Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Student Photographic File Series Collection
Abstract
Collection of photographs, directories, programs, and related materials associated with the students and graduates of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. They date from the first class in 1875 up to the present time. Materials are arranged chronologically by graduation class year. Most of the files contain photographs of the students, but the first class in this collection containing a photograph was the class of 1888 and it is not until the class of 1925 that there are consistently photographs contained the file. Images include group photographs, but composite photographs of individual students are the most common. The images are mostly photographic prints and negatives, but the collection has been scanned and most of the individual images are available in digital format. The files also reference oversized composites (framed and unframed) contained elsewhere in the collection. These references are also recorded in the abstract of the file description for the corresponding class year.
Dates
- Creation: 1881-2014
Conditions Governing Access
All collections are subject to applicable Vanderbilt University privacy and confidentiality policies. Collection specific restrictions: No Restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright is retained by History of Medicine Collections, Special Collections and University Archives, Vanderbilt University or is retained by the authors of specific published items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
The first students to graduate from Vanderbilt were from the School of Medicine. This was due to the agreement that was made by Vanderbilt University to have a shared medical department with the University of Nashville. Many of the early composites from this period reflect this shared arrangement This lasted for twenty years from 1875 until 1895 when Vanderbilt decided to set up its own school with new faculty. In 1925, the school of medicine was reorganized and relocated from a campus in downtown Nashville to its current location. The consistency of photographs and materials associated with each class is directly related to this this move. During WWII (1941-1945), the School of Medicine responding to the call for a greater need for doctors and surgeons to aid in the war effort, embarked upon and accelerated curriculum in which students graduated in two years rather than the standard four years. The result being that each year produced two graduating classes instead of one.
Full Extent
7.70 Cubic Feet (Collection is contained in filing cabinet (Cabinet 3 Drawer 3 and Cabinet 4 Drawers 1 and 2 Room 332-A))
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
History of Medicine Collections Room.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection consists of mateirals that were gathered and maintained as part of the vertical file series of the History of Medicine Collection beginning in the 1970s and was used to assit in answering reference inquiries regarding students and graduates of the School of Medicine. Many of the photographs and negatives were obtained from the Department of Medical Illustration (Later known as Biomedical Communications) and were incorporated into this collection for convenience and ready reference.
Processing Information
Collection was created shortly after the formal establishemnt of the History of Medicine Collection in 1977 and has been maintained and added to since that time- the bulk of materials being added prior to 2010.
- Title
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Student Photographic File Series Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- History of Medicine Collections Staff
- Date
- 2024-05-09
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the VUMC Historical Images and Biographies Repository
Eskind Biomedical Library
2209 Garland Ave.
Nashville TN 37232
historyofmedicine@vanderbilt.edu
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.