Collection inventory

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Geneva College Medical School Collection

An inventory of its collection at the Syracuse University Archives

Finding aid created by: Mary Skaden
Date: 2013

Revision history:

Historical Note

The act of establishing an organized institution for the teaching of medicine during the early nineteenth century was a popular notion in the United States, but there were few examples of programs to look to for guidance. Consequently, the life span of a college or university’s medical school was often a cooperative effort, a small scale endeavor, or simply short lived. The Geneva College Medical School came into existence in the midst of one such situation but managed to thrive for almost 40 years until it was moved to Syracuse University in 1872.

The Geneva College Medical School arose from the efforts of several institutions with its primary parent being Geneva College. The college actually began as the Geneva Academy, a local school established in 1813 in Geneva, New York. The Academy became an accredited, collegiate institution in 1822 and shortly thereafter began looking at proposals for incorporating a medical school. Rutgers College of New Brunswick, New Jersey (today Rutgers University) had attempted to begin a medical college in New York for several years but was unsuccessful. Shifting its attention to a new, promising college in Geneva, Rutgers again began the process of collaboration. Geneva College could provide the ability to grant a medical degree while Rutgers contributed staff and professional expertise. A resolution to include the teaching of medicine at Geneva College was passed in 1827, although it included Rutgers in name and organization. A school was to be set up in Geneva and another in New York City. However, there was a great deal of opposition to this plan, and the school in Geneva never materialized.

By this point, Geneva College recognized the importance of formally teaching medicine and felt it necessary to continue on its own. In 1834, the Geneva Medical Faculty was officially established with chemistry professor Edward Cutbush as the first dean of the medical school. The school functioned as an independent body under the purview of the Medical Faculty but was, in fact, actually a department of the College and answered to the Geneva College Board of Trustees. Continuing the idea of collaboration, medical professionals from Fairfield Medical College, located approximately 120 miles east of Geneva, agreed to teach and lecture, and when that institution closed in 1839, the medical department at Geneva accepted many of its students. Geneva College was renamed Hobart College in 1852 (shortened from Hobart Free College), but the relationship between the parent school and the medical department remained strong. One of the most notable alumni was Elizabeth Blackwell who, upon graduating in 1849, became the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree.

Despite their strong teaching staff and student body, it was not long before the medical school was not able to keep up with competing institutions. The medical field was changing quickly and education needed to change at an equal pace. Moreover, the rapid development of the railroads and canal systems did not reach Geneva quite as well as other places. Due to elements such as inadequate facilities, an inopportune location, and the lack of a local teaching hospital, the medical school started looking to move elsewhere. The city of Syracuse offered a promising new start with a newly-established university, two local hospitals, a more central location in the state, and a strong economic outlook. In 1871, the Trustees of Hobart College, with the approval of the medical faculty in charge of the school, and Syracuse University came to an agreement: Hobart sold its assets to the last dean of the medical school, who in turn donated them to Syracuse University. In the fall of 1872, the Syracuse University College of Medicine opened.

Scope and Content Note

The Geneva College Medical School Collection includes a variety of material from 1830 to 1942. Most of the items in the collection are annual catalogs, circulars, and registers published by the parent school of the respective time period, Geneva or Hobart College. These all have similar content and provide information such as faculty and student lists, course descriptions, and program requirements for the college as a whole, including the medical department. The collection also contains lectures given at the medical school, a list of female graduates by year, and other documents related to the history of Geneva College and the medical school. A detailed list of the items that were placed into the cornerstone of the original Geneva College Medical School building is also included.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

There are no restrictions on this collection.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

In addition to this collection, the Syracuse University Archives also holds a collection and a clipping file for the Syracuse University College of Medicine.

The Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University holds records of Fairfield Medical College, Herkimer County, New York, as part of the Fairfield Collection.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Blackwell, Elizabeth, 1821-1910.
Cutbush, Edward, 1772-1843.
Fairfield Medical College.
Geneva College (N.Y.)
Geneva College (N.Y.). -- Medical College.
Geneva College (N.Y.). -- Medical Institution.
Geneva College (N.Y.). -- Rutgers Medical Faculty.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
Hobart College. -- Geneva Medical College.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.
Syracuse University. -- College of Medicine.

Subjects

Hobart College -- History.
Medical education.
Medical schools.
College teachers.
Higher education.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Geneva College Medical School Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

The Archives holds no acquisition information regarding this collection.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders and box. Staples and paperclips were removed.

Arrangement

The items are arranged in alphabetical order, with their contents ordered chronologically.

Table of Contents

Records

Inventory