History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

440 History of Medical Practice in IllinoisPresident James closed the medical school of the University for lack ofsupport.We were at the parting of the ways. Then the Alumni Association of thecollege took a hand and saved the day, restoring the college to the Universityas a gift, aided by the faculty, stockholders, students, and other friendsof higher medical education.Shortly after the Dean had announced that the relations between the twoinstitutions had been severed, and that the college was again a privatemedical college, a movement was begun by the Alumni Association of theCollege of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago which resulted in the appointmentof a committee to secure the property of the college for the Universityof Illinois as its permanent medical department. The Council ofthe Alumni Association appointed the writer chairman of this committee.After a strenuous campaign (from July 1912 to January 1913) this committeesucceeded in securing every share(2,170) of the capital stock of thecorporation of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, as a donation tothe University of Illinois, and on March 6,1913, the title and deed of allthe college property was transferred to the University and accepted by theTrustees as the permanent medical department of the University. On thatoccasion the writer said:"Mr. President, in handing over to you this deed and bill of sale, I am not onlytransferring to the Trustees of the University the tangible property of the College,but with it also goes the franchise, the good will, and the high ideals we havemaintained for the past thirty-one years in developing the college. We tender youalso our faculty, our students, and our alumni, and I pledge you the loyal supportof each and every one of them."Mr. President, and members of the Board of Trustees, in voluntarily relinquishingthe control and ownership of this medical school, we realize that theUniversity is greater than the College, that the State is greater then the University,and that your aspirations and desire to build up a great medical department forthe State University are equal, if not superior, to any other similar departmentin any State in the Union. It is worthy of honor and praise for what it has done,but will be worthy of greater honor in what it promises to do under your guidanceand direction in fulfilling its manifest destiny in the future."This transfer ended the corporate existence of the College of Physiciansand Surgeons, and ushered into being the University of Illinois College ofMedicine as its medical department for all time, and under the splendidleadership of Presidents James and Kinley, with their vision of the greatestmedical college in the country, it has gone on and on and upward in theranks of medical colleges, fulfilling its manifest destiny, and with the oldfaculty and many additions of scientifically trained teachers, and the liberalsupport by University appropriations from the state, it is soon to occupythe magnificent new buildings now being erected for its use in the oldbaseball park.