THE EARLY VETERINARY MEDICALPROFESSION IN NORTH AMERICA

As in Britain, few considered veterinary medicine a fit pursuit for educated persons, and by 1850 only a dozen or so graduate veterinarians practiced in America. Before the Civil war, the veterinary profession was small in number, unorganized, diverse and poorly trained. They made up of a group of men who were farriers, blacksmiths, foreign trained veterinarians and physicians (both schooled and unschooled), with little regulation and largely urban.

Yet, by 1850 There Were NoVeterinary Medical Schools in the

United States

By 1850, fewer than two dozen veterinarians had immigrated from Europe to America, there still were no veterinary medical schools in the United States. During the last quarter of the nineteenth century, however, the number of veterinarians in the U.S. increased. Some were European immigrants, others came from schools in Canada (and for the first time there were graduates from schools on this continent).

The Early History of U.S.Organized Veterinary Medical

Associations

During the 1850’s things began to happen in American veterinary medical circles. Only a handful of veterinarians were listed in the census of 1850, yet hundreds of “practitioners” decided they were veterinarians and belonged in the field of veterinary medicine by the census of 1860.

The founding of the United States Veterinary Medical

Association

“Organized veterinary medicine had its shaky

beginning in Philadelphia in 1854, when Robert Jennings, a non-graduate practitioner, helped found the American Veterinary Association. This group was superseded in 1863, when a separate group founded the United States Veterinary Medical Association (USVMA) in New York.” In 1863, there were only about 400 veterinarians in seven eastern states.

The United States Veterinary Medical Association was formed at the organizational meeting on June 9-10,1863 at the Astor House in New York City

Built in1836, this photo

was taken early in 1913 before June, when the furnishing were auctioned off and raised in December of that year.

The seal of the USAMA and the original minute book containing the records of all meetings held from June 9, 1863, to

October 20, 1894

The minutes of the first meeting are in the handwriting of Dr. Alexandre Liautard, secretary. Four pages were removed from the front of the book and the following notation appears inscribed along the narrow margins left when the four pages were removed: “Margin of leaves on which Dr. Jennings inserted minutes of meetings held in Philadelphia previous to the formation of this Assoc. and while acting as secretary.”

Here is the flyleaf of the minute book with the original copy of the Constitution and By-laws of the USVMA

This historic document was signed by the following: Josiah H. Stickney, Boston, MA; George W. Bowler, Cincinnati, OH; Arthur S. Copeman, Utica, NY; Isaiah Michener, Bucks County PA; R. H. Curtis, Brooklyn, NY; John Busteed, New York, NY; William A. Wisdom, Wilmington, DE. (For some reason the signature of R. H. Curtis had been crossed out).

At this organizational meeting in June of 1863, a group of 40 delegates representing seven states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maine and Ohio.

The USVMA was founded for the purpose of promoting quality veterinary medical services, humane treatment and self-improvement through education. At the first meeting, which was held on September 6, 1864 in New York City, NY, the organization adopted its seal, featured Chiron the centaur (the teacher of Aesculapius) – symbolic of the antiquity of veterinary medicine; established its motto, “Non Nobis Solum” [Not For Us Alone].” In its first 10 years, the USVMA got off to a rough start, as it grew very slowly, gaining only one new member in its first decade.

This may be the oldest document relating to the AVMA, list of officers and members of

the USVMA.

The exact date of this publication is unknown, as the list bears no date. However, the officers whose names are shown on the left-hand page served for the year 1887-1888, so it is reasonable to presume that the list was published sometime during 1888. There are 171 names on the list of regular members.

Dr. Josiah H. Stickney, of Bostonbecame the first president of the

USVMA1863 -1864

The United States Veterinary Medical Association was formed with 38 charter members from seven eastern states. The first president was Dr. Josiah H. Stickney, at the age of 37, a graduate of Harvard Medical School in Boston and qualified at the Royal Veterinary College, London as a Veterinary Surgeon.

Dr. Alexandre LiautardUSVMA President (1875-1877,1886-87)

Born in Paris, in 1835, obtainedhis veterinary medical degree from Toulouse Veterinary College in 1856.

He received his MD from Univ. Medical College, New York City in 1865. Served as the Dean of the New York University Veterinary Medical College for twenty-five years (1864-1889). Considered by many as the “Father of American veterinary profession.”

Dr. Daniel Elmer SalmonUSVMA President in 1897 - 1898

Dr. Daniel Salmon, first Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry in 1884, and was the last USVMA president 1897-1898. The first D.V.M. degree from Cornell University was awarded in 1876 to Dr. Salmon, which was the loose equivalent of a PhD in today’s standards.  This D.V.M. degree, incidentally, the first such degree ever to have been conferred in North America and possibly in the entire world.

