University of Cincinnati College of Medicine - Annual Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 175 text:

vinced that such a school was prnperly a part nf a university. The school. however, has justilied the action of the. Board, and has acquired a national reputation. The action of the Board has since. been followed by a large number of other Universities Later in 1916, the medical work and nursing in the Cincinnati General Hoapital were by the new Cincinnati Charter. placed under the direction of the Board of Directors of the University, and in effect, hemme a part of the work of the College of Medicine of the University: thus bringing about a union of a Medical School and a Hespital. cmnhining in such a school hnth the theory and practice of medicine. surgery. and nursing, a result of which all interested in medical education have always dreamed but scarcely hoped to see realizetlx tlln all at there later movements to which I have referred. Dr. Holmes was an active and forceful Figure, patient, tireless. sagaeious and CHCCtive. lt lb 21 sul'hcicnt eulogy of Dr. Holmes to say of him that at the time of his death. Cincinnatit in the judgment of the highest medical authorities has the Enest medical educational plant in the United States. A Look into the Future llhe hiatury nf all modern professional schools. bUCll as those of Medicine Law and Engineering shows that the bulk of the work Cannot be done. by prac- ticing physicians. lawyers or engineers. These men are too busy in their active. practice to give the necessary time In teaching: and the schools which have followed such a policy suffer in competition with their rivals who follow a diHerent policy. Full time men must and inevitably will fill most of the important Chairs. 'lOur educational circles in this country have in recent years made a fetish of numbers. The impression prevails all too generally that a university is to be judged like at factory- by the quantity of its product. Let us in this Medical School, hitch our wagon to 11 star. Better a dozen hrst-class physicians and surgeons, than a hundred fuurth-class ones. The former are benefactors of society; the latter are a menace to the community in which they practice. Tu the citizens of Cincinnatit I would say that they have within their grasp the opportunity to make of Cincinnati, one of the greatest, if not the greatest medical center of the Middle lNest. We must not. we cannot fail. ADDRESS OF ACTING DEAN OLIVER 'llt is not within my province on this occasion, said Dr. Dlivert to extol the virtues and merits of Dr. Holmes. but it is my pleasant duty to honor his memory by calling attention to the fact that he was a dreamer 0f magniticent dreamst an architect of noble planst and a man 01' aL'Cotlelislnueut His memory will ever remain as an inspiration to those who seek the heights. of medical possibilities. He and Dr. Daniel Drake will go clown in medical history as progreSssive. far-seeing and successful pioneerSeeach in his own way. Drake created something out of nothingiHolmes re-created a great institution out of material that was decaying. All honor to each one of them. A Glimpse of Early Cincinnati 'llt is almost impossible for any one of us. unless perchanee he he. upwards of ninety years of age. to conceive of the conditions in Cincinnati one hundred Page Om Hundred SeventEy-lkree

Page 174 text:

THE MORNING CEREMONIES The celebration began with an academic procession from the Administration Building of the Cincinnati General Hospital to the Medical College, Dr. A. C. Bachmeyer and Dr. Carey P. McCord acting as marshalls. All who took part were in cap and gown and preceded in the following order: Members of the Medical Faculty of the University. Members of the other Faculties 0f the University. Visiting Delegates from other Institutions. The Board of Directors. Recipients of Honorary Degrees. Speakers and Clergy. Acting Dean of the Medical College. President of the Board of Directors. President of the University. At the entrance to the Medical College those who took part in the pro- cession, passed through a lane headed by the Senior Class and made up in order of members of the other classes and student nurses. The day was bright and sunny, adding a touch of cheerfulness t0 the general solemnity of the occasion. The Medical College auditorium was not large enough to seat the crowd of alumni and guests. The medical students, however, had agreed previously that for them standing room was far good enough and that the visitors should be shown every possible courtesy; in this way perhaps a hundred more guests were able to witness the ceremony in comfort. The morning program was opened with an invocation hy the Reverend George A. Thayer. Bless. he said, the memory of those who have builded this institution. May we all, as we share the blessings of this cooperation of our brother men one with another, be glad'of our time and yet be humble that so little has been accomplished. May these blessings quicken our spirits and guide us in the everlasting ways. ADDRESS OF RUFUS L. SMITH, LL. D. Following the invocation was an address of welcome by Rufus 1.. Smith, LL. 13., President of the Board of Directors of the University. He said in part, The mere fact that an institution of learning has continued to live for a hundred years is a solemn circumstance. The presumption is that it has served a benehcent purposeesomewhere it must have been in touch with the eternal verities or it would have withered and died. A Tribute to Dean Holmes With medical education centered in the University, another great medical reformer. Dr. Christian R. Holmes appeared. To Dr. Holmes, more than any other force is due the fact that the people of this city taxed themselves to erect this hospital and other athliated hospitals. and that private citizens erected this Medical School. Dr. Holmes had secured many endowments for the support of the Medical School, and had he lived, would have secured many more. In June, 1916. the University established a School of Nursing and Health. The Board hesitated sometime before taking this action, not being readily con- Page One H und-red Seventy-two

Page 176 text:

years ago. A mere village upon the bank of the river constituted the only white settlement in the region now known as Cincinnati. It is quite probable that the present site of our college and hospital was peopled by Indians and wild animals and was far removed from the ken of the white settlers upon the bank of the river. These hills were covered by the primaeval forest. Daniel Drake probably never dreamed of the possibility of a great city upon the hills. A Tribute to the Medical College Faculty til have always been impressed with the fact that medical beginnings in Cincinnati were associated with turbulent, even quarrelsome times among the Faculty. tDrake and his associates never seemed to live in peace and harmony together.' The interests of the college seemed lost in personal bickerings and actual hostilities. I am glad to say that this spirit has not survived in the present Faculty. No more harmonious body of men can he found throughout the length or breadth of the land. They work in perfect harmony with each other and sacrilice personal interests to those of the college. Daily examples of their love for the College occur and many financial sacrifices have been made in order to stabilize and safeguard the institution. ' Each member of the Faculty believes in the College and is doing everything in his power to bring about its highest development. An Expression of Gratitude We owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the citizens of Cincinnati for their unswerving devotion to our institution and for their most generous response to our appeals. I doubt whether any other community in the world has done as much for the advancement of medical knowledge as have the good citizens of Cincinnati. and we gratefully acknowledge our everlasting indebtedness to them. not only for the generosity displayed in constructing and equipping the Cincinnati General Hospital. but also for their jealous guarding 0f the institution from the adverse waves that sometimes engulf municipal undertalazings?q llWe wish to acknowledge our gratitude to those good friends of ours who have contributed from their private means to the various departments of the college. Were it not for their most generous aid this stately building with its full equipment would have been impossible. Without their liberal contributions many of the departments would be starved and inadequate. May I. on this centennial occasion thank them for their great interest in our work? In Conclusion, Dr. Oliver said, uTime will not permit me to even attempt to name the eminent men who have at various times taught in the College or who led their College as officers. Suffice it to say that the roll contains names which have left an indelible imprint upon medical affairsemen who have con- tributed their best efforts to maintain and inculcate the highest ideals. We take great pride in the past, we are modestly content with the present, and we are confidently hopeful of the future. ADDRESS OF DR. WILLIAM F. SEDGEWICK Dr. William F. Sedgewick, Professor of Biology and Public Health, Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology was the next speaker. llHappily, said Dr. Page One Hundred Seventy-four