SUNY Downstate Medical Center - Iatros Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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Cornerstone Laying of Basic Science Building, 1954 'Qi E dpkg S. 28

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i no . W ,J , 5 al Q , 5234? fl 4 ,1 . gig , 4 i i i Lk g Q -,ex .R Q fb, ' l XT Drs, jean A, Curran C right Q and Frank Babbitt Long Island College of Medicine to Borough Pres Kcenterj explaining plans for development of the ident john Cashmore. 27

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fl l During World War II a year round teaching schedule resulted in graduation in three years. The college established the Seventy-ninth General Hos- pital and the sight of marching columns of medical students in uniform became commonplace. In 1944 President Jean A. Curren presented the Master Plan for expansion of the Long Island Col- lege of Medicine, with construction of a new building opposite Kings County Hospital. A large fund raising program was begun. In 1945 six and one half acres of land were purchased on Clarkson Avenue. The 2 lil? Clarkson Avenue, 1963 long range plan called for raising five million dollars by 1950 and fifteen million by 1960. By 1950 only nine hundred fifty thousand dollars had been col- lected. In the meantime the State University of New York had decided to establish two medical schools. Syracuse was chosen for the upstate site. Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx vied for the downstate site. On April 5, 1950 a formal merger was signed and the Long Island College of Medicine became the State University of New York-Downstate. The ultimate cost of the center was over forty-five million dollars. The new State University medical school re- cruited six department chairman between 1950 and 1953. Drs. Long, Hellman and Harmel came from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Dennis from Minnesota, Dr. Fitzgerald from Sloan-Keetering, and Dr. Day Cwho 29