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Show Utah State Historical Society 300 Rio Grande Salt Lake City LTT 84101 Despite Its Critics, Remote Morgan Medical College Served a Need WHENFR EDERICKK OHLERT OLDXI. S- F RIENDS A.. ASSOCIATES that- he was going to establish Utah's first medical college in the remote town of Morgan they laughed. How wuld a town of less than 300 people attract the students and resources needed to maintain a professional institution such as a medical school? But Kohler ignored the criticisms. Determined to achieve his dream, and with the help of civic leaders, he established the college in 1880. As predicted, it closed two years later due to a general lack of popular support. After Kohler arxived in Morgan in 1879 he quickly gained a reputation as a skilled doctor. Trained at the Eclectic Medical College of Pennsylvania, on battlefields of the Civil War as a military surgeon, and at the Cincinnati Medical College, he was respected for his impressive medical education. Within weeks he developed a large clientele within the town and in the surrounding area. Although he was a Presbyterian in a largely Mormon population, Kohler was well liked in the town. He developed strong relationships with town leaders such as William Parker, the LDS bishop of the Morgan ward. It was to Parker and others that Kohler went to discuss the possibility of establishing a medical college in the town. The idea was strongly supported by the town leaders, and steps were immediately taken to establish the college. On January 31, 188O- only a few months after Kohler's arrival- a meeting was held in the ZCMI building to formally incorporate the school under the laws of Utah Temtory. The committee decided to call the school " The Medical College of Utah." Frederick Kohler was named dean of the college, Bishop Parker the president, Anthony Peterson the vice- president, and James M. Mason the secretary. By signing the contract, the four men promised to fulfill their respective positions for a period of 25 years. During the next month the committee worked hard to increase public awareness of the school. Newspaper ads listed the credentials of Frederick Kohler and in bold the starting date of wurses as March 20, 1880. Some ads described the positive aspects of the school, including its quiet, peaceful setting that was conducive to learning: " The location is a favorable one in the midst of one of the most beautiful mountain regions on the continent. " The ads must have appealed to some, because after a trial session from March to the end of June, six students registered for the fall 1880 session. The one course offered during the term emphasized general medical practice, midwifery, and home nursing. The college's second session was delayed until the fall of 1881 because Dr. Kohler had to return to Indiana to settle some family business. During his journey he purchased a skeleton to be used for the college. This item was added to a small collection of books and teaching aids that had been donated or purchased ( more) during the year. When courses began in November for the second session ten students enrolled, including many who had attended the first session a year earlier. Those who completed both sessions and passed an exam in Salt Lake City became the college's first graduating class. The Medical College boasted four graduates in 1882. One of the most exceptional graduates that year was Emmeline Grover Rich of Bear Lake. As the sixth wife of Charles Coulson Rich ( the man for whom Rich County was named) and mother of seven, Emmeline was highly involved in the affairs of her family and community. Despite her enormous responsibilities, she was one of the first to enroll in the Medical College when it & st opened in 1880. Her interest in medicine stemmed from a blessing she had received from Brigham Young that described her special skills in healing and medicine. She had cared for the sick throughout her community but had lacked the education needed to perform complex medical procedures. Through her training at the Medical College she became a certified midwife and nurse. She practiced medicine for forty years in the Bear Lake area, serving as the region's only pharmacist and as a " doctor of nearly everything." Just when the Medical College began to see some progress, a stinging attack in the Salt Lake Herald on July 27, 1882, ruined prospects. for a third session scheduled to begin in August. The newspaper stated that no respectable physician or surgeon in Salt Lake City had heard of the college. Furthermore, the writer questioned ' why a college should have been founded at a mere way- station in a canyon. " The next day the Herald continued its attack, stating that a diploma from the school would not be considered valuable by any respectable physician. Although a statement by Bishop Parker that defended the reputation of Kohler and the college was published on July 30, the damage had already been done. No one registered for the third session. Discouraged, the staff of the college decided to close the institution. When the Herald discovered that Frederick Kohler had left town at the end of August, they claimed a double victory in shutting down the school and driving the doctor out of the temtory. In reality, the victory of the bully newspaper was not so complete. Kohler, who had been visiting friends in Denver, returned to Morgan where he continued his medical practice and also trained nearly 20 women in midwifery. Among those certified from his training were Cordelia Smith, Lisette Ursenbach Compton, and Helen Condio Thackery. Though stripped of its name and formality by the press attacks, the Morgan medical school continued to train and educate students through the dedication of Frederick Kohler. See Blanche Rose, History of Medicine in Utah ( 1939); Robert T. Divett, " Utah's First Medical College," Utah Historical Quarterly 31 ( 1963); Fine Arts Study Group, Mountains Conquered ( 1959); John Henry Evans, Charles CouIson Rich ( 1936); Mildred Thornson, Rich Memories ( 1962); Salt Lake Herald, July and August 1882. THE HISTOBRLYA ZER is produced by the Utah State Historical Society and funded in part by a grant from the Utah Statehood Centennial Commission. For more information about the Historical Society telephone 533 - 3500. |
