
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"Reorganization group: Faculty_Resignations"
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