Galens Medical Society.

The Galens Honorary Medical Society was founded in 1914 as an honor society for upperclassmen in the university medical school. According to its original constitution, its purpose was to foster mental and social relationships between faculty and upperclassmen and between fraternity members and independents. The society's other goals included standing for the honor system and inviting leading medical professionals to speak to the club or in classes. In the following decades, the Galens broadened their activities and membership. In 1975, they revised their constitution, defined themselves as a service organization, and renamed themselves the Galens Medical Society. Their new statement of purpose reflected years of development in its emphasis on assisting underprivileged and crippled children, providing loans and scholarships for medical students, promoting medical education and scholarship, and furthering the activities and traditions of the university medical school.

From 1914 to 1948, membership in the society was divided into two categories: active and honorary. The society elected twenty to twenty-five active members from the junior and senior classes. About two-thirds of the students belonged to fraternities. Honorary members were elected from previous Galens who remained actively connected with the University of Michigan. The society also elected faculty prefects to serve as advisors for one to two years. In 1948, the Galens limited the number of active members from any one fraternity and distinguished between alumnus membership and honorary membership. They elected honorary members from the medical school male faculty, even if they had not been a Galen previously. In 1954, membership expanded to twenty-eight members and has grown ever since. In the 1960s, when election procedures for new active members were questioned, they considered other procedures for electing new members, such as faculty or self-nominations. They eliminated the minimum fraternity membership requirements in 1968 and admitted women in 1971. Sophomores were admitted by 1982, and freshmen were included by 1988. With the new election procedures, membership swelled to over one hundred fifty members in the 1980s and 1990s.

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