Rush Archives Blog

Rush Archives Presentation (May 27) Now Online!

Contributed by Nathalie Wheaton, MSLS, archivist, Rush University Medical Center Archives.

Recently, I was invited by Rush's Office of Philanthropy to host an online presentation for the Rush Heritage Society and other guests. I presented a brief history of Rush's 180-plus years using some of my favorite photographs from the Rush Archives collections. I also enjoyed participating in an interesting question-and-answer session with our eighty live viewers.

[Caption: Screenshot of presentation, featuring the Rush Medical College charter, March 2, 1837, and the founder of Rush Medical College, Daniel Brainard, MD.]

It's difficult to give such a presentation during our current COVID-19 crisis and not consider how previous epidemics affected our predecessor hospitals and medical and nursing schools. The city of Chicago and Rush Medical College, both chartered in 1837, experienced countless, and almost constant, waves of epidemics in the mid-19th century. And, of course, no city or hospital was left untouched by the 1918 influenza pandemic. Learn more about these stories in our presentation.

The Rush Heritage Society was established in 1994 to recognize special Rush friends who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing health care by remembering Rush in their estate plans.​

To view this May 27th presentation visit the following link:

"A Peek into Rush's Archives" Presentation: https://rush.webex.com/rush/lsr.php?RCID=f477c56bb9a61a0bfd077566e6796aa7

To learn more about Rush's giving societies, visit https://www.rush.edu/giving-rush/ways-give/giving-societies .

Want to learn more about the history of Rush or the Rush Archives collections? Explore the Rush Archives website, or contact the archivist, Nathalie Wheaton, MSLS.