{"id":1607,"date":"2024-04-26T20:11:48","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T20:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2026-03-25T03:51:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T03:51:41","slug":"hospital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"The College Hospital (1894\u20131924)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the first four decades or so of its existence, the Michigan Agricultural College had no hospital or medical facilities to speak of. This was an untenable situation, because contagious diseases were a constant threat. For example, a diphtheria epidemic in 1862 left five dead and \u201csent many home.\u201d According to Beal, \u201cin 1875\u20131895 it was not very unusual for a student or two to come down with measles or mumps and be followed by large numbers until the disease had literally gone through the College student body of one hundred fifty to three hundred.\u201d He recalled \u201cseveral distressing instances of this character.\u201d1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These local epidemics were noticed by the general public, and they were giving the College a poor reputation. The Board of Agriculture and the Legislature paid heed, and even in an era of extremely stingy finances the bad press was a powerful lever: as Kuhn noted, \u201cBuilding grants in President Clute\u2019s four years [1889\u20131893] were confined to a botany laboratory<\/a> to replace one that had burned in 1890, a greenhouse to succeed one that had rotted away, and a small hospital because epidemics were creating a scandal.\u201d The Board requested $2,500 for the hospital, which was swiftly approved by the 1893 Legislature.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The College Hospital, circa 1910. Image source: Beal<\/a>, p. 285.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Hospital was constructed in 1894 at the northern edge of campus near Grand River Avenue, facing the south end of Abbot Road (which at that time ended at Grand River) and straddling the township line. It had seven rooms and two bath rooms. It is not clear who its architect was.3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Board resolved to \u201csecure the services of some reputable physician,\u201d and established \u201ca tax of ten cents a week from every resident on the college premises\u201d to cover costs of the doctor, medicines, etc. However these plans were soon rescinded, for reasons that are not entirely clear, and for its first several years the hospital was operated on an ad-hoc basis, with a rotating series of doctors called in when needed (among them C. M. Dickson<\/a>) and often unqualified employees of the College acting as impromptu attendants. The Board even authorized the President to rent out the building \u201cunder certain conditions\u201d (that the Board left unspecified), which to this author seems questionable if not downright unsanitary.4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President J. L. Snyder later summed up those years with this understatement: \u201cAt no time was the service altogether satisfactory.\u201d5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, on September 1, 1900 the College appointed a trained nurse, Rowena Ketchum, to be in charge of the Hospital. She was paid a salary of $300 per year\u2014about half of what an Instructor might earn\u2014but also was permitted \u201cto collect five dollars per week from such students as were confined in the hospital.\u201d The change was immediate:6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The hospital service the past year [1900\u20131901] has been very satisfactory. Students seemed to appreciate the service of Miss Ketchum and were almost always ready and willing to go to the hospital when ill. The building has been fitted up with neat, small iron bedsteads, and is in every way very neat and comfortable. Serious illness is often avoided by prompt removal to the hospital and such special care as only a trained nurse can give.<\/p>\n40th AR<\/a> (1901), p. 22.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Four Detention Hospitals, circa 1910. At right is a horticultural barn. Image source: Beal<\/a>, p. 286.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A slight improvement to the cause of good health on campus came in the form of four small isolation cottages built just east of the Bacteriology Lab<\/a> in 1909.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nurse Ketchum retired around 1919, a year which was not very promising for the health division. No full-time nurse was on staff, and the main hospital building was converted to house the local Y.M.C.A., which had lost its previous home in the Williams Hall<\/a> fire. The little isolation cottages became the \u201cofficial college hospital.