This Bicentennial Edition of the Waring Library Society Newsletter gives a peak into what is to come as MUSC approaches its Bicentennial in 2024. This issue features reflections on the origin and impact of the Medical Society by WLS Vice Chair and President Elect, Dr. Robert Ball; an exploration of the areas of MUSC’s past needing illumination by Dr. Brian Fors; a glimpse of the Bicentennial committees, their guiding principles, and goals; more details on the Bicentennial hires that will help with the commemoration; an overview of the approved renovation project for the Waring Historical Library; and highlights of recent professional achievements of the Waring Library staff.https://medica-musc.researchcommons.org/wls-newsletters/1002/thumbnail.jp

Medical University of South Carolina

Waring Historical Library

Waring Library Society

English

Schuldt, Anna Marie

MEDICA@MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina)

WaringLibrary SocietyNewsletterNo. 65 Summer 2022TheBicentennialEditionLooking ahead to MUSC’s next momentous milestone.Some Musings on our MUSC Founding Founders; Page 1Dr. Robert Ball shares his thoughts reflecting on the origin and impact of the Medical Society.Curator’s Comments; Page 3Dr. Brian Fors explores the areas of MUSC’s past needing illumination.Bicentennial Steering Committee Update; Page 5Bicentennial committees, their guiding principles and goals.Table of ContentsNew Bicentennial Staff to Be Hired; Page 7Bicentennial hires to help with commemoration.Waring Renovation; Page 8Overview of approved Waring Historial Library renovation project.Waring Library Staff Professional Development; Page 9Highlights of professional efforts by the Waring staff.Image of the the Horseshoe from 1972.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 01Around the time of the birth of formal medical school training in America, physicians in Charleston met and formed the Medical Society of South Carolina in 1789. Formed as a professional organization, even in the earliest days they hoped to impact public health in Charleston. They did this in a number of ways, offering to act as the physicians for the city hospitals which cared for the city’s poor, with a particular focus on widows and orphans, as well as serving as the advisors to the city for addressing health issues. They formed the Charleston Board of Health in 1805, one of the first official county-based health departments in the nation, and they utilized the new globally-developing scientific method of approach to medical care.The founders, forebears, and descendants of the Medical College—and eventually Medical University—long established a system of church- and societal-based medical care for needy citizens.  Some Some Musings on our MUSC Founding Founders (A Few Origins of our Local Species)By Dr. Robert Ball, Vice Chair and President Electexamples included procuring food, shelter, and firewood for the poor, through their own pro bono work, and solicitation of donations via their churches and societies. Most of the early Society founders attended the main downtown churches—St. Philip’s Episcopal, St. Michael’s Episcopal, and the Unitarian Church—and circulated among the elite of Charleston. The Medical Society played a role in regulating the profession, eventually being given the authority to Image of the Medical College of South Carolina’s building on Queen Street that was built in 1826.determine licensed physicians in the state; they played a role in determining the response to disease and care in the city; and they acted as the early faculty of the Medical College after pushing for the founding of the college, which occurred in 1824. They were the descendants of Charleston’s early physicians who had trained both in America—at institutions in Philadelphia (eventually the University of Pennsylvania) and Harvard—as well as abroad, often at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh or England’s Oxford.  Some of the founders’ portraits are on the walls in the Waring Historical Library.They also exemplified the scientific role physicians played in examining the natural world to pinpoint the reason for illness and to treat it. One such example of their scientific achievements was the 18th century use of variolation to address the ongoing smallpox pandemics, a practice not yet widely accepted in southern America. They carefully recorded the data on dozens of citizens who were inoculated with live variola virus, then isolated for a month, with careful wound care and avoidance of exposing family and others.  They found a significant reduction in smallpox death incidence compared to unvaccinated citizens, an early example of true academic public health in Charleston.  The impact the founders had in Charleston, the state of South Carolina, the Medical College, and the wider medical world should be an example to us today. We must continue to learn from the past.Image of the Medical College of South Carolina’s building in 1914.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 02Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 03The Medical College of South Carolina offered its first lectures to students in November 1824, and so began the journey of the first medical school in the Deep South as it eventually evolved into a premiere university focusing on education, health care service to the community, and advancing medical knowledge through research. Over the next two hundred years, the University faced financial, political, and cultural challenges, challenges that at times even threatened its survival. Previous attempts to chronicle the institution’s history provide good chronologies of significant institutional events, yet parts of its history remains unexamined, leaving much to explore. The Bicentennial commemoration will begin in earnest this fall, and will continue until the end of June 2025. There are plans for several online and in-person exhibits, art displays and installations that will become permanent features of the institution, as well as opportunities to participate in events, lecture series, and acquire your bicentennial shirts, keychains, lanyards, and other ornament. There will be a single MUSC Bicentennial website with events and activities noted and with historical content.The history of the institution is replete with examples of honor, sacrifice, prejudice, sorrow, failure, and success.  