John Berrien Lindsley

 Digital Record
Identifier: 41
John Berrien Lindsley

Dates

  • 1860 - 1906

Creator

Notes about Access to this Collection

All collections are subject to applicable VUMC privacy and confidentiality policies. Collection specific restrictions: No Restrictions.

Reproduction Rights

Copyright is retained by Eskind Biomedical Library Special Collections.

Historical or Biographical Note

John Berrien Lindsley (1822-1897) was an educator, author, ordained minister, professor, and physician. Diversely talented and having many interests, his greatest contribution was the advancement of public health, public education, and medical education in Tennessee and the South.

He was born on October 24, 1822 at Princeton, NJ. John received his B.A. in 1839 and his M.A. in 1841 from the University of Nashville. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1843 from the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medicine.

He helped establish the Medical Department of the University of Nashville, where he was a professor of chemistry from 1850-1873. He was dean of the medical faculty until 1855, when he was elected chancellor of the university, and he was largely responsible for the survival of the university during the Civil War. He had a role in the formation of the Tennessee College of Pharmacy in 1870, and he was a professor there from 1870-1880. He was a professor of Sanitary Science and State Preventative Medicine for the University of Tennessee from 1880-1897.

Lindsley was instrumental in the development of Nashville's public school system, serving on the Board of Education from 1856-1860, and as superintendent of schools in 1866. He also worked for the passage of the law that established the Tennessee State Board of Health in 1877. He served as secretary of the board from its establishment until his death. He was also public health officer in Nashville from 1876 to 1880.

For more information and pictures please see the VUMC Online Biography of John Berrien Lindsley.

Language of Materials

English

Acquisition Information

Acquired on Unknown Date

Abstract

Small collection of correspondence that belonged to John Berrien Lindsley (1822-1897), author, educator and professor at the University of Nashville, whose greatest contribution was the advancement of public health, public education, and medical education in Tennessee and the South. The collection includes letters to J.B. Lindsely, his wife, and Louise Lindsley, from various sources; one letter by Dr. Lindsley; eulogy of Dr. Lindsley by D.C. Smith; manuscript on history of Nashville medicine.

Collection Scope and Content Summary

Small collection of correspondence that belonged to John Berrien Lindsley (1822-1897), author, educator and professor at the University of Nashville, whose greatest contribution was the advancement of public health, public education, and medical education in Tennessee and the South. The collection includes letters to J.B. Lindsely, his wife, and Louise Lindsley, from various sources; one letter by Dr. Lindsley; eulogy of Dr. Lindsley by D.C. Smith; manuscript on history of Nashville medicine.

Processing History

processed on Unknown Date

Repository Details

Part of the Eskind Biomedical Library Manuscripts Collection Repository

Contact:
Eskind Biomedical Library
2209 Garland Ave.
Nashville TN 37232


 

About this Site

This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.

Requesting Materials

Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.