Researcher James McGaugh as Library Speaker

College of Medicine Historical Collection

Grants Awarded for Southeast Asian Archive

Library Wish List

What Does Orange County Think?

Alumnus Hanratty Donates Rare Book

Stahr Library Fund

Celebrate and Remember with Honor With Books

New Faces

Speaker Series: Author Firoozeh Dumas

Library Spring Exhibit: Martha Graham Legacy

Pacific College of Osteopathy in Los Angeles, c. 1890’s

The College of Medicine went through several The College of Medicine went through several incarnations as a school of osteopathy before it became part of UCI. This fascinating history is preserved in the University Archives of the UCI Libraries in the records of the Pacific College of Osteopathy (est. 1896), the Los Angeles College of Osteopathy (est. 1904), the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (est. 1914), and the California College of Medicine (est. 1961). The collection tells the often tumultuous history of the osteopathic profession in California, its eventual merger with the medical profession, and the controversies involved in bringing the California College of Medicine to the UC Irvine campus.

“The College of Medicine has a unique history in the annals of American medical schools as it has evolved from what was once an osteopathic college,” said Tom Cesario, Dean of the College of Medicine. “These records preserve our unique history and will provide an important source of information for future generations of medical historians.”

College of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons in Los Angeles, c. 1930’s

The California College of Medicine records span the years from the beginning of Pacific College of Osteopathy in 1896, to 1967, just before California College of Medicine was incorporated into UCI. The records have been obtained from a variety of sources, but the bulk were transferred from the librarian of the California College of Medicine to the UCI Libraries. Other sources include the files of former President W. Ballentine Henley, a 1950s manuscript history of osteopathy in California by former faculty member Dr. Dain Tasker, and two letter books written during the time that he helped pass the Osteopathic Initiative Act. Other individuals represented in these records include many who played an important role in the College of Medicine’s history, such as Forest Grunigen, Grace Bell, Dorothy Marsh, William Pritchard, and Warren Bostick. The publications in the archive include a set of course catalogs and announcements from 1896 to 1967, the yearbook Cortex, newsletters from various departments and student groups, programs and invitations for special events, and other published material.

The University Archives is the official repository for all University records and preserves the institutional memory of UCI, enabling a broad historical focus on UCI’s evolution and role in society. The University Archivist, who can be reached at (949) 824-7193, provides access to the Archives and the College of Medicine Historical Collection. The material may be used in the Special Collections and Archives Annis Reading Room on the fifth floor of the Langson Library.