RUSH History Exhibits: Exhibits

LOCATION: The Tower, 1st Floor, Emergency Department (1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, Illinois, 60612)

This exhibit presents a brief overview of some of the milestones in RUSH's long legacy of education, research, and patient care. It begins with the founding of RUSH Medical College in 1837, and takes us through the opening of RUSH's state-of-the-art Tower in 2012.

PDF of panels available through link below: 

LOCATION: The Tower, 4th Floor, Smith Family Lounge (1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, Illinois, 60612)

A Legacy of Excellence celebrates the tradition of nursing excellence at RUSH. Through photographs, historic objects, and profiles of nursing alumni and leadership, it tells the story of the innovative educational programs, research, and patient care developed by nurses and its predecessors.

This exhibit from the RUSH University Medical Center Archives was designed by Bluestone Design Build through the support of the Edith Payne Fund of the RUSH-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Nurses Alumni Association.

Most of the text from this 2012 exhibit can be found on our website, here: "Legacy of Nursing at RUSH."

LOCATION: The Tower, 4th Floor, Woman's Board Family Lounge (1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, Illinois, 60612)

This display of Fashion Show posters represents the many years the Woman's Board of RUSH University Medical Center has supported RUSH's mission of education and quality care.

The Annual RUSH Woman's Board Fashion Show dates back to 1927, when it was first held by the Woman's Board of St. Luke's Hospital, one of our predecessor institutions. To explore these posters and other Woman's Board and Fashion Show material, including scrapbooks and programs, contact the RUSH Archives or visit the following the link: Woman's Board Fashion Show scrapbooks and posters 

For more information on the group and its mission, view the organization's official page at http://thewomansboard.org/.

LOCATION: Fourth Floor, Atrium Building (1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, Illinois, 60612)

See below for links to information about the history of RUSH's Daniel A. Jones Building, which stood at Congress and Wood Street, 1888-2016.

Also, a link to remarks from archivist, Nathalie Wheaton at the unveiling of the Jones Staircase Unveiling Event in the Atrium, co-hosted by archivist Nathalie Wheaton and Larry Goodman, MD, CEO, RUSH University Medical Center and CEO, RUSH System, September 12, 2018.

A brief video of the exciting event:

LOCATION: Armour Academic Center, 10th Floor, East Corridor (600 S. Paulina St., Chicago, Illinois, 60612)

Centuries of Excellence is a collection of class photos from RUSH University College of Nursing and its predecessor nursing schools, St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing (est. 1885), Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing (est. 1903), and Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing (merged 1956.) This exhibit, located outside the College of Nursing administrative offices, is a popular stop for members of the RUSH-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Nurses Alumni Association. The photos date back to 1887, and are a wonderful tribute to RUSH's long, proud legacy of nursing education. 

This exhibit of reproductions of nursing class composites was assembled and created by former RUSH Archivist, Heidi Butler, and former Dean of the RUSH University College of Nursing, Kathleen G. Andreoli, DSN, FAAN, in 2004. 

CAPTION: St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing, Class of 1887.

LOCATION: Triangle Office Building, Basement Hallway and 2nd Floor (1700 West Van Buren St., Chicago, Illinois, 60612)

The displays in the basement hallway outside of the RUSH Archives and the 2nd floor outside of the TOB "Cantina" (formerly Au Bon Pain) are always changing! Stop by and take a look at fun, historic photographs, interesting articles about the history of RUSH, and our latest announcements. 

LOCATION: Library of RUSH University Medical Center (600 S. Paulina St., #571, Chicago, IL 60612)

This exhibit provides a glimpse into RUSH’s early history and includes historic photos, letters, patient ledgers, and diary entries illustrating the lives and careers of two early RUSH Medical College graduates.

In 1863, John Ll. Williams, MD, graduated from RUSH Medical College. The following year, he volunteered to serve as a surgeon for the Union Army in Vicksburg, Mississippi, during the Civil War. Upon the completion of his service, he returned to his thriving practice in Cambria, Wisconsin. In 1889, his son, William, graduated from RUSH and continued his father’s practice and served as a small town physician for nearly fifty years.

