CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html>   <html lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns# article: http://ogp.me/ns/article# book: http://ogp.me/ns/book# profile: http://ogp.me/ns/profile# video: http://ogp.me/ns/video# product: http://ogp.me/ns/product# content: http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/ dc: http://purl.org/dc/terms/ foaf: http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/ rdfs: http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema# sioc: http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns# sioct: http://rdfs.org/sioc/types# skos: http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core# xsd: http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#">  <head> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/favicon.png" type="image/png" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, maximum-scale=10, minimum-scale=1, user-scalable=yes" /> <meta name="generator" content="Drupal 7 (https://www.drupal.org)" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/about/history" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/node/108" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="History of the Library" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/about/history" /> <meta property="og:updated_time" content="06.27.24" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2011-02-25T13:29:49-05:00" /> <meta property="article:modified_time" content="2024-06-27T09:26:17-04:00" /> <meta name="dcterms.title" content="History of the Library" /> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="Melissa Grafe" /> <meta name="dcterms.date" content="02-25-2011" /> <meta name="dcterms.type" content="Text" /> <meta name="dcterms.format" content="text/html" /> <meta name="dcterms.identifier" content="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/about/history" /> <title>History of the Library | Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library</title>  <link rel="shortcut icon" sizes="16x16 24x24 32x32 48x48 64x64" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/favicon.png" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon"> <link rel="icon" sizes="228x228" href="/sites/all/themes/yalenew_base/images/touch-icon-228.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="228x228" href="/sites/all/themes/yalenew_base/images/touch-icon-228.png"> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css_xE-rWrJf-fncB6ztZfd2huxqgxu4WO-qwma6Xer30m4.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css_hTLrwzbU9bZhjvzx-j5entbJFEHkjJyd6RgHEla8FhA.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css_FTN8uRIvRTwPleKpMjoI7lTBo3XdnR8Q165GUx2oCV0.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css__AnA06v-oC191ciXWx5vfLgRNk_F_fmk7Otj9F-gG_o.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="//maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css_zaOco2G8k_Y9ZPkHcPipwrYE0eu9i_I-umrYSytTB3U.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css_4p66Ha43jfR6LpgBV-7xw6q2NxPB3zxKg9igJIUIBwY.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_116.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_117.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_118.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_122.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_123.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_134.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_135.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_136.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_145.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_150.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_157.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_161.css?srmrdr" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css_injector/css_injector_162.css?srmrdr" media="all" />   <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/css/css_059BxwQdO3W6gC_prw0ohrQj1fWv8MiFJkqt4YP0qJk.css" media="all" />  <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.3/jquery.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_Hfha9RCTNm8mqMDLXriIsKGMaghzs4ZaqJPLj2esi7s.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jqueryui/1.10.2/jquery-ui.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_MiJp43iEf0FDQ1n9nvzw8fltzo4x59gfVKTrx-Sr6Og.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_SmfDuahn72DVZljf07457gEiADIdRz37668QEckRe5I.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_wCV3bHrP45NI8FqpMgNy6P35DKwoWIh2yNOB5_jPyCM.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-1S2PVX6NZ7"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_MTomDEYLY7v0n2kQidKMNrFdwCiVeAFWWtCJN7CR7x8.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_UNPtX_ZGxcpSkJyp8ls50mHCG5a_tcqRFqN4KjkfLso.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> </head> <body class="html not-front not-logged-in page-node page-node- page-node-108 node-type-page context-about one-sidebar sidebar-second"> <aside role='complementary' id="skip-link" aria-label="Skip to main content"> <a href="#main-content" class="element-invisible element-focusable">Skip to main content</a> </aside> <div class="region region-page-top" id="region-page-top"> <div class="region-inner region-page-top-inner"> <noscript aria-hidden="true"><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-KM4JK6" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> </div> </div> <div class="page clearfix" id="page"> <header id="section-header" class="section section-header" role="banner"> <div id="zone-header-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-header-wrapper clearfix"> <div id="zone-header" class="zone zone-header clearfix container-12"> <div class="grid-12 region region-header-first" id="region-header-first"> <div class="region-inner region-header-first-inner"> </div> </div> </div> </div><div id="zone-topper-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-topper-wrapper