Society of Medical History of Chicago

In 1909, the Society of Medical History of Chicago was founded in "to secure and preserve matters pertaining to the history of medical institutions, organizations and individuals particularly of Chicago and the adjacent country; and to stimulate interest in medical history in general." Original members of the society's council included George H. Cleveland, Henry T. Byford, Nathan S. Davis, John Edwin Rhodes, George H. Weaver, and Ludvig Hektoen.

In its early development, the society's explicit purpose was the collection and preservation of material documenting the history of medicine in Chicago. These historical collections were built during the early 1910s through early 1920s, and included print and manuscript material, primarily related to medicine in Chicago in the mid- to late-nineteenth century.

Beginning in the mid-1930s, the society shifted the focus of its activities to publishing, public programs and social events. The organization sponsored lectures, meetings and other events, including the annual Morris Fishbein Lecture; it published the Bulletin of the Society of Medical History of Chicago and internal newsletters. Key members of the group during the mid- to late-twentieth century included Ilza Veith, Frederick Stenn, Leo M. Zimmerman, Morris Fishbein, Allen G. Debus, James B. Herrick, William A. Pusey, Arthur F. Abt, H.W. Kienast, Joseph H. Kiefer, Walter L. Necker, George H. Coleman and William K. Beatty. In 2005, the organization was renamed the Society of Medical History and Humanities of Chicago to reflect its broader research interests.

From the guide to the Society of Medical History of Chicago. Records, 1830-1982, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)