The bulk of this collection was donated to the RUSH Archives in 2012, by Robert L. Behling and Jacquelyn Sweeney, the great-great-grandchildren of John L. Williams, MD. This exhibit was curated by Laura R. Johns, public historian/consultant.

[To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of RUSH University in 2012, the RUSH Archives featured milestones from RUSH history on the elevator doors throughout RUSH University's Armour Academic Center. Designed through a collaboration with the Office of Marketing and local production firm, It's a Sign.]

Take a journey through 175+ years of RUSH history! Beginning with the charter of RUSH's oldest component, RUSH Medical College, March 2, 1837, to now, learn about the moments and milestones that have made RUSH University what it is today. From research and education firsts, leadership transitions, and campus developments, there is so much to share!

Much of this information has been reproduced (and updated) as an online timeline available here:

https://library.rush.edu/rush-history-faqs/timeline

You can view the original PDFs of the elevator wrap designs here:

RUSH University 40th Anniversary Elevator Wraps, 2012 [PDF]

[This two-part exhibit by archivist Nathalie Wheaton was featured in the RUSH Archives display case in the Triangle Office Building and the Library of RUSH in 2007 and 2008.]

We will be creating a digital version of this popular exhibit focusing on the Chicago area, 1890-1920, and the history of advertising, patent medicines and related addiction issues, and the popularity of health foods, hygiene, equipment, physical culture, sanatoriums, equipment, homeopathy, and therapies such as light therapy, hydrotherapy, and electrotherapy.

[This exhibit by archivist Nathalie Wheaton was featured in the RUSH Archives display case in the Triangle Office Building and the Library of RUSH in 2007 and 2009.]

We will be creating a digital version of this popular exhibit featuring items related to the history of RUSH Medical College's sports teams.

In the 1890s, baseball, football, and basketball were all the rage in colleges across the nation.  Not to be outdone, RUSH Medical College got in the game by establishing teams for all three sports. Although RUSH’s teams were short-lived, they competed fiercely with other area teams.  The Chicago Tribune regularly reported on games between RUSH and other teams, including the University of Chicago, the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Notre Dame, and local ball clubs that were not affiliated with schools.  

The exhibit celebrates the excitement of the early years of America’s pastimes with photographs of RUSH’s teams, contemporary advertisements inspired by sports, and a look at the life of John E. Schwendener, RUSH alumnus, class of 1902, and a member of RUSH’s football, baseball, AND basketball teams.  

[This exhibit by archivist Heather Stecklein was featured in the Library of RUSH in 2007.]

We will be creating a digital version of this popular exhibit of historic caricatures of RUSH Medical College professors.

In 1904, the Newspaper Cartoonists' Association compiled a book of caricatures by the leading political cartoonists in the city, Chicagoans as We See 'Em. The book included many notable Chicagoans and a large number of RUSH Medical College faculty members / Presbyterian Hospital staff members grace its pages.

This exhibit features drawings of several RUSH professors and provides insight into their lives and accomplishments.

[This exhibit by RUSH archivists Heather Stecklein and Nathalie Wheaton and designed by Library staff member, Molly Merrill, was featured outside the RUSH Archives and in the Armour Academic Center, 2009.]

We will be creating a digital version of this popular exhibit of historic postcards from RUSH's past. These interesting images of RUSH Medical College and its teaching hospital, Presbyterian Hospital, St. Luke's Hospital, and Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital not only capture the spirit of these Chicago campuses, but sometimes include original correspondence on the verso. 

CAPTION: The corner of West Congress and Wood Street, circa 1915, featuring RUSH Medical College's teaching hospital, Presbyterian Hospital. Buildings include, left to right, Private Pavilion (1908-, now known as Pavilion), the Daniel A. Jones Building (1888-2016), the Jane Murdock Building (1912-2016), and the RUSH Medical College Clinical Building, (1875-1924.)