clearfix yalenew-standard-topper"> <div id="zone-topper" class="zone zone-topper clearfix container-12"> <div class="grid-1 region region-topper-first" id="region-topper-first"> <div class="region-inner region-topper-first-inner"> <div class="topper-logo"><a href="http://www.yale.edu" class="y-icons y-yale y-univ"><span class="element-invisible">Yale University</span></a> </div> <div id="moved-main-nav-wrapper"> <button aria-expanded="false" id="nav-ready" class="nav-ready"><span class="element-invisible">Open Main Navigation</span></button> <div id="moved-main-nav" class="moved-main-nav" data-set="append-main-nav"></div> <button aria-expanded="true" id="nav-close" class="nav-close nav-hidden"><span class="element-invisible">Close Main Navigation</span></button> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-11 region region-topper-second" id="region-topper-second"> <div class="region-inner region-topper-second-inner"> <div class="block block-block block-plain block-266 block-block-266 odd block-without-title" id="block-block-266"> <div class="block-inner clearfix"> <div class="content clearfix">  <p style="text-align:left; color:#000;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;"><span class="hide-for-mobile"><a href="https://www.yale.edu/" style="color:#000;font-family:'YaleNew', Georgia, serif;font-size:1.75em;">Yale </a><img src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/shields-health-m-n-pl.svg" style="width:70px;padding-bottom:1em;" /> <img src="https://www.ynhhs.org/-/media/Images/Logo/YNHHS/logoynhh2x.ashx?mh=75&mw=128&hash=D610B41CB188540CD323C7D0702581D7" style="width:40px;padding-bottom:1em;" /></span> <span style="float:right;padding-left:1em;font-size:1em;padding-top:1em;padding-bottom:1em;margin-right:1%;COLOR:#000;"><strong>Today's Hours:</strong> <a href="/about/hours" style="margin-right:2em;"><script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[// ><![CDATA[// > //--><!]]]]><![CDATA[> //--><!]]> </script></a><a href="/services/library-technology/remote" style="margin-right:2em;">Off-campus access</a><a href="/search" id="search" style="border:1px solid #00a0ab;padding:.5em;margin-right:2em;margin-bottom:1em;">Search</a></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div><div id="zone-branding-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-branding-wrapper clearfix"> <div id="zone-branding" class="zone zone-branding clearfix container-12"> <div class="grid-12 region region-branding" id="region-branding"> <div class="region-inner region-branding-inner"> <div class="branding-data clearfix"> <h2 class="site-name"><a href="/" title="Home">Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library </a></h2> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></header> <main id="section-content" class="section section-content" role="main"> <div id="section-content-inner"> <div id="zone-menu-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-menu-wrapper clearfix"> <div id="zone-menu" class="zone zone-menu clearfix yale-standard-menu container-12"> <div id="original-main-nav-wrapper"> <div id="original-main-nav" data-set="append-main-nav"> <div id="main-nav"> <div class="grid-12 region region-menu" id="region-menu"> <div class="region-inner region-menu-inner"> <nav id="main-menu-navigation" role="navigation" aria-label="Main Menu" class="navigation"> <div class="block block-superfish block-5 block-superfish-5 odd block-without-title" id="block-superfish-5"> <div class="block-inner clearfix"> <div class="content clearfix"> <ul id="superfish-5" class="menu sf-menu sf-menu-new-main-menu sf-horizontal sf-style-none sf-total-items-4 sf-parent-items-4 sf-single-items-0"><li id="menu-6819-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><a href="/collections" title="" class="sf-depth-1 menuparent">Collections</a><ul class="sf-megamenu"><li class="sf-megamenu-wrapper first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><ol><li id="menu-6821-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-5 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-5 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">Popular Links</nolink><ol><li id="menu-7016-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/collections/title" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Databases, Resources, & Tools</a></li><li id="menu-6834-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/collections/board-prep-textbooks" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Board Prep & eTextbooks</a></li><li id="menu-6833-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/collections/elibrary" title="" class="sf-depth-3">eJournals & eBooks</a></li><li id="menu-6837-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/collections/purchase" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Suggest a Purchase</a></li><li id="menu-6992-5" class="last odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/cushingcenter" title="" class="sf-depth-3">The Cushing Center</a></li></ol></div></li><li id="menu-6822-5" class="last even sf-item-2 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-5 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-5 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">More Collections</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6898-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="https://guides.library.yale.edu/wellness-resources" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Board Games & Wellness</a></li><li id="menu-6991-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/collections/deib-resources" title="" class="sf-depth-3">DEI Resources</a></li><li id="menu-6997-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/historical/digitized-collections" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Digitized Collections</a></li><li id="menu-6840-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/historical" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Special