The Faculty of Medicine is the oldest Faculty at McGill. It grew out of the Montreal Medical Institution which has been organized in 1823 as the teaching arm of the Montreal General Hospital. In 1829, the Medical Institution was engrafted on McGill as the Department (after 1854, Faculty) of Medicine, composed of Drs. William Robertson, William Caldwell, John Stephenson and Andrew Holmes. McGill conferred the first Canadian degree of Doctor in Medicine (and Surgery), M.D., C.M. on William Logie in 1833.
The Medical Faculty occupied a building on Côté Street, Montreal between 1851 and 1872, and afterwards medical buildings on the campus, of which the major one is the McIntyre Medical Building, opened in 1966. Until the expansion of McGill's Faculties, Schools, and Departments, in the last decades of the nineteenth century, the Faculty of Medicine had a very large proportion of the University's students. For example, in the session 1883-1884, medical students numbered 233 out of a total of 511. By 1938-1939, medical students accounted for 458 out of a total of 2,737 degree students. The Medical Faculty is affiliated with various teaching hospitals and institutes, including the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Neurological Institute.
In addition to this Inventory, the "Guide to the Archives of the Medical Library, McGill University" (1972) by Martha Benjamin, available at the Osler Library, should be consulted for other Medical Faculty records.
DEANS OF THE FACULTY
1829-1843 William Robertson, Head of Medical Department
1843-1854 Andrew F. Holmes, Head of Medical Department
1854-1860 Andrew F. Holmes
1860-1882 George W. Campbell
1882-1883 Robert Palmer Howard, Acting Dean
1883-1889 Robert Palmer Howard
1889-1901 Robert Craik
1901-1908 Thomas G. Roddick
1908-1914 Francis J. Shepherd
1914-1921 H.S. Birkett
1915-1919 Alexander D. Blackader, Acting Dean
1921-1922 F.G. Finley
1922-1923 George E. Armstrong
1923-1936 Charles Ferdinand Martin
1936-1940 D. Grant Fleming
1940-1941 J.C. Simpson
1941-1948 J.C. Meakins
1943-1944 John R. Fraser
1949-1956 G. Lyman Duff
1953-1963 Lloyd G. Stevenson
1964-1967 Ronald V. Christie
1968-1973 Maurice McGregor
1973-1978 Patrick Cronin
1978-1981 Samuel O. Freedman
1981- Richard Cruess
MINUTES, 1822-1941
Minutes of the Montreal Medical Institution, 1822-1824, 1 vol, 10 cm (c.1)
Records the establishment of the Institution to provide medical education.
Minutes of the Faculty of Medicine, 1842-1852, 1873-1962, 9 vols, 45 cm (c.2, c.14-c.16, c.40)
The minutes are the primary record which document the administrative decisions of the faculty.
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, 1843-1962
Committees of the Faculty, 1907-1959, 40 cm (c.1-c.2, c.5)
These records consist of minutes, reports and correspondence of the following committees: Education, 1907-1933; Curriculum, 1955-1959; Medical Building, 1907-1913; Museums, 1909-1918; Reunion of Graduates, 1909-1911; Funds for Serving Medical Officers, 1915; Loans and Scholarship, 1920-1955.
Office of the Dean of Medicine, 1900-1979, 7.2 m (c.3-c.8, c.22, c.99-c.107, c.136-c.137, c.162-c.165) PARTS RESTRICTED
The Dean's records are general administrative records consisting of correspondence, reports, appropriations and data on staff and students. These document various aspects of the administrative life of the faculty and its relations with a number of external agencies including national and international medical associations, licensing bodies, physicians, and researchers. The records consist of seven blocks: 1900-1930, 1912-1922, 1912-1929, 1920-1936, 1927-1953, 1927-1955 and 1933-1962. There are no breaks in the series between individual administrations.
Medical Faculty Registrar Correspondence, 1907-1921, 50 cm (c.8-c.10, c.20)
Dr. J.W. Scane acted as Faculty Registrar and Secretary of the Faculty. This series consists of letterbooks and incoming correspondence of the Registrar, 1907-1921. The letterbooks are indexed by correspondent's name and the incoming correspondence is arranged alphabetically.
Financial Records, 1860-1917, 15 cm (c.8, c.18-c.19, c.29)
The greater part of these records consist of cash books which list income and disbursements of the Faculty, 1860-1873, 1893-1906 and statistical statements concerning expenditure and income, 1905-1917.
Staff Records, ca 1965-ca 1981, 2.2 m (c.68-c.69, c.71-c.75) RESTRICTED
These files document staff appointments and terminations.
