Victor Vaughan Society
The Victor Vaughan Society for the History and Philosophy of Medicine was established in 1929 by a group of medical students with the help of the chairman of Medicine, Dr. Cyrus Sturgis. For the next 50 years members were invited from the senior class. The Society was named for Victor Vaughan, the dean of the Medical School from 1891 to 1921.
During the society’s first decades, students and faculty mentors presented lengthy papers at the monthly meetings (all preserved in bound volumes now housed in the Taubman Medical Library). The format changed in 1980 to include presentations by students or faculty members interested in the history of medicine. The monthly meetings now include student papers, invited speakers, and annual visits to the Medical Rare Book Room at Taubman Library, the Bentley Library, and the Clements Library. The annual program also includes sessions on Literature and Medicine and a field trip to locations rich in medical history.
In 2003 the society found a permanent home at the Center for the History of Medicine (CHM), which is located in the historic Simpson Memorial Institute on Observatory Street. The first director of the Simpson Institute was Dr. Cyrus Sturgis, whose named library is located on the first floor of the Simpson building, so history and the Victor Vaughan Society truly have come full circle.
For last year’s schedule, visit the 2008 - 2009 Schedule of Events page. For an overview of recent years' events, see CHM’s annual report. All students, faculty, residents, and others interested in the history of medicine are welcome to attend. Drs. Howard Markel, and Alexandra Minna Stern are the faculty advisors, and Akash Goel, Jina Kim and Laurel Elizabeth Roberts are the student presidents for 2009-2010. For more information, call the Center at 734-647-6914, or e-mail Akash, Jina or Laurel.