Collections</a></li><li id="menu-6841-5" class="last odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/collections/thesis" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Theses & Dissertations</a></li></ol></div></li></ol></li></ul></li><li id="menu-6823-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><a href="/services" title="" class="sf-depth-1 menuparent">Services</a><ul class="sf-megamenu"><li class="sf-megamenu-wrapper middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><ol><li id="menu-6824-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-8 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-8 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">Support For</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6844-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/bioinformatics" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Bioinformatics</a></li><li id="menu-6845-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/clinical" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Clinicians/YNHH</a></li><li id="menu-7871-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/design-support" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Design</a></li><li id="menu-6848-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/educators" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Educators</a></li><li id="menu-6846-5" class="middle odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/nursing" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Nursing</a></li><li id="menu-7152-5" class="middle even sf-item-6 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/public-health" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Public Health</a></li><li id="menu-6847-5" class="middle odd sf-item-7 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/research-data" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Research Data</a></li><li id="menu-6849-5" class="last even sf-item-8 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/evidence-synthesis-literature-reviews" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Systematic Reviews</a></li></ol></div></li><li id="menu-6825-5" class="last even sf-item-2 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-7 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-7 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">Helpful Links</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6850-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/course-reserves" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Course Reserves</a></li><li id="menu-6851-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/ill" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Interlibrary Loan</a></li><li id="menu-6852-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/classes" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Library Training & Events</a></li><li id="menu-6853-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/library-technology/mobile-apps" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Mobile Apps</a></li><li id="menu-6854-5" class="middle odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/library-technology/remote" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Off-Campus Access</a></li><li id="menu-6857-5" class="middle even sf-item-6 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/services/library-technology" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Printing & Technology</a></li><li id="menu-6856-5" class="last odd sf-item-7 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/places" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Reserve Study Rooms</a></li></ol></div></li></ol></li></ul></li><li id="menu-6826-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><a href="/research-help" title="" class="sf-depth-1 menuparent">Research Help</a><ul class="sf-megamenu"><li class="sf-megamenu-wrapper middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><ol><li id="menu-6827-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-4 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-4 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">Specialized Help</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6858-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/research-help/email" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Ask Us</a></li><li id="menu-7872-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/research-help/find-your-librarian" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Find Your Librarian</a></li><li id="menu-7014-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/research-help/personal-librarian" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Personal Librarian for Students</a></li><li id="menu-6861-5" class="last even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/research-help/gis-statlab" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Statistics, GIS, & Data Help</a></li></ol></div></li><li id="menu-6828-5" class="last even sf-item-2 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-5 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-5 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">Self-Guided Learning</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6862-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/tutorials/845725" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Citation Management</a></li><li id="menu-7005-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/evidence-synthesis-literature-reviews/training" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Evidence Synthesis & Reviews</a></li><li id="menu-6864-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/guides" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Research Guides</a></li><li id="menu-6985-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/scholarly-communication" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Scholarly