1912 Letter from the Board of the Birmingham Medical College to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees
Letter written to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees and signed on August 20, 1912 by five members of the Birmingham Medical College Board of Trustees. The 5-page letter is signed by trustees James Weatherly, Sydney J. Bowie, Hill Ferguson, Sterling A. Wood, and Robert Jemison, all alumni...
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University of Alabama Birmingham
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Birmingham Medical College Collection |
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University of Alabama Birmingham |
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University of Alabama Birmingham |
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Birmingham Medical College documents |
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Birmingham Medical College documents 1912 Letter from the Board of the Birmingham Medical College to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees |
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Birmingham Medical College documents Letters; Birmingham Medical College; Medical colleges -- Alabama -- Birmingham |
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Letter written to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees and signed on August 20, 1912 by five members of the Birmingham Medical College Board of Trustees. The 5-page letter is signed by trustees James Weatherly, Sydney J. Bowie, Hill Ferguson, Sterling A. Wood, and Robert Jemison, all alumni of the University of Alabama.The digitization of this collection was funded in part by a grant from the National Library of Medicine.August 20th, 1912.
TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA.
Gentlemen:-
When the Constitution of 1901 was adopted, it was provided that your Board should be self perpetuating, and the sum of Thirty-six Thousand Dollars was appropriated annually for the support of the University. The entire management and control of the University was placed under the Board of Trustees, free not only from executive, but legislative dictation. This was for the purpose of relieving that institution from political influence of any kind, so that it could go on its way accomplishing its high destiny, without bearing the burden and reproach of being a mere political institution.
Because of this fact, we, the Trustees of the Birmingham Medical College, in offering this institution to the University have refrained from asking any committals on this subject from the members of the Board. We have refrained from asking any of their friends, either in Birmingham or throughout the state, to make personal appeals to you in this connection. We do not believe that the Board should, or that it will consider, the private appeals of interested parties, or their friends, either by way of sympathy or prejudice. We say this, because we know that active appeals have been made throughout the state, the effect, if not the intent of which, was to prevent a hearing on its merits of this question before the Board of Trustees. We believe their plan of campaign will fail of its purpose. We think however, that the situation demands that make a full statement to the several members of the Board of Trustees of the reasons which have prompted the owners of this property to offer it to the University, and why, in our judgment, the Trustees of the University should not hesitate to accept the same:
The first two years’ medical course can be taught at one place as well as at another. Birmingham does not claim any advantage over Mobile in that respect, nor, for the matter of that, could Mobile and Birmingham together claim any advantage over Tuscaloosa. The Birmingham Medical College is, therefore, willing to send all its first two years’ students to Mobile. The students attending the College at Birmingham, although it has in the past been a private institution, without endowment of any kind, out-number those attending the college at Mobile by a full one-third, and have been doing so for years. If this can be accomplished without scholarships, without the prestige of state aid, without direct connection with the University, without even private endowment, we must accept the theory that Birmingham is exceptionally well situated and prepared to carry on this work, and have done work of unusually good value.
The great factor in medical education, as you are no doubt aware, is the hospital – in other words, the school of practical experience. The Birmingham Medical College has a contract for ninety-nine years, with the Hillman Hospital, a public institution belonging to the County of Jefferson. The college and the hospital are on adjoining lots, the buildings less than fifty feet apart, and practically they are one property. This county only last week voted One Hundred Thousand Dollars of bonds to improve the Hillman Hospital, Fifty Thousand of which was to be applied to the purchase of the half block adjoining, on which it is proposed immediately to locate a separate building for contagious diseases, and provide ample space for future hospital development. The other Fifty Thousand is to be used in enlarging and improving the present hospital structure, practically doubling its capacity. The issue of the bonds has been authorized and there is absolutely no doubt about this improvement going through. When this is completed, the hospital advantages of the Birmingham Medical College will exceed that of any single school in the South. The owners of this property are physicians of the very highest standing. They are proposing to give it to the University, free and without charge of any kind, the sole condition being that it be operated by the University as a branch medical college, for at least twenty-five years, or, failing in this, that the title revert to the owners.
