The Medical College.  The Faculty Fully Organized last Night.  All the Plans of the School Decided Upon.  An Institution that Will Be of Great Value to the People of East Tennessee

It was announced in yesterday’s Journal that further progress would be made in regard to the establishment of a medical college at Knoxville by holding a meeting yesterday forenoon.  Such meeting was held yesterday morning at 11 o’clock and was the most important one yet held.

Dr. Ristine’s office on Prince street, in the Garfield club building, was the place of meeting, and the greater portion of the faculty were present, including Drs. J. C. Cawood, C. C. Lancaster, C. E. Ristine, Wm. Bowen, Michael Campbell, J. M. Masters, C. M. Drake, R. M. C. Hill and J. W. Hill.

Dr. Ristine, in the capacity of chairman pro tem., called the meeting to order, and then gave way to Dr. Cawood, who took the chair, having been elected dean of the faculty.

Dr. R. M. C. Hill was then made secretary.

In an appropriate manner Dr. Cawood acknowledged the honor conferred upon him.  In it he stated the need of an organization of this kind for Knoxville, which was about to be formulated.  He accepted the office, he said, to which he had been elected, with the sincere hope that every member of the faculty would lend to him their aid, in maintaining the duties of his position and the proper discharge of the same.

The minutes of the last meeting and the one previous were then read by the secretary and duly approved.

On April 117th, the date upon which the first meeting was held, the minutes contained the appointments of the committees, etc., and the second related principally to the name which should be bestowed upon the institution, the selection of proper quarters, and other affairs regarding the founding of the school.

The chairman appointed Drs. J. W. Hill, Campbell and Masters, whose duty it shall be to name a board of trustees.

The committee on announcements were also appointed in the persons of Drs. Masters, Drake and Lancaster.  Dr. Cawood, the dean, is also included in this committee, and acts in the capacity of adviser, in all matters which are adjusted by this committee.  It is the duty of each member to prepare his own announcement, which will be passed upon by the committee and then acted upon by the faculty complete.

A motion was made relative to the selecting of a definite or indefinite number of honorary members of the faculty.  The motion was referred to the committee on announcements.

The professors of anatomy, physiology, chemistry, materia medica, obstetrics, gynaecology, medicine chemistry, surgery, and clinical surgery, eye and ear diseases, medical jurisprudence, and hygiene, have all, or nearly all been chosen so, that no drawbacks to the rapid completion of all details of establishment will be met with in this direction.  The serious matter of appointing good men, as professors of the many branches is usually a tedious affair, and long deliberations generally result, but in this instance nothing of the kind was met with, and men amply capable, have been selected which will go far towards making the college a success, which it certainly portends to be.

As stated above, the professors of the various branches have been selected.  By the action of the meeting held at Dr. Ristine’s office at 8 o’clock last evening we are able to present their names and branches they are to have under charge below:

J. C. Cawood, M. D., dean and professor of theory and practice of medicine.

C. M. Drake, M. D., professor of anatomy and pathological anatomy.

C. C. Lancaster, M. D., professor physiology.

W. E. Moses, M. D., professor chemistry.

J. W. Hill, M. D., professor surgery and clinical surgery and microscopy.

W. M. Bowen, M. D., professor orthopoetic [sic] and operative surgery.

R. M. C. Hill, M. D., professor materia medica and therapeutics.

C. E. Ristine, M. D., obstetrics and gynaecology.

J. M. Masters, M. D., professor diseases eyes, ears, nose and throat.

M. Campbell, M. D., superintendent East Tennessee Hospital for the Insane, professor mental and nervous diseases.

Hon. H. R. Gibson, professor medical jurisprudence.

C. M. Cawood, M. D., demonstrator of anatomy, and chief of surgical clinic.

The professorship of dental surgery yet remains to be filled, but will no doubt be satisfactorily arranged very shortly.

Among the other business transacted was the modifying of the charter.  It was then referred to Hon. H. R. Gibson for final action.

A committee on by-laws and one to arrange the matter of getting the college quarters in shape were appointed.

The next meeting will be held at Dr. Ristine’s office on Saturday, May 4th, at 11 o’clock a.m.

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, April 27, 1889, page 1