Communication</a></li><li id="menu-6865-5" class="last odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/tutorials" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Tutorials</a></li></ol></div></li></ol></li></ul></li><li id="menu-6829-5" class="active-trail last even sf-item-4 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><a href="/about" title="" class="sf-depth-1 menuparent">About</a><ul class="sf-megamenu"><li class="sf-megamenu-wrapper active-trail last even sf-item-4 sf-depth-1 sf-total-children-2 sf-parent-children-2 sf-single-children-0 menuparent"><ol><li id="menu-6830-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-7 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-7 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">General</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6866-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/privileges" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Borrowing Privileges & Policies</a></li><li id="menu-6867-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/contact" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Contact Us</a></li><li id="menu-7153-5" class="middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/overview" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Facts & Figures</a></li><li id="menu-6871-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/hours" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Hours & Location</a></li><li id="menu-6988-5" class="middle odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/job-opportunities" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Job Opportunities</a></li><li id="menu-6994-5" class="middle even sf-item-6 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/places" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Library Spaces</a></li><li id="menu-6874-5" class="last odd sf-item-7 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/staff" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Staff Directory</a></li></ol></div></li><li id="menu-6831-5" class="active-trail last even sf-item-2 sf-depth-2 sf-total-children-7 sf-parent-children-0 sf-single-children-7 sf-megamenu-column menuparent"><div class="sf-megamenu-column"><nolink title="" class="sf-depth-2 menuparent nolink">History, Support, & Values</nolink><ol><li id="menu-6875-5" class="first odd sf-item-1 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/annual-reports" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Annual Reports</a></li><li id="menu-6870-5" class="middle even sf-item-2 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/giving" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Giving</a></li><li id="menu-6877-5" class="active-trail middle odd sf-item-3 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/history" title="" class="sf-depth-3 active">History</a></li><li id="menu-6990-5" class="middle even sf-item-4 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/land-acknowledgment" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Land Acknowledgment</a></li><li id="menu-6872-5" class="middle odd sf-item-5 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/associates" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Medical Library Associates</a></li><li id="menu-6878-5" class="middle even sf-item-6 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/mission" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Mission & Values</a></li><li id="menu-6989-5" class="last odd sf-item-7 sf-depth-3 sf-no-children"><a href="/about/newsletters" title="" class="sf-depth-3">Newsletters</a></li></ol></div></li></ol></li></ul></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="zone-preface-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-preface-wrapper clearfix"> <div id="zone-preface" class="zone zone-preface clearfix container-12"> <div class="grid-12 region region-banner-menu" id="region-banner-menu"> <div class="region-inner region-banner-menu-inner"> </div> </div> <div class="grid-4 region region-preface-first" id="region-preface-first"> <div class="region-inner region-preface-first-inner"> <div class="block block-easy-breadcrumb block-easy-breadcrumb block-easy-breadcrumb-easy-breadcrumb odd block-without-title" id="block-easy-breadcrumb-easy-breadcrumb"> <div class="block-inner clearfix"> <div class="content clearfix"> <div itemscope class="easy-breadcrumb" itemtype="http://data-vocabulary.org/Breadcrumb"> <span itemprop="title"><a href="/" class="easy-breadcrumb_segment easy-breadcrumb_segment-front">Home</a></span> <span class="easy-breadcrumb_segment-separator">→</span> <span itemprop="title"><a href="/about" class="easy-breadcrumb_segment easy-breadcrumb_segment-1">About the Library</a></span> <span class="easy-breadcrumb_segment-separator">→</span> <span class="easy-breadcrumb_segment easy-breadcrumb_segment-title" itemprop="title">History of the Library</span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-4 region region-preface-second" id="region-preface-second"> <div class="region-inner region-preface-second-inner"> </div> </div> <div class="grid-4 region region-preface-third" id="region-preface-third"> <div class="region-inner region-preface-third-inner"> </div> </div> </div> </div><div id="zone-content-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-content-wrapper clearfix"> <div id="zone-content" class="zone zone-content clearfix container-12"> <div id="moved-sidenav-wrapper" class="moved-sidenav-wrapper grid-12"> <div id="moved-sidenav" class="moved-sidenav" data-set="append-sidenav"></div> </div> <div class="grid-8 region region-content" id="region-content"> <div class="region-inner region-content-inner"> <a id="main-content" tabindex="-1"></a> <h1 class="title" id="page-title">History of the Library </h1> <div class="block block-system block-main block-system-main odd block-without-title" id="block-system-main"> <div class="block-inner