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Marion Sims-Beaumont College of Medicine

St. Louis, Missouri

1890-1903

E-Travel

St. Louis University has digitized  the 1903 Mirror-Speculum, Marion Sims-Beaumont’s only yearbook, and put it online.  The Archives of the Pius XII Library at St. Louis University has kindly provided supporting materials, including the logo at right.

History

Marion Sims College of Medicine was founded by a group of St. Louis physicians in 1890 and named for Marion Sims, a physician regarded as the “Father of Gynecology.”  A new building had been completed by the time classes opened on October 1, 1890.  The first class contained 139 students from 15 states.  A year later when the course had been expanded to three years, 271 students were enrolled.  In 1893 the Rebekah Hospital was added.  In 1894 with the addition of the dental school, enrollment topped 300.  By the end of the decade the medical program had been expanded to four years, and the dental program to three.

 

In 1900 Marion Sims College consolidated with the Beaumont Hospital Medical College (founded 1884) , leading to an increase in enrollment. The 1903 Mirror-Speculum shows a student body of 368 in the medical college and 163 in the dental college.

 

The Mirror-Speculum shows that the dental college had a chapter of the Delta Sigma Delta fraternity and also sponsored a band.  The school had a chapter of the Y.M.C.A., the college providing two rooms—a reading room and a games room—for its use.  The “Y” provided opportunities for finding employment, for socializing, for music, for Bible study and for Sunday meetings. The yearbook suggested that the atmosphere of these rooms served to ameliorate any rowdiness in students.  The two major social events of the calendar both involved football.  The students had a chartered train to Lebanon, IL for the McKendree game.  Apparently half of the student body accompanied the team.  The other social event was the banquet at the end of the football season.

 

Recommendations by the American Medical Association that medical schools be affiliated with a regular university led to Marion Sims-Beaumont’s becoming a part of St. Louis University in 1903.

Marion Sims building complex (Mirror-Speculum, St. Louis University Libraries Digital Collections)

Bricks and Mortar

The location of the Marion Sims College of Medicine was the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Caroline Street. The yearbook notes that many considered this to be a poor location, but soon the city moved in that direction.  Additionally, this location attracted many lower income residents in need of the school’s free dispensary.  The medical school complex soon included the Rebekah Hospital and the dental school.

 

This location also made the school attractive to the nearby St. Louis University, which purchased the college in 1903.

 

The archivists report that all of the original buildings are gone.  Today the site of the complex is the location for the St. Louis University Hospital.

 

Sports

       Colors: Blue and Gold

       Team name:  St. Louis newspapers call

              the team the Medicos

                                   

The Mirror-Speculum shows football as the only sport offered at M-S-B, instigated by a dental student who “conceived the happy idea of practicing knocking out teeth while at play.” According to the College Football Data Warehouse, the 1900 team, the school’s first, was undefeated in two games, and the 1901 team played the University of Illinois.  The 1902 team compiled a 5-1-2 record, winning the final four games.  Those wins came against McKendree, Illinois State Normal, St. Louis University and what is now Southern Illinois.  These were in addition to an early season  win over West End Athletic Club.  After opening with a scoreless tie with the East St. Louis High School Alumni, the team suffered back-to-back losses to Rolla School of Mines and Warrrensburg Normal.  The 1902 team would be  the last for the Blue and Gold before the merger with St. Louis University

1902 Marion Sims-Beaumont football team. National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.319510014155357;view=1up;seq=336.   Last accessed 5-1-2018

Note: Images are used in accordance with their “terms of use” as I understand those terms.  Recopying or republishing these images may be restricted or forbidden.

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