The recent school census indicates a population for Jefferson County of more than 250,000. The same census indicates a population in Birmingham proper of more than 150,000, its growth in the last ten years exceeding that of any city in its class in the country. From the nature of the industries in this county, the character of its inhabitants, and the rapidity of its growth, it is self-evident that the clinical advantages accruing to this college from its connection with the Hillman Hospital will necessarily increase at an extremely rapid rate. No other institution in the South can hope to compete with it in location or in natural intrinsic advantage. In addition to this, it is only an hour and half by rail and three hours’ ride by automobile from Tuscaloosa.
The fears expressed by certain well meaning citizens of Mobile on this subject, are without foundation. There is no inconsistency in the University of Alabama having two departments of medicine. Well established precedents exist; among others which may be mentioned, where great and successful institutions have had two medical colleges as branches, are the University of California, the University of Missouri and Cornell University. The plan which we propose is obliged to result in benefit to the college at Mobile, their opinion to the contrary notwithstanding. We are offering this property for the purpose of benefiting humanity by promoting the cause of medical education in this state; but we repeat and insist that making this college a branch of the University could not possibly act to the detriment of the college at Mobile, nor is this plan a scheme for the personal advantage of any one. The owners of this property are making great sacrifice in giving it away. The actual value of the lot, building and equipment, to say nothing of the contract with the Hillman Hospital, is not less than $60,000.00. The sole advantage which the owners will derive by turning this over to the University is in the fact that it will give the college a better technical status throughout the country, that it will relieve it of the charge og [sic] being a commercial institution for private gain, and that in time its influence will grow and extend. In this there will be an incidental benefit, wholly reasonable and proper, which the donors will derive from their connection with an institution of that character. Nevertheless the gift will be absolute. Every member of the faculty will tender his resignation to the Board of Trustees, and the Board will be free to elect whomsoever it will, just as it is now free to elect in the same way with reference to the faculty at the University proper. It is in no sense a selfish scheme for personal or private advantage. The leading physicians of Birmingham are members of the faculty, and were the former owners of the property. They have transferred the title to the Board of Trustees above indicated, with the intent and understanding these trustees should on their part tender it to the University of the State. All that this college asks is that the students who have taken the first two years’ course at Mobile or elsewhere, have the option and privilege of taking the last two years at Birmingham, thus reaping the superior advantage of our hospital connection.
The college has been and is self-sustaining. Of course, we believe that if the Legislature should deem it proper to make appropriations for its enlargement and the addition of new facilities, its usefulness can be extended. But that is a matter with which the Trustees will not be called upon to deal, nor will the success of the college, or its apparent advantage to the University itself, be dependent upon any legislative appropriation of the future. It can live as it haslived [sic], upon its own revenue, and it is not expected to draw, to the extent of a single penny, either now or in the future, upon the revenues of the University proper. If its cope is to be ultimately broadened and its facilities increased, recourse will be had, not to the funds of the University proper, but to legislature, or to private endowment. Those are, however, matters distinctively for the future.
We not only believe that in and of itself, it is the duty of the University to take over this property, but we believe that incidentally, as well as directly, this will prove of the highest value to the University, because it will provide an additional line to the chain connecting the University with the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County, from which it already receives its largest patronage, and we believe that this connection will tend greatly to increase its patronage and support.
We, the undersigned, are not only trustees of the Birmingham Medical College, but are alumni of the University of Alabama. We are and always have been zealous and loyal in support of the University. We have never been more earnest than now. We have not a doubt but that if the University should accept this offer and establish a branch of the Medical College in Birmingham, it will greatly stimulate the attendance from Birmingham at the University in every department.
We have written thus at length, because we felt, in view of the personal appeals which have been sent out to all portions of the state asking individuals to communicate directly with you, and in view of the danger of your receiving erroneous impressions from such interviews, that it was only right and proper that you should be fully advised of our attitude and position.
