By a letter from Dr. William Shippen to the board of trustees, written in September, 1765, it appears that the institution of a medical school in this city, had long been a favourite object with him, and that in an introductory lecture to a course of anatomy, delivered three years previously to the date of the letter, he had publicly announced his belief in the expediency and practicability of the measure. Having, when in England, communicated his plan to Dr. John Morgan,[1] who was then prosecuting his medical studies in that country, he had resolved to postpone any attempt to carry it into effect, till the return of that gentleman should afford an opportunity of securing his co-operation. In the mean time, however, Dr. Morgan had interested in favour of the project several influential individuals in England; and it was proposed that a school of medicine should be engrafted on the Philadelphia college, the professors to be appointed, and the degrees to be conferred, as in the other department Among those who exhibited the strongest interest in the affair were Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Peters, former presidents of the board, at that time residing in Great Britain, and Thomas Penn, the proprietary of Pennsylvania; from all of whom Dr. Morgan, on his return to Philadelphia, brought letters to the trustees, strongly advising the adoption of his plan, and recommending the Doctor himself to their choice, as one of the professors,[2] These letters were presented to the
- ↑ The gentlemen already mentioned among the first graduates of the college.
- ↑ The following is the letter from Mr. Penn, extracted from the minutes of the board of trustees. "Dr. Morgan has laid before me a proposal for introducing new professorships into the college, for the instruction of all such as shall incline to go into the study and practice of physic and surgery, as well as the several occupations attending upon these necessary and useful arts. He thinks his scheme, if patronised by the trustees, will at present give reputation and
