Medical College of Alabama. Office of the Dean.

The four-year Medical College of Alabama was established in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1945. Dr. Roy R. Kracke was chosen in 1944 to serve as the first dean. The Medical College, utilizing Jefferson-Hillman Hospital, offered a comprehensive educational program in the basic sciences and clinical sciences and was a unit of the University of Alabama. Shortages of faculty, staff, and financial resources hampered early operations. However, Kracke envisioned a medical center with a strong patient care and research focus and formed cooperative relationships with local hospitals. He was also instrumental in locating a Veterans Hospital adjacent to the Medical College. Kracke died suddenly of a heart attack in 1950. The Medical College of Alabama was renamed the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1969 and today is part of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.