[signed]
James Weatherly
Sydney J. Bowie
Hill Ferguson
Sterling A. Wood
Robert Jemison
Trustees
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| title |
1912 Letter from the Board of the Birmingham Medical College to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees |
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1912 Letter from the Board of the Birmingham Medical College to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees |
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UABmedical138 |
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http://cdm16726.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/MEDICAL/id/138 |
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http://cdm16726.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getthumbnail/collection/MEDICAL/id/138 |
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1705832423169720320 |
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Birmingham Medical College1912 Letter from the Board of the Birmingham Medical College to the University of Alabama Board of TrusteesLetter written to the University of Alabama Board of Trustees and signed on August 20, 1912 by five members of the Birmingham Medical College Board of Trustees. The 5-page letter is signed by trustees James Weatherly, Sydney J. Bowie, Hill Ferguson, Sterling A. Wood, and Robert Jemison, all alumni of the University of Alabama.1912Letters;
Birmingham Medical College;
Medical colleges -- Alabama -- Birminghamletters of correspondenceUAB ArchivesHealth OrganizationsMC29Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. University of Alabama at Birmingham.The digitization of this collection was funded in part by a grant from the National Library of Medicine.University of Alabama at Birmingham. Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences. UAB Archives.The Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies and other reproductions of copyright material. This digitized reproduction may be used for private study, scholarship or research. Permission to publish images will require the completion of a non-exclusive permission agreement form from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.Users should acknowledge the "UAB Archives, University of Alabama at Birmingham." Though UAB has physical ownership of the material in its collection, in some cases the University may not own the copyright to the material. It is the user's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in our collection. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the UAB Archives at (205) 934-1896.August 20th, 1912.
TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA.
Gentlemen:-
When the Constitution of 1901 was adopted, it was provided that your Board should be self perpetuating, and the sum of Thirty-six Thousand Dollars was appropriated annually for the support of the University. The entire management and control of the University was placed under the Board of Trustees, free not only from executive, but legislative dictation. This was for the purpose of relieving that institution from political influence of any kind, so that it could go on its way accomplishing its high destiny, without bearing the burden and reproach of being a mere political institution.
Because of this fact, we, the Trustees of the Birmingham Medical College, in offering this institution to the University have refrained from asking any committals on this subject from the members of the Board. We have refrained from asking any of their friends, either in Birmingham or throughout the state, to make personal appeals to you in this connection. We do not believe that the Board should, or that it will consider, the private appeals of interested parties, or their friends, either by way of sympathy or prejudice. We say this, because we know that active appeals have been made throughout the state, the effect, if not the intent of which, was to prevent a hearing on its merits of this question before the Board of Trustees. We believe their plan of campaign will fail of its purpose. We think however, that the situation demands that make a full statement to the several members of the Board of Trustees of the reasons which have prompted the owners of this property to offer it to the University, and why, in our judgment, the Trustees of the University should not hesitate to accept the same:
The first two years’ medical course can be taught at one place as well as at another. Birmingham does not claim any advantage over Mobile in that respect, nor, for the matter of that, could Mobile and Birmingham together claim any advantage over Tuscaloosa. The Birmingham Medical College is, therefore, willing to send all its first two years’ students to Mobile. The students attending the College at Birmingham, although it has in the past been a private institution, without endowment of any kind, out-number those attending the college at Mobile by a full one-third, and have been doing so for years. If this can be accomplished without scholarships, without the prestige of state aid, without direct connection with the University, without even private endowment, we must accept the theory that Birmingham is exceptionally well situated and prepared to carry on this work, and have done work of unusually good value.
The great factor in medical education, as you are no doubt aware, is the hospital – in other words, the school of practical experience. The Birmingham Medical College has a contract for ninety-nine years, with the Hillman Hospital, a public institution belonging to the County of Jefferson. The college and the hospital are on adjoining lots, the buildings less than fifty feet apart, and practically they are one property. This county only last week voted One Hundred Thousand Dollars of bonds to improve the Hillman Hospital, Fifty Thousand of which was to be applied to the purchase of the half block adjoining, on which it is proposed immediately to locate a separate building for contagious diseases, and provide ample space for future hospital development. The other Fifty Thousand is to be used in enlarging and improving the present hospital structure, practically doubling its capacity. The issue of the bonds has been authorized and there is absolutely no doubt about this improvement going through. When this is completed, the hospital advantages of the Birmingham Medical College will exceed that of any single school in the South. The owners of this property are physicians of the very highest standing. They are proposing to give it to the University, free and without charge of any kind, the sole condition being that it be operated by the University as a branch medical college, for at least twenty-five years, or, failing in this, that the title revert to the owners.