\u201d With hindsight this seems like pure folly, as the winter of 1920 saw a major outbreak of the influenza pandemic that had been raging worldwide since 1918. The old hospital building was rushed back into service, with overflow patients forced into the music building (formerly Faculty Row \u2116 9<\/a>) for men, and Howard Terrace<\/a> for women. To make matters worse, \u201ca great many students have the measles and where to put these cases is causing some worry.\u201d7<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campus epidemic resulted in at least two deaths. Somehow the College weathered the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 1924, the original hospital building was obsolete\u2014not to mention standing in the path of the planned Abbot Entrance boulevard\u2014so it was moved to 901 Abbot Road, on the northwest corner at Centerlawn Avenue, and converted to a residence. (Coincidentally, it was replaced by a medical office building in 1967.) The isolation cottages were also removed, to make room for the new\u00a0Horticulture Building<\/a>.\u00a0Abbot Hall<\/a>\u00a0temporarily became the hospital while\u00a0Faculty Row<\/a>\u00a0\u2116\u00a01 was overhauled to become the new hospital. It opened to the public on February 17, 1925 and served in that capacity until the completion of Olin Health Center in 1939.8<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n

  1. Kuhn<\/a>, p.\u00a071;\u00a0Beal<\/a>, p.\u00a0283. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  2. Kuhn<\/a>, p.\u00a0176;\u00a0Minutes<\/a>, 15\u00a0Dec\u00a01892, p.\u00a0629; 34th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1895), p.\u00a021. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  3. Minutes<\/a>, 7\u00a0Mar\u00a01894, p.\u00a058. 40th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1901), p.\u00a022. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  4. Minutes<\/a>, 27\u00a0Jan\u00a01893, p.\u00a09-10; 16\u00a0May\u00a01893, p.\u00a025; 5\u00a0Sep\u00a01893, p.\u00a041; 17\u00a0Oct\u00a01893, p.\u00a044. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  5. 40th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1901), p.\u00a022. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  6. 46th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1907), p.\u00a09. 40th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1901), p.\u00a013. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  7. MAC Record<\/a>, 24(20), 28\u00a0Feb\u00a01919, p.\u00a03; 25(17), 30\u00a0Jan\u00a01920, p.\u00a05; 25(22), 5\u00a0Mar\u00a01920, p.\u00a03. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  8. LSJ<\/a>, 9 Feb 1966, p. 10. The Record<\/a>, 51(2), Apr\u00a01946, p.\u00a09.\u00a0MAC Record<\/a>, 29(30), 19\u00a0May\u00a01924, p.\u00a011; 30(19), 16\u00a0Feb\u00a01925, p.\u00a0297. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    For the first four decades or so of its existence, the Michigan Agricultural College had no hospital or medical facilities to speak of. This was an untenable situation, because contagious diseases were a constant threat. For example, a diphtheria epidemic in 1862 left five dead and \u201csent many home.\u201d According to Beal, \u201cin 1875\u20131895 it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Kuhn<\/a>, p.\u00a071;\u00a0Beal<\/a>, p.\u00a0283.\",\"id\":\"2786ea4a-f579-4687-880a-9b3933b1f13f\"},{\"content\":\"Kuhn<\/a>, p.\u00a0176;\u00a0Minutes<\/a>, 15\u00a0Dec\u00a01892, p.\u00a0629; 34th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1895), p.\u00a021.\",\"id\":\"e6f8cd3e-1aaa-4221-8df7-590b86a91cd0\"},{\"content\":\"Minutes<\/a>, 7\u00a0Mar\u00a01894, p.\u00a058. 40th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1901), p.\u00a022.\",\"id\":\"7a3fc9d4-9e5a-410a-8c81-d3a8801865e0\"},{\"content\":\"Minutes<\/a>, 27\u00a0Jan\u00a01893, p.\u00a09-10; 16\u00a0May\u00a01893, p.\u00a025; 5\u00a0Sep\u00a01893, p.\u00a041; 17\u00a0Oct\u00a01893, p.\u00a044.\",\"id\":\"b34e7623-2dea-41b7-8fac-3ed7058ee03d\"},{\"content\":\"40th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1901), p.\u00a022.\",\"id\":\"3f28198c-330c-471a-81bd-96428d99d5e8\"},{\"content\":\"46th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1907), p.\u00a09. 40th\u00a0AR<\/a>\u00a0(1901), p.\u00a013.\",\"id\":\"66c77288-9fd5-424d-a919-9998ce3d3c60\"},{\"content\":\"MAC Record<\/a>, 24(20), 28\u00a0Feb\u00a01919, p.\u00a03; 25(17), 30\u00a0Jan\u00a01920, p.\u00a05; 25(22), 5\u00a0Mar\u00a01920, p.\u00a03.\",\"id\":\"3be1cddb-6959-425c-94f7-d47550c135c3\"},{\"content\":\"LSJ<\/a>, 9 Feb 1966, p. 10. The Record<\/a>, 51(2), Apr\u00a01946, p.\u00a09.\u00a0MAC Record<\/a>, 29(30), 19\u00a0May\u00a01924, p.\u00a011; 30(19), 16\u00a0Feb\u00a01925, p.\u00a0297.\",\"id\":\"6d463b0a-1544-4e35-aceb-cd22f8093412\"}]"},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-m-a-c-buildings"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1607"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5549,"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1607\/revisions\/5549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevinforsyth.net\/ELMAC\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}