USVMA Thirty-Second Annual Meeting Des Moines, Iowa - September 10 - 12,1895

The USVMA changes its name to the American Veterinary Medical

Association

After thirty-five years, the renaming of the USVMA as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) took place at the USVMA 35th Annual Veterinary Convention in Omaha, Nebraska, in September 6, 7 & 8,1898. The USVMA changed its name when extending its sovereignty beyond adjacent international boundaries. Thus its name was changed to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Dr. A. W. Clement became the first AVMA President in 1898

Dr. Albert W. Clement became the first president of the newly named organization, the American Veterinary Medical Association, at the age of 41. Graduated from McGill University in 1882. He was born in 1857 and died in 1899, the year after his presidency.

Dr. Roscoe BellAVMA President 1903 - 1904

Dr. Roscoe Bell earned his D.V.S. degree from the American Veterinary College in 1887, was on the faculty of the American Veterinary College and the New York-American Veterinary College. He served as president of the AVMA in 1903–1904. Dr. Bell was the co-editor with Dr. Liautard of the highly acclaimed medical journal, American Veterinary Review.

Dr. James LawAVMA President 1906 - 1907

Dr. James Law, a distinguished veterinarian and teacher, received his training at Edinburgh Veterinary College in Scotland, was hired in 1865 to establish a veterinary school at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Dr. Law began teaching students in 1868, thus the first veterinary students at a university in the United States.

Dr. John G. RutherfordAVMA President 1908 -1909

Dr. John Gunion Rutherford was born in Scotland, graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College, was Veterinary Director General of Canada from 1902-12, and Livestock Commissioner of Canada from 1906-12. Early in the century, Rutherford was instrumental in establishing the policies and procedures that would lead to the eventual eradication of glanders.

Dr. Alonzo D. MelvinAVMA President 1909 - 1910

Dr. Alonzo Melvin graduated from the Chicago Veterinary College in 1886, was the second Chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry from 1905 to 1917 and AVMA president 1909–1910.

Dr. Elinor McGrath(1878-1963)

Dr. Elinor McGrath was the first woman to graduate from the Chicago Veterinary College in 1910. Dr. McGrath was the first woman to be admitted to membership at the 53rd annual meeting of the AVMA in Detroit, 1916. She practiced small animal medicine in Chicago for more than 35 years in a neighborhood largely filled with immigrants from all over Europe.

Dr. Bobbye Chancellor(1978-1980)

Dr. Bobbye Alexander Chancellor was the first woman elected Vice-President of the AVMA in 1978, for two terms, making her also the first to sit on the AVMA Executive Board.

Dr. Chancellor transformed the Vice-President's role into the Board's Liaison to veterinary medical students.

No other woman was elected to the Executive Board until 1990.

Dr. Mary Beth Leininger(1996-1997)

Dr. Mary Beth Leininger was the first woman AVMA president in 1996. Dr. Leininger was a small animal practitioner in Plymouth, Michigan. Her main issue was greater communication from members to the leadership. Her campaign was the first to use electronic media, a Q&A on NOAH. Earlier, Dr. Leininger had served for nine years on the AVMA Council of Public Relations.

PRIVATE VETERINARY MEDICAL COLLEGES

(1875 – 1927)

With the pressing need for veterinarians created by an ever increasing demand for horse power, private American veterinary medical colleges grew rapidly. During this time, many private veterinary colleges were offering two year programs (four months per year), which culminated in granting the degree of Veterinary Surgeon (VS). A large percent-age of draft and pleasure horses made up the largest part of the veterinary medical practices in the U.S., at that time.

The Chicago Veterinary College(1883 – 1920)

A general education was required and was proven by an admission examination. Their curriculum consisted of a four month session each year, over a two year period, they were referred to as ”two-year” men. The Chicago Veterinary College was the largest of the 26 private veterinary medical colleges, with a total of 2610 graduates over a period of 37 years.

Kansas City Veterinary College(1891-1918)

Kansas City (MO) Veterinary College was founded in 1891 as a two year college, in 1896 it became a three-year veterinary medical college. It was considered by many as the best private veterinary medical college of that day. It became the second largest with a total of 1789 graduates.

The KCVC main building built in 1903

McKillip Veterinary College(1892 -1920)

McKillip Veterinary College (Chicago) was known as the largest practice in the world; as part of the class instruction, students would work with their professors in a clinical practice outside the college. Classes started with a course of three collegiate years of six months each. This college produced 1223 graduates from 1897 until it closed in 1920.