It is a complex history, shaped by Southern culture and practices; shaped by the evolution of science and medicine; and shaped by a tradition in which the institution constantly looks to recreate itself and frame a new narrative for its future.In the last fifty years, MUSC has consciously forged a new direction, to move beyond creating a regional medical university.  It has become a university and healthcare system committed to equity and diversity, consisting of six colleges covering every aspect of education in the health sciences as well as a growing number of health clinics and hospitals located throughout South Carolina.As a result, any single historical narrative must contain multiple stories. The Bicentennial commemoration offers an opportunity to expand the scope of the stories, shed new light on old stories, and to recognize the achievement of two hundred years while laying the foundation for the next two hundred years. In subsequent newsletters my comments will provide a broad historical chronicle, touching upon key developments in the history of the institution. It is not meant to be comprehensive or in-depth. Detailed stories will be told through Curator’s CommentsBy Dr. Brian ForsImage of the Medical College of South Carolina’s hospital in 1992.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 04focused narratives, through exhibits, through oral presentations, through photographic images, through art, and through connections to the wider community constituting the MUSC Enterprise.References to the different names of the institution will be made as well, with each variation of the name being used dependent on the time period being discussed. Here are the four name iterations that have existed in MUSC’s history:Medical College of South Carolina1824-1832Medical College of the State of South Carolina1832-1952Medical College of South Carolina1952-1969Medical University of South Carolina1969 - presentThe stories as well as the general narrative will be divided into seven time periods, some with more content to explore than others: 1789-1825: Whatever Mode of Arrangement Practical: A Medical College in Charleston1826-1861: Beyond the Fairest Expectations: Early Development and Growth of the College1861-1865: The Great Struggle: The Medical College During the Civil War1865-1913: Vigorous Rejuvenation: Recovery and Reform during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era1914-1951: High Hopes: State Affiliation, Growth, and Expansion1952-1982: National Stage: Civil Rights and Transformation during the late 20th Century1983-2024: Aspiring to New Heights: Innovative Education, Research and Service in the 21st CenturyThe historical overviews provided in subsequent newsletters will constitute a basic framework for understanding institutional changes over time, even if their brevity will fail to capture the drama of events.Image of the the entrance of the College of Pharmacy.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 05Bicentennial Guiding Principles and SubcommitteesBy Dr. Brian ForsThe Bicentennial initiative has been underway since 2020. The current plan is being directed and managed by a team of individuals from all parts of the MUSC Enterprise, with the leadership of a Steering Committee that provides quarterly reports to the President’s Council. There are four Subcommittees working on different aspects of the Bicentennial Commemoration, with the Steering Committee coordinating the work. Steering Committee Guiding PrinciplesIn creating the outline for the Bicentennial Commemoration, the Steering Committee identified guiding principles to govern the implementation of the plan.The Bicentennial will:• showcase MUSC’s innovation and excellence, including ways in which the University and MUSC Health demonstrated (or will demonstrate) leadership in health care education, research, and health care delivery.• acknowledge and honor important milestones and individuals that shaped MUSC’s and MUSC Health’s history of leadership and achievement.• design efforts to be of interest to a wide variety of audiences (e.g., students, faculty, staff, alumni, the Charleston and South Carolina community, and others) and include plans for diverse and inclusive community engagement.• make appropriate connections between the past, current programs and activities, and future plans, recognizing the contribution and value of everyone in the community as the University reflects on the promise of a bright and inclusive future.• acknowledge and honor the stories of underrepresented populations at the University and celebrate and engage the richness of human experiences at MUSC.Aerial view of the Medical University of South Carolina’s downtown campus.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 06Exhibits and History SubcommitteeThe Subcommittee focuses on:• creating the infrastructure for displaying exhibits and providing historical resources for the campus and visitors.• providing plans for historical research and constructing historical narratives to tell the MUSC story.• establishing goals for implementing and managing exhibits throughout the MUSC enterprise.• acting as a resource of information for the Bicentennial Commemoration directed by the Steering Committee and other MUSC entities.Media and Promotion SubcommitteeThe Subcommittee focuses on:• creating and implementing strategies to market the Bicentennial Commemoration.• developing a theme, type treatment and strategies for increasing awareness of the MUSC Bicentennial Commemoration.Physical Structures SubcommitteeThe Subcommittee focuses on:• creating permanent features or structures (e.g., mural, sculpture, gardens, restored building).• identifying and carrying out public art installation plans.Events and Fundraising SubcommitteeThe Subcommittee focuses on:• identifying the potential for fundraising opportunities building on Bicentennial themes and activities.• conducting feasibility studies for fundraising opportunities.• implementing fundraising initiatives and plans.