When they passed through the grand columns at the entrance of their just-completed building in October 1850, the 95 students and five faculty members of the University of Michigan Medical School could not possibly have imagined what they were starting.
They also could not have predicted the discoveries and innovations that those who followed them would make in U-M medical laboratories, classrooms and hospitals over the next 175 years.
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But today, the institution they helped launch has grown into one of the world’s most respected centers of biomedical education, research and advanced clinical training — and one of the largest and highest-ranked health care systems in the nation.
In many ways, it has become what U-M Regent Zina Pitcher envisioned in his 1848 report to his colleagues calling for the creation of a medical school that would be “an example worthy of imitation.”
Michigan Medicine will mark that history over the coming year, through a wide range of activities meant to celebrate and examine the legacy of its past and connect its history to its present and future.
Two anniversaries in one year
The Medical School’s 175 years of history tie closely with another key milestone of 2025: the 100th anniversary of the opening of the University Hospital known as “Old Main.” It welcomed patients from 1925 to 1986 and still looms large in the memories of many who worked, trained or received care there.
This fall, a new hospital — the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Health Care Pavilion — will open where part of Old Main once stood.
“Our 175th anniversary comes at a time of great change for our world, our nation, our university and Michigan Medicine,” said Marschall Runge, dean of the Medical School, CEO of Michigan Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs.
“Amid that change, our Medical School and our entire institution can continue serving the public good through discovery, innovation, education and evidence-based care. Sharing and learning from our history can inspire us all, including a new generation of innovators, scholars and medical professionals.”
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The anniversary celebration begins with the launch of a new website that will share information, links, events, stories and videos throughout the year. It includes an online store selling 175th anniversary apparel, with proceeds going to a fund, to which donors can also contribute, that will help fuel new advancements.
Anyone with memories and photos they’d like to contribute to the commemorations of the Medical School and the Old Main anniversaries can do so through an online form.
Michigan Medicine and the Medical School also will post historical images, highlights and stories to multiple social media platforms throughout the year, using the hashtag #michmed175.
As the year goes on, the celebration will include online and in-person events, and historical exhibits.
Reflecting on all aspects of history
While the anniversary observances include a celebration of the Medical School’s key contributions and notable figures, it also will include reflections on aspects of the institution’s history that look different through a contemporary lens, or when the experiences of those harmed by past medical practice are centered.
Joel Howell, an emeritus professor of medicine and history at U-M who co-wrote a 2017 book on the Medical School, said this is an important part of any historical commemoration.
“For 175 years the U-M Medical School has led the way in discovering causes of disease, developing innovative tools and techniques for improving health, and training generations of scientists and healers,” he said.
“While we take pride in our achievements, it is also important to remember that there were times when we could have done better. Learning from those lessons can help us continue to enhance the lives of countless people in Michigan and beyond.”
Lisa Harris, inaugural director of the Medical School’s new interdisciplinary Center for History, Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in Medicine, added that it’s important to be reflective when looking at past harms caused by medical practitioners.
“While looking at historical harms is vital, doing so can have a double edge when we understand ‘historical’ to mean safely and permanently locked in the past,” said Harris, who also is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Medical School, and professor of women’s and gender studies in LSA.
“Sometimes learning about history makes us feel like we are different from our predecessors, when really we ought to consider how we are the same — how we may hold the same kinds of biases or subscribe to similar harmful ideologies but express them in new ways that are harder to recognize.”