St. Louis Veterinary Dental College(1905)

In 1905, the St. Louis Veterinary Dental College was housed in this building at 2301 Locust Street. This college offered a short, popular, practical and scientific course in equine and canine dentistry, taught in eleven weeks. The first session opened on October 12th, but closed it’s doors after only six months.

THE FIRST STATE UNIVERSITY VETERINARY MEDICAL COLLEGES

In 1868, Cornell University became unique in being a publicly-funded, but administrated at a private land-grant university. It was the first university to hire a professor of veterinary medicine and began teaching veterinary medical students that year. However, there were only four veterinary graduates between 1876 and 1894.  The degree was B.V.Sc. for veterinarian and D.V.M. for the loose equivalent of a PhD for further graduate study.

Iowa State College School of Veterinary Medicine

(1879 - present) In 1879, Iowa State

College School of Veterinary Medicine became the first school to establish a distinct veterinary college with land- grant money.

Length of course: 1879- 1886, two years; 1887-1902, three years; 1903 to the present, four years. Old Veterinary Hospital, 1885-1912

The first year (1880) there were only 5 graduates.

Cornell University(1894 – present)

New York State Veterinary College at Cornell University was established in 1894. The nation’s first veterinary DVM degree was granted at Cornell in 1876 to Daniel Salmon, best known as the discoverer of Salmonella.

James Law Hall

University of PennsylvaniaSchool of Veterinary Medicine

(1884 – present) Dr. Benjamin Rush, head of the

Medical School, recommended the establishment of a veterinary medical school in 1807.

In 1884, the Department of Veterinary Medicine was established at the University of Pennsylvania with a three year course. The School of Veterinary Medicine was developed in 1910, then in 1916 the school offered a Old Vet Quadrangle at Penn in 1884

four year curriculum.

Michigan State CollegeSchool of Veterinary Medicine

(1910 – present) Michigan State College was

founded in 1855 by the State of Michigan with its own state grants of land, the of land. Michigan State’s model provided a precedent for the federal Morrill Act of 1862. Michigan State College School of Veterinary Medicine was established in 1910. Length of course: four years. The first year (1913) had one graduate and the second year had two graduates. Giltner Hall

USVMA Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting September 18, 1888 Rossmore Hotel, New York City, New York

Dr. Rush S. Huidekoper elected president

Papers presented:

Origin of the Domestication of the HorseBovine TuberculosisMad Itch in CattleCommittee to draft resolution Contagiousness of TB to man

The AVMA 50th Anniversary

Celebration Hotel Astor, New York City, September 1-5, 1913

1904 Drawing

The AVMA Diamond Jubilee MeetingJuly 5 -9, 1938 in New York City, NY

The AVMA held their 75th annual convention at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City, NY. This meeting would commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Association. It would return to the city in which it was organized, to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee.

AVMA Centennial ConventionAmericana Hotel, New York City

1863 -1963July 27-August 1, 1963

Record-Breaking Attendance5,038 veterinarians and visitors 2,243 veterinarians877 women483 children823 exhibitor representatives168 veterinary medical students444 guests

AVMA Sesquicentennial Convention

July 20-23, 2013 Chicago, Illinois

United States Veterinary Medical Association

In 1863, the official symbol of the USVMA was of the god Chiron as represented by the figure of half man and half horse. It appeared on the cover of the official Journal of the AVMA after the AVMA purchased the American Veterinary Review in 1915.

The new AVMA emblem adopted in 1922

In 1919, both the San Joaquin Veterinary Medical Association in Fresno, CA and the California State Veterinary Medical Association adopted the Caduceus emblem. Then, at the 59th AVMA Convention in St. Louis, MO in 1922, the House of Delegates adopted the Caduceus emblem with the “V” superimposed.

Caduceus Aesculapius

For many years, starting in 1933, a small group of AVMA members proposed changing this emblem. Even in 1934, numerous journals wrote of concerns that the Caduceus was confused with the symbol of Aesculapius which had a medical connection.

American Veterinary Medical Association

This small group of AVMA members, lead by Dr. Joseph M. Arburua, joined later by Dr. J. Fred Smithcors, both from California, tried to change the official logo of the AVMA. After four attempts, they convinced the House of Delegates at the 107th AVMA Convention in Las Vegas, NV in July of 1970, to adopt the Aesculapian image. It was a 37 year struggle, to prove a point.

American Veterinary Medical Association

The official emblem of the AVMA, as we know it today, was adopted through the efforts of this small group of AVMA members that were determined to correct a historical error.