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 07As part of the Bicentennial commemoration plan, funds have been allocated for the hiring of a historian to conduct research and engage in some of the writing that will be needed for the exhibits, short historical pieces to be distributed by the separate colleges, and content for the Bicentennial website.A hiring team reviewed applications and conducted interviews in July and August. There were several well-qualified applicants, and the committee chose Dr. Gabriella Angeloni, who has considerable experience in public history, working with the Newport Historical Society and the Smithsonian. Her PhD in history is from the University of South Carolina. She will begin working on bicentennial projects in September, with the position coming to an end in December 2023.In addition, the Bicentennial plan provided funds to hire a website content manager on a temporary, part-time basis. This position will be hired through the general MUSC website management office and the New BicentennialStaff to Be HiredImage of the three nursing students.A proposal for the comprehensive renovation of the Waring Historical Library has been approved by the Board of Trustees and the hope is that we will be able to finish the work by the end of the MUSC Bicentennial commemoration in 2025.The estimated costs of $1.2 million will be covered by an MUSC appropriation of $900,000, with the rest of the funds coming from donations. Linda Cox, the Executive Director of Development, formed a fundraising committee and her team has been putting together the necessary material to support requests for donations that focus on the need for the renovation and what changes will be made. The changes to the library will accomplish a number of things: improve temperature and humidity conditions in the building; create more shelf space for the collection; secure windows from hurricane damage and remove the metal cages over the first floor windows; create more open space on the first floor in order to accommodate student, faculty, and staff use; create a second entrance/exit to improve access and safety; install a lift for access to the second floor; create a records processing room and conference/presentation space; improve storage and restroom space; and generally address deteriorating conditions of the walls, floors, windows, and doors, as well as clean the outside of the building.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 08Controlling heat and humidity conditions are essential for preserving the collection. While an attempt was made to improve conditions within the last ten years, there still remain significant challenges that need to be addressed. In addition, there are issues with lighting, proper fire suppression (we have an old halon system with only one exit for personnel if it deploys), electrical infrastructure (cords running across the floor), damaged woodwork, metal window screens on the first floor, ineffective ADA access, and so on. When there is a threat of a storm, we staple plastic on the window frames upstairs and put plastic over shelves on both floors, a cheap process for mitigating weather damage, but one that likely would have limited success.In short, refurbishing and upgrading the building to include modern conveniences and expanded storage and work space will better serve the collection as well as researchers, students, faculty, and the university community as a whole. Renovation is necessary for the preservation and conservation of a rare book and special collection with national and international implications. In the end, it is a relatively small investment for significant return. For more information, visit “Waring Renovation” on the Waring’s website.Waring RenovationBy Dr. Brian ForsArtist rendering of the first floor of the Waring done by Dale WatsonIn addition to the incredible amount of high-quality work the Waring team engages in to collect and preserve the history of the Atlantic Medical World in the 18th and 19th centuries, the history of the operations of the University, and the history of health sciences in South Carolina and the South, they also are taking steps to advance and elevate their professional status at MUSC.Tabitha Samuel, the Digital Archivist, was promoted to Associate Professor this last year, and Brooke Fox, the University Archivist, has been awarded full tenure. Anyone who is aware of advancement at universities understands the high-quality and varied type of work that needs to be painstakingly documented in order to be promoted. The two archivists on the Waring team have excelled in their daily work but also in demonstrating their professional abilities recognized by their peers who review and approve promotions. Tabitha also just completed the BRIHTE Leadership Academy at MUSC, a two-year leadership training Waring Library Staff Professional Developmentprogram designed to identify and prepare high potential, diverse talent at MUSC. Anna Schuldt has been accepted to the Master’s program at Simmons University in Boston, MA. She will be working on her degree virtually, so is not ready to leave the Waring yet. She will be working toward earning her MS in the Library and Information Science/Archives Management program. Simmons is an exceptional institution with a great reputation in Library and Information Science, and we look forward to seeing Anna join the archivist ranks in the near future.Brian Fors will be part of a panel session at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History annual conference in Montgomery, Alabama, in early October entitled “Public Institutions, Pharmacists, and Physicians: Racial Inequities in Healthcare in South Carolina, 1790-1950” with Dr. Felice Knight, from the Citadel, and Lahnice Hollister, an independent scholar. He will be presenting “Archives, History, and the Lost Records of Black Hospitals in South Carolina.”  Aerial view of the Medical University of South Carolina’s downtown campus from 2019.Waring Library Society Newsletter, No. 65 Summer 2022 Page 09

Waring Library Society Newsletter, Summer 2022

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Waring Library Society Newsletter, Summer 2022

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