Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia
Records, 1858-1976
MC 89

Extent:6 linear feet

Provenance:College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Mutter Museum

Access:Patient files may be used, but personal names cannot be cited

Citation:Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia Records, Center for the Study of the History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania

Sponsorship:This collection was processed with funds provided by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission as part of the Nursing History Processing and Cataloging Project

Historical Sketch. The Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia was established in 1861. The hospital began a training school for nurses two years later that was the first known chartered school for nurses in the United States. In early years, the school was affiliated with Blockley (Philadelphia General Hospital) and Pennsylvania Hospitals for the training of nurses. An Alumnae Association was organized in 1889. The hospital merged with the West Philadelphia Hospital for Women in 1929. After the merger of the two hospitals, the two Alumnae Associations also merged in 1931. The school were closed in February 1964 and the hospital was absorbed by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania the same year and officially closed in February 1965. The Nurses' Alumnae Association of the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia donated the collection to the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1976. The College transferred it to the Center in 1991.

Summary. The collection came from three main sources: the Woman's Hospital, the School of Nursing, and the Nurses' Alumnae Association. As the hospital merged with the West Philadelphia Hospital for Women and Children in 1929, the collection also contains a file of the latter hospital. History accounts and administrative records (minutes, annual reports, etc.) are two important features of the collection. So far as forms are concerned, the collection covers a wide variety ranging from board minutes, hospital annual reports, correspondence, programs of all kinds of social activities, nurse certificates, books and publications, photographs, to artifacts.

Series Description. This collection has been arranged into seven series:

Series I. Hospital, 1858-1976. The records of the hospital consist of bylaws, annual reports, history, documents of structure and function, correspondence, addresses and lecture notes by members and associates of the hospital, patient files, and publications.

Series II. Nursing School, 1876-1973. This series consists of a historical account of the school, correspondence from 1937 to 1952, program brochures for various kinds of school activities, class yearbooks and the proposal from Florence Stump for the preservation of the school's records.

Series III. Nurses' Alumnae Association, 1890-1973. Included in this series are constitution and bylaws, minutes books from 1895 to 1920, and some newsletters published by the alumnae association.

Series IV. West Philadelphia Hospital for Women and Children, 1897-1939. This small series includes an account of the hospital's history, a chronological outline of its training school and annual reports from 1919 to 1923.

Series V. Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania. This series contains one photograph of WMCP collected by the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Series VI. Most of the photographs collected here are of the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia. Only a small portion is of the West Philadelphia Hospital for Women and Children. So far as subject matter is concerned, the photographs fall into three main categories: hospital buildings and interior facilities; class group photographs; photographs of individuals or group of individuals on various occasions.

Series VII. Artifacts and Memorabilia. This series includes memorial plaques, nurse caps, a doll, instruments used by nurses, and pieces of bricks chipped from the hospital building in 1973.

Series I. Hospital, 1858-1976
Box 1
Box 8 "Charter and Bylaws," a framed tablet bearing Section 4 of WHP bylaws and charter certification by Commonwealth Deputy Secretary on 2 APR 1861
f. 1 Charter and bylaws, 1861
f. 2 Bylaws revision, 1946
f. 3 Chronological outline of history of nurse instruction since 1839, [1950]
f. 4 Chronological notes of 1961-1894
f. 5 Historical account on the occasion of the founding of the new hospital building, 1930
f. 6 Chronological outline, 1931
f. 7 History by Mary W. Griscom, 1934
f. 8 Endowments, chronological notes, 1865-1906
f. 9 Published history, reprints, 1934
f. 10 History, drafts, 1931-1953
f. 11 Minutes of the Governing board, 1863-1881
f. 12 Minutes of the joint board meetings of Woman's Hospital and West Philadelphia Hospital, 1929-1930
f. 13 Board of Managers, lists, 1960-1964
f. 14 Ledger book: "Old Records," 1866-1885

f. 15 1862-1873
f. 16 1874-1883
f. 17 1884-1890
f. 18 1891-1895
f. 19 1904, 1905, 1909, 1912-1914, 1925, 1930

