Southern Methodist University medical and pharmacy school records

A Guide to the Collection

Historical Note

September 28, 1915 is recognized as the official date when Southern Methodist University opened the doors of Dallas Hall to its first students, but the university actually issued its first degrees in 1912 before Dallas Hall was built. SMU no longer has a medical school, however, for the brief period that the university’s school of medicine existed, it held the distinction of being the first school to be established and the first school to award degrees.

In October 1910 courses for the eighth annual session of the Southwestern University Medical College—based in Georgetown, Texas—began one hundred sixty miles north of Georgetown. The college was housed in a 90- by 100-foot building made of gray pressed brick located on Hall Street in the heart of the small but growing city of Dallas.

The move presaged the Board of Trustees’ official transferring of its medical school to SMU on April 14, 1911. On that date, Southwestern University Medical College became the Medical and Pharmaceutical Departments of Southern Methodist University, following the recommendation of a commission of clergy and laity appointed by the Methodist Episcopal Church South. On May 31, 1913, fourteen medical school graduates received their degrees, making them the first graduating class of SMU. Among them was John William Macune, who went on to have an illustrious career in both the military and medical fields.

Despite the medical school’s success in achieving a Class A status by the standards established by the Council of Medical Education of the American Medical Association, SMU’s Board of Trustees disbanded the medical faculty in the summer of 1915, citing financial concerns and the more stringent admissions requirements as the reasons. "[F]inancial conditions," the board explained, "are such that the great expense of such a department is not considered justifiable for the limited number of students, and the money can be spent to better advantage in the college of liberal arts."

Although the decision to suspend the Medical and Pharmaceutical Departments of Southern Methodist University was deemed temporary—indeed it was to last only a year, the programs never resumed operations. The medical building was sold to the State Dental College, and much of its medical equipment was purchased by Baylor University.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Southern Methodist University medical and pharmacy school records contain letters, contracts, ephemera, financial ledgers, newspaper articles, and receipts. The correspondences of SMU’s first bursar Frank Reedy figure prominently in the collection, offering insights into the financial and procedural aspects of the medical school.

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Restrictions

Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.

Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Southern Methodist University medical and pharmacy school records, Southern Methodist University Archives, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University.

Acquisition Information

Deposit.

Finding aid written by

George A. Méndez, 2009.

Encoded by

Lara Corazalla, 2009.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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