clearfix"> <div class="content clearfix"> <article about="/about/history" typeof="foaf:Document" class="node node-page node-published node-not-promoted node-not-sticky author-75 odd clearfix" id="node-page-108">  <span property="dc:title" content="History of the Library" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span> <div class="content clearfix"> <div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="rtecenter"><img alt="Old books in the library" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/historytop.jpg" width="100%" /></p> <div> Elihu Yale himself donated Yale College’s first medical volumes in 1718. Nearly a century later, Yale president Timothy Dwight and the Connecticut State Medical Society opened the Medical Institution of Yale College. Yale's first medical library opened in 1814. By 1865, however, the Yale College library integrated the medical library's 1,200 volume collection into its catalog and shuttered the first medical library.</div> <p>It wasn't until 1940, at the behest and bequest of three medical school professors (Harvey Cushing, John F. Fulton, and Arnold C. Klebs), that the School of Medicine opened its own medical library once again.</p> <p>The current medical library building was completed in 1940 and dedicated to Harvey Cushing in 1941. Located within the Sterling Hall of Medicine, it is strategically positioned in the heart of the medical campus and serves at the main library for the Yale Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, PA programs, and the Yale New Haven Hospital. The library was designed in the shape of a Y with wings for the Historical Library Reading Room and the Morse Reading Room, with stacks below for books and journals. The central rotunda honors Harvey Cushing (1869-1939), the father of neurosurgery, who graduated from Yale College in 1891 and returned to Yale in 1933.</p> <p>The library's fine historical library was conceived in 1935 when three physicians, Harvey Cushing, John F. Fulton, and Arnold C. Klebs, agreed to donate their major collections of early texts in the history of science and medicine to Yale. These collections, including the incunabula, Robert Boyle, William Harvey, Andreas Vesalius, Hippocrates, and Galen Collections as well as the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Century Collections are shelved in a closed sub-stack area. The Historical Library's holdings also include an excellent print collection and a world-famous collection of weights and measures.</p> <p>In June 1990, a gift from Mrs. John Hay Whitney, daughter of Harvey Cushing, made possible the completion of a major renovation and expansion project, resulting in the addition of the modern sky-lit Information Room and increased study and stack space. The Library was renamed the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, honoring Cushing and John Hay Whitney (1904-1982), Yale graduate, editor of the Herald Tribune, and patron of the arts.</p> <p>The Cushing/Whitney Medical Library serves the biomedical and health care information needs of the Yale-New Haven Medical Center and the University, as well as providing service to area physicians and medical libraries. The collections cover clinical medicine and its specialties, the pre-clinical sciences, public health, nursing, and related fields. They also include the Historical Library's distinguished holdings. The library now contains more than 416,000 volumes.</p> <h2> History of the Morse Reading Room</h2> <p>The Morse Reading Room is a bright, spacious area housing the library's small print journal collection and historical and biographical books. This room has become an indispensable facility for library users; a calm and quiet atmosphere attracts students who have discovered that the periodical room is a perfect place to study. Support from Mrs. Belle Morse enabled Yale University to create the Morse Reading Room in honor of her husband, Carl A. Morse '25s and their son, Stephen I. Morse '51, M.D.</p> <p>Carl A. Morse (1905-89) was born in Minsk, Russia, and raised in New Haven. He graduated in 1925 from Yale's Sheffield Scientific School with a degree in engineering. As head of Morse Diesel, Inc., a building design and construction firm, Mr. Morse created such New York landmarks as the Pan Am Building and the Marriott Hotel in Times Square. Among his many gifts to Yale is the Belle and Carl Morse Scholarship Fund. This fund was established in 1989 to assist disadvantaged Yale students who have graduated from New Haven's Hillhouse High School, which he also attended. Morse scholars are requested to return to Hillhouse to inform younger students of the opportunities available to them at Yale.</p> <p>Stephen I. Morse M.D., Ph.D. (1930-80) was born in New York and graduated from Yale in 1951 as a member of Timothy Dwight College. He received his M.D. degree from Washington University School of Medicine. As professor and chairman of microbiology and immunology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center (now the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn), his research centered on the study of microbial products and their effects on host responses.</p> <h2> <a name="Cushing" id="Cushing"></a>Dr. Harvey Cushing</h2> <p><img alt="Harvey Cushing" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/resize/med_cushing-300x217.jpg" style="float: left; width: 300px; margin: 20px; height: 217px;" width="300" height="217" /></p> <p>The Medical Library was founded in 1941, largely due to the efforts of Dr. Harvey Cushing and two other renowned medical specialists, Dr. Arnold C. Klebs and Dr. John F. Fulton. Calling themselves "The Trinitarians", these three great figures of twentieth-century medicine gave their extensive library collections to Yale to form the nucleus of one of the great medical historical libraries of the world. Dr. Cushing, neurosurgeon and collector of the works of the early anatomists and surgeons; Dr Klebs, physician, bibliographer, and incunabulist; and Dr. Fulton, physiologist and collector of medical literature, spearheaded the development of medical history as a major field of study and made a significant contribution to the understanding of medicine and the history of culture.