The Institutional Records of
The Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Brief History of the Bloomberg School of
Public Health
Scope of the Records
Record Group 1. Founding Documents
Record Group 2. Records of Administrative Bodies
Record Group 3. Director or Dean’s Office
Record Group 4. Student Records and Organizations
Record Group 5. Departmental Records
Record Group 6. The American Journal of Hygiene, 1933-1950
Record Group 7. Publications
Brief History of the The Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg
School of Public
Health
In 1916 the General Education Board of the Rockefeller
Foundation decided on the Johns Hopkins University as the site for
an institute
of health and hygiene. Thus the dream of William H. Welch for a separate
hygiene institute for Hopkins became a reality.
Welch had long stressed the importance of hygiene and preventive medicine
in the education of a physician. In 1915 along with Wickliffe Rose
who had organized
hookworm campaigns in the southern United States, Welch prepared a report for
the Rockefeller Foundation recommending the creation of a public health school
at a university with a medical school of high standard. The Rockefeller Foundation
decided that Hopkins would be the place and appropriated $267,000. In October
1918, with Welch as the director, the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene
and Public Health opened its doors to its first students. In its early years
the Rockefeller Foundation supported the School with annual grants and in 1922
the Foundation awarded an endowment fund of $6 million. In 1925 the School
opened its own building.
As he had been with the Medical School some years before, Welch was the driving
force at Hygiene in its formative years. He assembled an excellent faculty
which instructed students in preventive medicine, sanitation, epidemiology,
bacteriology, immunology and nutrition. Since the early 1920's the School has
continued to grow with a multidisciplinary faculty advancing knowledge through
research and training students for careers in public health.
Scope of the Records
The basic administrative records for the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and
Public Health are fairly complete. They include minutes of the School of
Hygiene’s Advisory Board, Office of Dean correspondence and financial
records. In addition, the Archive includes the business correspondence of
The American Journal of Hygiene which Welch launched in 1920. There is some
student material such as examination results and fellowship applications,
but few records from specific academic departments.
Record Group 1. Founding Documents
In 1916 when the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
came into existence there were no other examples to follow in the United States.
The School was a true pioneer and soon became the model for other similar institutions.
The documents in this record group relate directly to the founding of the School,
its organization, philosophy, and financing and the construction of its own
building.
Record Group 2. Records of Administrative Bodies.
This record group contains the minutes of the primary decision making organization
of the School of Hygiene, the Advisory Board. In addition, there are minutes
of the Executive Committee and minutes and reports of a Special Committee on
the Organization of the School, 1930-1931.
Record Group 3. Director or Dean’s Office.
These are the records of the chief administrative officer of the School
of Hygiene and Public Health. They are comprised of budget material
and business
correspondence. The official title of the chief administrative officer of
the School has changed back and forth between Director and Dean throughout
the
years. Originally the title was Director. In 1931 it was changed to Dean
and in 1946 back to Director. In 1958 the title again became Dean.
Directors
(Deans) of the School of Hygiene and Public Health:
William H. Welch, 1916-1927
William H. Howell, 1927-1931
Wade H. Forest, 1931-1934
Allen W. Freeman, 1934-1937
Lowell J. Reed, 1937-1947
Ernest L. Stebbins,
1947-1967
John C. Hume, 1967-1977
Donald A. Henderson,
1977-1990
Record Group 4. Student Records and Organizations.
This record group contains all student related material. There are examination
records, class standings, student registration lists, fellowship and scholarship
applications and records of the Ubiquiteers-a School of Hygiene student organization.
Record Group 5. Departmental Records.
Contact the archives staff for information regarding Departmental Records.
Record Group 6. The American Journal of Hygiene, 1933-1950.
In order to communicate the results of the latest research in hygiene
and public health, Welch in 1920 founded The American Journal of Hygiene.
Since 1929
two volumes have been published each year. This record group contains the
business and subscription correspondence of the Journal. In 1965 the
title changed to
The American Journal of Epidemiology, remaining a leading journal in the
filed of public health.
Record Group 7. Publications
In this record group are publications from the School of Hygiene and Public
Health. They include catalogues, alumni directories and collected papers. Finally
there are three scrapbooks of newspaper clippings.