Box 2
f. 20 The Board's work report, 1931
f. 21 Annual report: centennial year, 1961
f. 22 Rules for medical staff, undated
f. 23 Rules for the government, 1912
f. 24 Committee on Nurses: Rules for nurses in training, undated
f. 25 Rules and regulations for the government of the staff, [before 1952]
f. 26 Philosophy and objectives, 1961
f. 27 Information book, 1961
f. 28 House staff manual, 1963
f. 29 Correspondence, 1928-1973
f. 30 Correspondence re merger with West Philadelphia Hospital, 1929-1930
f. 31 Correspondence, miscellaneous, 1939-1961
f. 32 Correspondence re commemorative stamp, 1961
f. 33 Correspondence re Pennsylvania Loyalty Act, 1962-1963
f. 34 Correspondence re merger with University of Pennsylvania, 1964
f. 35 Outline for the preparation of an historical review of a school of nursing, 1968

f. 36 Valedictory addresses and introductory lectures to Female Medical College, 1858-1863
f. 37 Address "Nursing the Sick and the Training of Nurses," 21 MAY 1863
f. 38 "Woman as Physicians," 1867
f. 39 Valedictory address to the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, 1870
f. 40 Joseph S. Longshore: Introductory lecture to Penn Medical University of Philadelphia, 1860
f. 41 Address by Eliza E. Judson in memory of Ann Preston, 1873
f. 42 Lecture notes by Mrs. Greensfelder on history of nursing, undated
Box 7/f.1 Ruth King Yarnall: Certificates, 1909, 1933

f. 43 #540-#564, 1868
f. 44 #1849-2135, 1875
f. 45 #2162-#2267, 1876
f. 46 #2275-#2418, 1876
f. 47 #2460-#2582, 1877
f. 48 #2586-#2708, 1877

Box 3

f. 49 Patient Handbooks, undated
f. 50 Children's House Committee: Brochure, undated
f. 51 Brochure: "The School of Nursing," [after 1929]
f. 52 Modern hospital sketches by Mary Milner, reprinted 1948
f. 53 The Thermometer, 1950-1963
f. 54 Employee newsletter, 2 JUN 1963
f. 55 The Monthly News, 1906-1907
f. 56 The Woman's Hospital Herald, 1930
f. 57 "A Book About Them," [after 1929]
Box 7/f.2 "Second Century Founders," [after 1961]

ffile 5 Daily Evening Bulletin, 5 NOV 1861, two enlarged photocopies
f. 58 Newspapers, 1924-1965
f. 59 Davis' Nursing Survey, MAY 1940
f. 60 Philadelphia Medicine, MAY 1961
f. 61 Miscellaneous, [1953-1976]
f. 62 List of the recipients of the Pauline Medal, 1877-1953

Series II. Nursing School, 1876-1973
f. 1 History, 1925
f. 2 Report, 1876

f. 3 "Historical Letters," 1937-1948
f. 4 General, 1944-1952
f. 5 Contracts with the School of Nursing of the University of Pennsylvania, 1962- 1964
f. 6 Regulations re Prizes, [after 1935]
f. 7 Commencement programs, 1909-1956
f. 8 Graduating Exercises, 1932, 1960
f. 9 Commencement Programs, 1940, 1943, 1953, 1961, 1962
f. 10 Miscellaneous ceremony programs, 1940-1960
f. 11 Reunion programs, 1940, 1970
f. 12 Capping ceremony, mailing list, 1960

f. 13 1929
f. 14 1930
f. 15 1931-1932
f. 16 1937

Box 4
f. 17 Students' Handbook, 1961-1962
f. 18 Bulletin, 1957-1960
f. 19 Musical score: "Pomp and Circumstances," [1902]
f. 20 Miscellaneous, 1959-1964
f. 21 Proposal from Florence Stump for the preservation of the school's historical records, 1973
Series III. Nurses' Alumnae Association, 1890-1973
f.1 Constitution, Bylaws and Ethics, 1925

f.2 13 MAR 1895-12 DEC 1900
f.3 9 JAN 1901-10 MAR 1909
f.4 12 MAY 1909-9 JUN 1915
f.5 13 OCT 1915-11 FEB 1920

Box 5
f.6 Publication: The Echo, 1948-1956
f.7 Reception Program, 1948
f.8 Correspondence, 1924
f.9 Scrapbook, 1919-1965
f.10 Correspondence and data collected by Florence Stump, 1973
f.11 Deed and Indenture for Sarah E. Huntington, 1890
f.12 Caption labels used for an exhibition on the hospital, [1970's]