HISTORICAL MATERIALS, 1843-1978
Scrapbooks, 1843-1911, 1918-1952, 8 vols, 64 cm (c.12, c.14, c.17, c.23-c.24)
The scrapbooks contain specimens of timetables, exams, programmes, admission tickets to classes and Canadian newspaper clippings of items of interest to the Faculty. The four volumes of newspaper clippings are indexed, but the others are not.
Opening of Medical Building, 1895, 10 cm (c.13)
Speeches and reports concerning the opening of Medical Building, 1895
OSLER LIBRARY
Historical Materials, 1832-1978, cm (Acc. 57, 59, 60, 139, 189, 247, 291, 319, 327, 465, 503-505, 560, 616, 623)
These are primarily copies of diverse scattered papers of the Medical Faculty and include correspondence, reports, speeches, a timetable, programmes, an invitation card, printed statutes and photographs. Of special interest are the papers documenting the William Grant Stewart annual bequest ceremony, 1927-ca 1966, and the visitors register, 1895-1911.
STUDENT RECORDS, 1824-1977
Student Registers, 1824-1876, 1895-1919, 5 vols, 54 cm (c.11-c.12, c.20-c.22) RESTRICTED
These contain student's name, birth date, name of guardian, religion and details of matriculation.
Student Record Cards, 1909-1930, 1 cm (c.33, c.34, c.149) RESTRICTED
Student record cards containing transcripts of marks.
Examination Registers, 27 vols, 1896-1923, 80 cm (c.108-c.135) RESTRICTED
These volumes contain lists of students with marks and pass lists.
Student Files, 1930-1940, 1970-1975, 26 m (c.40-c.67, c.138-c.148) RESTRICTED
These files contain the academic records of students and graduates.
Graduate Student Records, ca 1972-1977, 3.6 m (c.166-c.177) RESTRICTED
The files of post-graduate students in medicine contain correspondence and intern permits. Arranged alphabetically.
EXAMINATIONS, 1915-1961
Examinations, 1915, 1918-1923, 1927, 1936-1961, 30 cm (c.12, c.13)
The examination question papers are arranged chronologically by subject or department.
DEPARTMENTAL RECORDS, 1879-1973
Department of Anatomy, 1953-1957
General Administrative Records, 1953-1975, 3 m (c.30-c.32, c.35-c.39, c.70) RESTRICTED
Correspondence, reports, memoranda of the Chairman and of the department, and materials on the International Physiological Congress of 1953.
List of departmental staff; academic and non-academic, 1936-1975, 2 cm (c.28)
This list includes sessional lecturers.
Department of Bacteriology (Immunology), 1940-1973
General Administrative Records, 1940-1973, 1 m (c.158-c.160) RESTRICTED
These records of the chairman include correspondence and files on students and staff.
Department of Pathology, 1954-1967
General Administrative Records, ca 1954-1967, 2.5 m (c.150-c.157) RESTRICTED
These records of the department chairman include correspondence and files on research grants.
College of Pharmacy, 1879-1917
The Montreal College of Pharmacy flourished as an independent institution from its foundation in 1867 to 1917 when its administration and operations were taken over by a department within McGill's Faculty of Medicine. After 1930 the department in the Faculty of Medicine went out of existence but courses in pharmacy continued to be given in the Faculty of Dentistry, until 1932, when the students then in attendance completed their course.
General Administrative Records, 1879-1917, 15 cm (c.25, c.26)
These include correspondence, reports, memoranda, 1879-1917; financial records of pledges, accounts, invoices, 1907-1915; student tickets of admissions, 1891-1910; teaching related items include curriculum, reports, exams, registers and correspondence, 1899-1917.
Department of Pharmacy, 1917-1930
General Administrative Records, 1917-1930, 15 cm (c.26)
Correspondence, 1917-1924; monthly statements, 1918-1927;
Curriculum, marks, reports and time tables, 1917-1932, 10 cm (c.27)
Department of Physiology, 1949-1974
Administrative Records, 1949-1974, 6 m (c.26, c.82-c.98)
Contains general administrative records: correspondence, 1949-1961, 1960-1974; curriculum including lab notes and reports, 1947-1949, 1958-1959.
Department of Psychiatry, 1944-1960
Administrative Records, 1944-1960, 10 cm (c.28)
Contains general administrative records: announcements, correspondence and surveys of the department, and material on the International Physiological Congress, 1953.
Staff Records, ca 1963-ca 1970, 1.8 m (c.76-c.81) RESTRICTED
These files contain information on appointments and terminations.