Cornell Medical College - Samaritan Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Am re Eire. mrtwb HE year was 1898. America was entering the era of her manilest clestiny. Stealt was eighteen cents a pouncl, ancl the riches ol' the new lancl were last hecoming apparent. l'lere in New Yorlc, a schism harl clevelopecl amongst the memluers ot' the newly organizecl medical clepartment ol the New Yorlc University Cracluate School. A small group, feeling that there were lnetter methocls ol meclical eclucation, anrl unahle to con- vince their contreres of their laeliel, cleciclect to withclraw from the school. This clone, the men surely must have talcen count ol their assets. They were lew, lnut they were not inconsicleralnle. The physical loasis ot their eclucational program was a small huilcling at Bellevue Hospital ancl the Loomis Lahoratory, a lnuilcling alaout oneshall the size ol the present AU louilcling. This laluoratory was amongst the more aclvancerl of its time. li Containecl lecture halls, lahoratories for chemistry ancl toxicology, animal quarters, ancl refrigerator rooms - all well equippecl. The new school hacl the moral ancl hnancial haclcing ol Colonel Henry Payne, and it was to he his continuecl inspiration ancl support which was to mean so much in the future of the new organization. ln aclclition to such support, the lacilities ol the New Yorlc Hospital anrl Bellevue Hospital were macle availahle lor clinical teaching. Upon the faculty was to tall a great responsilnility. It woulcl he lor them to set the intellectual plane, tor them to inspire the students, tor them to vinclicate their heliel' in hetter methocls. The memhers of the original faculty incluclecl: William M. Pollq, Lewis A. Stimson, W. Gilman Thompson, R. A. Witthaiis, Austin Flint fthe youngerl, H. P. Loomis, J. Clifton Ectgar, ancl George Woolsey. later George Ewing ancl Graham lsusl: were to the chairs ot Pathology anrl Physiology, respectively. Dr. Pollc' a Tennessean ancl memlner ol the rlissenting group, was, hy his gracious- ness ancl executive ahility, to he a strong inlluence in cletermining the policies ot the new school, To Lewis A. Stimson was to tall a similar role. Dr. l.ewis A. Conner ohservecl that Hhis somewhat reservecl anrl colcl exterior hicl a generous ancl lcinclly clis- position which showecl itself particularly in his relation to his suhorclinates. l'le was guicle, philospher, ancl lrienfl to the memhers ol his house stalt and incleecl to every struggling young cloctor he thought flcserving of help. Dr. Stimson hacl. l helieve, the most lucicl ancl penetrating intellect ol anyone that l have ever lcnown. A mathematician ot no mean orcler. cleeply scholarly ancl cultivatecl in his taste, he was the envy and flespair of those ot us younger men who sought to emulate himf' ln April, 1808, the trustees ol Cornell University accepterl the oller ol alliliation with the new school ancl the Cornell University Meclical College hccame an actuality. Some two hunclrccl stuclents were instructecl the lirst year. The school was coeclucational from the laeginning, hut, as Dr. Conner notecl, this was not just another sign ol: progressive thought, hut was necessary hecause ot the nature ol the Cornell Charter. The merit ol such a step was soon estahlishecl. At this time. the entrance requirements to meclical school, as alllxerl hy law, coulcl he tullillecl lay high school gracluates. lxleclical science hart laegun to expancl, ancl this 5

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demanded a more prepared student to evaluate correctly the trends and scope of medical thought. With the warm lnaclving ot Colonel Payne, the faculty in 1908 decided that candidates for admission must he: l. Graduates of approved colleges or scientilic schools. ll. Seniors in good standing at college who would receive a laachelorvs degree upon satisfactory completion of their lirst year at Cornell Medical College. 111. Persons who without a laachelons degree give evidence lay examination that they have acquired an equivalent education and training sumcient to proltit lay instruction offered in the medical college. This was indeed a forward step. Many people must have been astonished at the temerity of this little lanown college demanding requirements which were aslced only lay two other medical schools in the land. The step was not without repercussion. Only three memlners were admitted to the Freshman class the next year. The trio was later joined hy nine from lthaca, and this l9I2 class numlnered twelve upon graduation. Even- tually the policy was successful. with standards laeing raised, and hy 1920 it became necessary to limit memhership in each class. The death of Colonel Payne in 1927 withdrew from the College one of its most trusted advisors, and its greatest henefactor. Yet, even with his demise, Colonel Payne was ahle to further the future of the College. His will furnished limds which would he used to form a new type of medical institution where education, research, and therapy were conducted in close alliance. Three hospitals were to join their services with the medical college, and a fully endowed institution was to he erected. The New Yorlc Hospital, the Lying-ln Hospital, and the Manhattan Maternity Hospital joined forces with the Cornell University Medical College. The New Yorlc Hospital received its charter from George 111 in 1771. Samuel Bard was numluered amongst its founders and its mission was to provide for the good of the more and less fortunate. Since its founding the hospital has talaen a prominent part in matters Medical, and has lneen interested in medical education. During its early days, there was no other source of medical education. lt was in 1898 that the hospital hrst made its facilities availalale to the hospital. The union of the New Yorlc Hospital and the Medical College was the culmination of this very satisfactory relationship. .The twenty-tour storied medical center was opened on Friday September 2, 1032. lt had been designed for ua century of aid to rich and poor. The First day, the hospital admitted 19 patients. The Medical College has now almost reached the hall?-century marla. lts men today are still steadfastly determined to follow the lead of those who established the Medical College, holding always to the forefront the thought that there shall always he Better Methods of Medical Educationu Gnorzois COLEMAN -1 I