College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Trustees of the Nathan Lewis Hatfield Prize and Lectureship.

The Nathan Lewis Hatfield Prize was established by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1898. The award, the purpose of which was to further original medical research, was established by Nathan Lewis Hatfield's sons, Walter and Henry Reed Hatfield.

As indicated in the deed of trust of the Nathan Lewis Hatfield Prize, drafted in January 1898, three trustees were responsible for administering the Hatfield Prize Fund. In addition, a Committee on the Nathan Lewis Hatfield Prize, consisting of three Fellows appointed by the President, was established to select the recipient of this triennial award. The deed also stated that the prize would take the form of an essay contest and was open to all members of the scientific and medical professions in the United States. The first Nathan Lewis Hatfield Prize was awarded in 1901 to Professor H. F. Harris of Atlanta, Georgia. Due to inadequate submissions, the next prize was not awarded until 1909. In 1914, the rules governing the prize were amended, and the award was converted to a lectureship. The Hatfield Lectures were discontinued in 1972, but reinstated in 1984 by Brooke Roberts, president of the College, who selected new trustees for the fund. At this time, the trustees elected to combine the Hatfield Lecture Fund with the College's Common Discretionary Fund, thereby eliminating the trusteeship. As of 1991, the Hatfield Lectureship is administered through the College's Committee on Program.

...