</p> <p>After graduating from Yale, Dr. Cushing received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1895 and taught at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Medical School before accepting appointment as Mosely Professor of Surgery at Harvard in 1912. His career at Harvard was interrupted by overseas service, during which he directed base hospitals in Europe during World War I.</p> <p>Dr. Cushing returned to Yale in 1933, serving as Sterling Professor of Neurology in the School of Medicine and as Director of Studies in the History of Medicine from 1933 to 1937, and as Sterling Professor Emeritus until his death on October 7, 1939. He was married to Kate Crowell Cushing for more than thirty years. Mrs. Cushing took a great interest in her husband's students and hosted teas for them at the Medical School.</p> <p>Dr. Cushing received many honors, including more than twenty honorary degrees, and was one of six individuals, and the only surgeon, to be elected to Honorary Fellowship in the British Royal College of Physicians. His biography of Sir William Osler was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1926.</p> <h2> John Hay Whitney</h2> <p>John Hay Whitney, a 1926 graduate of Yale College, served as United States Ambassador to Great Britain from 1957 to 1961. On his return from England, Mr. Whitney became owner and publisher of the New York Herald Tribune and Chairman of its Paris-based newspaper, The International Herald Tribune.</p> <p>Mr. Whitney's philanthropy helped shape higher education in the United States. In addition to substantial gifts to Yale, through the John Hay Whitney Foundation, which he established in 1949, Mr. Whitney focused on the field of education and on supporting individuals from minority groups who sought to make educational, social, and economic changes in their communities.</p> <p>Mr. Whitney served as a Fellow of the Yale Corporation from 1955 to 1970 and as a Senior Fellow from 1970 until 1973. In 1977, the John Hay Whitney Professorship in the Humanities at Yale was established and in 1981 a new faculty center was designated the Whitney Humanities Center. Mr. Whitney died on February 8, 1982. In 1985, Mrs. Betsey Cushing Whitney presented the University with a generous gift to expand and renovate the medical library.</p> </div></div></div> </div> <div class="clearfix"> <nav class="links node-links clearfix"></nav> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-4 region region-sidebar-second sidebar yale-standard-sidebar-second" id="region-sidebar-second"> <div class="region-inner region-sidebar-second-inner"> <aside class="block block-block block-381 block-block-381 odd has-subject" id="block-block-381" role="complementary" aria-label="About the Library"> <div class="block-inner clearfix"> <h2 class="block-title">About the Library</h2> <div class="content clearfix"> <ul> <li> <a href="/about/annual-reports">Annual Reports</a></li> <li> <a href="/about/history">History</a></li> <li> <a href="/about/mission">Mission & Values</a></li> <li> <a href="/about/newsletters">Newsletters</a></li> <li> <a href="/about/staff/organizational-structure">Organizational Chart</a></li> <li> <a href="/about/staff">Staff Directory</a></li> <li> <a href="/about/staff/publications">Staff Publications</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer id="section-footer" class="section section-footer" role="contentinfo"> <div id="zone-footer-wrapper" class="zone-wrapper zone-footer-wrapper clearfix"> <div id="zone-footer" class="zone zone-footer clearfix container-12"> <div class="grid-2 region region-footer-first" id="region-footer-first"> <div class="region-inner region-footer-first-inner"> <div class="footer-logo"><a href="http://www.yale.edu" class="y-icons y-yale y-mark"><span class="element-invisible">Yale</span></a></div> </div> </div> <div class="grid-10 region region-footer-second" id="region-footer-second"> <div class="region-inner region-footer-second-inner"> <p class="copyright"> <a href="https://usability.yale.edu/web-accessibility/accessibility-yale">Accessibility at Yale</a> · <a href="http://www.yale.edu/privacy-policy">Privacy policy</a> <br> Copyright © 2025 Yale University · All rights reserved </p> <div class="block block-block block-plain footer-nav block-206 block-block-206 odd block-without-title" id="block-block-206"> <div class="block-inner clearfix"> <div class="content clearfix"> <p> </p> <p>333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT 06510 • (203) 785-5359 • <a href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/about/land-acknowledgment">Land Acknowledgment</a></p> <p><a href="/about/contact">Contact</a> • <a href="/find/staff-links">Staff Links</a> • <a href="/cas">Staff Login</a> • <a href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/find/staff-links/directory">Directories</a> • <a href="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/scan007896.pdf">Map</a> | <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/">YSM</a> • <a href="https://www.ynhh.org/">YNHH</a> • <a href="https://nursing.yale.edu/">YSN</a> • <a href="https://library.yale.edu/">Yale Library</a></p> <script src="https://harvey.med.yale.edu/static/scripts/js/embed.min.js"></script> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></footer> </div> <div class="region region-page-bottom" id="region-page-bottom"> <div class="region-inner region-page-bottom-inner"> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> <![CDATA[//><!]]> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://library.medicine.yale.edu/sites/default/files/js/js_JMVekk522eOkII71K9F5yD4Su-iRqPdTR_-LxjPAtMk.js"></script> </body> </html>