Series IV. West Philadelphia Hospital for Women and Children, 1897-1939
f.1 Official history, [1897]
f.1a Charter, bylaws, and rules and regulations, 1912
f.2 Training school, chronological outline, 1930
f.3 Annual reports, 1919, 1920, 1923
ffile 5 Certificates for Margaret A. MacLeman, 1918, 1939

Series V. Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania
Box 6/p.39 1 Photograph, Class of 1899 in the Bacteriological Laboratory

Series VI. Photographs
Box 6

p. 1 Emeline H. Cleveland, M.D., first resident physician and superintendent of the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia (1862-1868)
p. 2 Hannah Croasdale (1835-1912), graduate nurse of WHP (1886) and faculty of the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania (1871-1902)
p. 3 Dr. Catherine MacFarlane, undated
p. 4 Mrs Close and Miss Seldomridge, undated

p. 5 Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia at 2137 North College Avenue
p. 6 Woman's Hospital building at North College Avenue
p. 7 Woman's Hospital building at College Avenue, back view
p. 8 Elizabeth Peck Building, front view
p. 9 Elizabeth Peck Building, side view
p. 9a Dispensary
p. 10 Ann E. Broomall Maternity Building
p. 11 Miller Home for Nurses
p. 12 Plan for the Woman's Hospital--"The Dream"
p. 13 The 1931 look of the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia, on the site of the West Philadelphia Hospital for Women and Children
p. 14 West Philadelphia Hospital for Women and Children

p. 15 The Earle Operating Room
p. 16 Delivery Room, with Miss Davidson (supervisor)
p. 17 Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia lab
p. 18 Fourth Floor Ward
p. 19-20 Diet Kitchen

p. 21 "Biddle-Irvine Band," a Thursday Sewing Circle organized to make linen, etc. for the Woman's Hospital, [1906] (two identical pictures, with one 3 by 4 duplicate and a negative)
p. 22 Class of 1915
p. 23 Class of 1918
p. 24 Class of 1919 with babies, 1918
p. 25 Class of 1927, two pictures taken in front of the Senior Nurse Home (stuck on one sheet)
p. 26 Graduate Nurses' Chorus of Philadelphia, 1937
p. 27 Juniors of 1943
p. 28 Class of 1946
p. 29 Bertha Seldomridge, Esther Hoffman Buffy and four others, no date
p. 30 Group picture, three seated, three standing, no date
p. 31 Group picture, four seated, six standing, no date
p. 32 Group picture, 12 persons, no date
p. 33 Group picture, 5 persons in front of the Shepard Memorial Building
p. 34 "Farewell, Seniors," no date
p. 34a A group of c. 30 people sitting in the old hospital basement during a ceremony for the dedication of a new clinic, [c. 1929]
Meeting to develop the interest in the history of nursing, held at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 1974
p. 35 Someone of the alumnae association of the Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia presents some publications to the president (?) of CPP
p. 36 Group picture
p. 39 Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, Class of 1899 in the Bacteriological Laboratory

(P. 1) Emeline H. Cleveland
(p. 16) Delivery Room
(p. 19) Diet Kitchen
(p. 22) Class of 1915
(p. 24) Class of 1919 with babies
(p. 28) Class of 1946
(p. 34) "Farewell, Seniors"
(p. 37) Operating Room
(p. 38) Seminar session (?)
(p. 40) Ann Preston
(p. 41) Hospital building (copied from History of Nursing in Pennsylvania by Roberta M. West)
(p. 42) Clinic amphitheater, 1892 (copied from History of Nursing in Pennsylvania by Roberta M. West)

f. 1 Album (Scrapbook), photos of nursing students, [1930]
f. 2 Miscellaneous pictures
Box 7/f.3 Three photos of nurse dolls

Oversized
Box 7
f.1 Ruth King Yarnall: Certificates, 1909, 1933
f.2 Publication: "Second Century Founders," [after 1961]
f.3 Three photos of nurse dolls

Series VII. Artifacts
Box 8
A framed tablet bearing Section 4 of WHP bylaws and charter certification by Commonwealth Deputy Secretary on 2 APR 1861
Nurse caps, pins, costume uniforms
Two metal memorabilia plaques with inscriptions of "The Woman's Hospital of Philadelphia, the First Chartered School of Nursing in the United States, Founded March 22, 1861," and "The Rachel Comly Shallcross Memorial"

Box 9
Instruments, fluter iron (with base), chips of bricks, etc.

Box 10
A Doll

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