The recent school census indicates a population for Jefferson County of more than 250,000. The same census indicates a population in Birmingham proper of more than 150,000, its growth in the last ten years exceeding that of any city in its class in the country. From the nature of the industries in this county, the character of its inhabitants, and the rapidity of its growth, it is self-evident that the clinical advantages accruing to this college from its connection with the Hillman Hospital will necessarily increase at an extremely rapid rate. No other institution in the South can hope to compete with it in location or in natural intrinsic advantage. In addition to this, it is only an hour and half by rail and three hours’ ride by automobile from Tuscaloosa.
The fears expressed by certain well meaning citizens of Mobile on this subject, are without foundation. There is no inconsistency in the University of Alabama having two departments of medicine. Well established precedents exist; among others which may be mentioned, where great and successful institutions have had two medical colleges as branches, are the University of California, the University of Missouri and Cornell University. The plan which we propose is obliged to result in benefit to the college at Mobile, their opinion to the contrary notwithstanding. We are offering this property for the purpose of benefiting humanity by promoting the cause of medical education in this state; but we repeat and insist that making this college a branch of the University could not possibly act to the detriment of the college at Mobile, nor is this plan a scheme for the personal advantage of any one. The owners of this property are making great sacrifice in giving it away. The actual value of the lot, building and equipment, to say nothing of the contract with the Hillman Hospital, is not less than $60,000.00. The sole advantage which the owners will derive by turning this over to the University is in the fact that it will give the college a better technical status throughout the country, that it will relieve it of the charge og [sic] being a commercial institution for private gain, and that in time its influence will grow and extend. In this there will be an incidental benefit, wholly reasonable and proper, which the donors will derive from their connection with an institution of that character. Nevertheless the gift will be absolute. Every member of the faculty will tender his resignation to the Board of Trustees, and the Board will be free to elect whomsoever it will, just as it is now free to elect in the same way with reference to the faculty at the University proper. It is in no sense a selfish scheme for personal or private advantage. The leading physicians of Birmingham are members of the faculty, and were the former owners of the property. They have transferred the title to the Board of Trustees above indicated, with the intent and understanding these trustees should on their part tender it to the University of the State. All that this college asks is that the students who have taken the first two years’ course at Mobile or elsewhere, have the option and privilege of taking the last two years at Birmingham, thus reaping the superior advantage of our hospital connection.
The college has been and is self-sustaining. Of course, we believe that if the Legislature should deem it proper to make appropriations for its enlargement and the addition of new facilities, its usefulness can be extended. But that is a matter with which the Trustees will not be called upon to deal, nor will the success of the college, or its apparent advantage to the University itself, be dependent upon any legislative appropriation of the future. It can live as it haslived [sic], upon its own revenue, and it is not expected to draw, to the extent of a single penny, either now or in the future, upon the revenues of the University proper. If its cope is to be ultimately broadened and its facilities increased, recourse will be had, not to the funds of the University proper, but to legislature, or to private endowment. Those are, however, matters distinctively for the future.
We not only believe that in and of itself, it is the duty of the University to take over this property, but we believe that incidentally, as well as directly, this will prove of the highest value to the University, because it will provide an additional line to the chain connecting the University with the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County, from which it already receives its largest patronage, and we believe that this connection will tend greatly to increase its patronage and support.
We, the undersigned, are not only trustees of the Birmingham Medical College, but are alumni of the University of Alabama. We are and always have been zealous and loyal in support of the University. We have never been more earnest than now. We have not a doubt but that if the University should accept this offer and establish a branch of the Medical College in Birmingham, it will greatly stimulate the attendance from Birmingham at the University in every department.
We have written thus at length, because we felt, in view of the personal appeals which have been sent out to all portions of the state asking individuals to communicate directly with you, and in view of the danger of your receiving erroneous impressions from such interviews, that it was only right and proper that you should be fully advised of our attitude and position.
[signed]
James Weatherly
Sydney J. Bowie
Hill Ferguson
Sterling A. Wood
Robert Jemison
Trustees
bmc147_1912_letter.pdfBirmingham Medical Collegehttp://cdm16726.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/MEDICAL/id/138 |