A History of The University of Kansas School of Medicine

Origins

In 1880, the University of Kansas began offering the "Preparatory Medical Course". This was the University's only medical course until 1899, when a two-year program was introduced. Meantime, in 1894 Simeon Bishop Bell, MD, offered land and money to the University of Kansas for the construction of a hospital and school of medicine in memory of his wife, Eleanor Taylor Bell. After over ten years of negotiations, three proprietary schools (Kansas City Medical College, the Medico-Chirurgical College in Kansas City, Missouri, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Kansas City, Kansas) merged to form the new University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1905. The School of Medicine was initially organized as two departments. The Scientific Department on the Lawrence campus managed the first two years of medical school, and the Clinical Department in Kansas City was responsible for the third and fourth years. The first classes were held in a building on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. By 1906, the Eleanor Taylor Bell Hospital was constructed on property perched on a rocky bluff one mile north of the present campus site.

Although criticized by Abraham Flexner's 1910 Carnegie Foundation report, Medical Education in the United States and Canada, for being a divided campus, the School of Medicine grew and flourished. The opportunities the new school offered drew physicians and researchers from around the country to the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

A New Beginning

By 1920, the need for a new site for the school became apparent. In 1922 the State Legislature appropriated $235,000 to build a teaching hospital at 39th Street and Rainbow Boulevard. The new KU School of Medicine and Bell Memorial Hospital opened in 1924.

The campus grew over the years, and with an infusion of New Deal construction programs, had nine large medical buildings by 1940. Medical research at the school flourished with a small full-time faculty making significant contributions in the fields of surgery, anatomy, microbiology, physiology, chemistry, and pathology. Some of the leading physicians in the Kansas City area augmented the School's small full-time teaching faculty. The challenge for the medical school was to maintain a state supported institution that not only performed traditional clinical functions, but also educated quality medical professionals and conducted significant research.

The War Years

For the most part, major construction projects at the School of Medicine ceased during WWII. The war, however, profoundly affected the institution. The pace of medical education increased, and in 1944 two medical classes graduated. Many of the school's staff and faculty served overseas in military units. The 77th Evacuation Hospital, which saw action in Africa, Europe, and Germany, was composed almost entirely of doctors and nurses from KU.

During the postwar period a number of new departments were developed. As the health sciences broadened in scope and education of nursing and allied health students expanded, a new name was selected for the campus in 1947 - the University of Kansas Medical Center (UKMC).

Post-war Developments

By mid 20th century, urbanization and the concentration of hospitals and medical opportunities in large cities had a tremendous impact on the health professions. In 1949, the Rural Health Program, conceived by Franklin Murphy, Dean of the School of Medicine, sought to relieve the drain of physicians and nurses from small towns to urban areas of Kansas. The program met with some success in Kansas and became a national model, however, further rural decline was an inevitable consequence of the urbanization of America. Another innovation of this period was allowing groups of physicians to practice geographically full-time on campus, rather than part-time, thus creating a more stable, unified faculty.

The 1950s and 1960s saw tremendous expansion at the Medical Center. Changes in curriculum were implemented and by 1962, all four years of medical school were taught in Kansas City, ending the many years of required courses on the Lawrence campus.

Continued Growth

The continual growth of the Kansas City metropolitan area had a profound effect on the Medical Center. Patient care dramatically increased and the number of employees grew to over 4,500. Due to UKMC's reputation for producing competent, well-trained health professionals, the student population, including medical, nursing, and allied health, grew to over 2,000. The size of the faculty increased, along with the scope of research and clinical operations.

The Medical Center continued to expand and progress during the 1970s, gaining a national reputation as an established institution for quality medical education. During this period, the School of Medicine developed additional departments including Family Practice, a center for women's breast diseases, and the Gene and Barbara Burnett Burn Center, plus an expanded Emergency Medical Service. A community-based clinical campus was established in Wichita, serving approximately 100 medical students and affiliating with several community residency training programs. To cap off the decade, the State Legislature committed $65 million dollars to build the new hospital - the most ambitious construction project in the history of Kansas.

A Commitment to Excellence

Leadership during the 1980s and 1990s oversaw financial improvements, presided over further expansion, enhanced the physical environment, and strove to change the course of health care training and place the Medical Center in the forefront of educational reform.

The new hospital underscored the Medical Center's commitment to modern technology and advanced research. Other new buildings were added to the campus, including Archie R. Dykes Library, a Research Support Facility, and the Kirmayer Fitness Center and Sports Medicine Complex. A new Center for Student Affairs and Educational Development consolidated and improved student services. Meanwhile, the Wichita Campus expanded through new buildings, programs, and affiliations that brought multiple residency programs into association with the Medical School. During the first half of 2001 growth continued and two new building were dedicated: the School of Nursing and the Alfred and Theo Landon Center on Aging. The Medical Center's challenge as it faces its centennial is charting the best course to the pinnacle of medical education in the United States, emphasizing quality instruction and patient care along with innovative research. This course will mandate continued progress in the 21st century for the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Nancy J. Hulston, Archives Director
KUMC Archives, History and Philosophy of Medicine

Clendening History of Medicine Library and Museum

The Clendening History of Medicine Library and Museum is the rare books and manuscripts library of the University of Kansas Medical Center. It actively collects rare books as well as current works in the history of medicine, nursing, and the allied professions. It is located on the 1st Floor of Robinson.

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