The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-27
The Medical College Question

Because of its industrial life no city in the whole south, not excepting New Orleans, presents such oppor- tunities for the practical operation of a great medical college as Birming- ham. This is distinctly the logical place, therefore, for the location of the medical department of the Uni versity of Alabama
 Mobile has had the medical college for long years. It was established there before Birmingham was founded or even thought of, and at time the Gulf City offered far better advan- tages for medical students than any other community in Alabama.
 But the situation has changed. Birmingham, dating it's birth from 1871, has grown to be large city. In the census of 1910 it had a popula- tion of 132,685, but Birmingham, with it's envirous in the 10-mile limit, was credited with a population of 212,000 Today, five years later, the same area has, it is estimated, not less than 250,000. Mobiles growth has been substantial, but its population in the last census was not quite 52,000.
 Not only does Birmingham's size compel consideration in this matter of the medical college location, but this being an industrial center, clinical subjects of all kinds are found here the year round. Birmingham's geo. graphical location is in it's favor, of course, but the exceptional advan- tages from the medical professions point of view-among them a free hospital with 200 beds, a free dis pensary and a dental colege-are what count and they should determine the question of the removal of the medical school.
 The university is making splendid progress in the educational world and every year marks broadening of it's technical and professional achieve ments But what is now clearly need ed for the rounding out of it's system is the transference of the medical de- partment to Birmingham.
 It is stated by leading members of the medical fraternity that the col lege at Mobile is, according to the rules of standardization established and applied by the educational coun- cil of the American Medical associa- tion, about to be dropped for statisti- cal reasons from Class A to Class B. If this happens the fact would react not only against the university, but very seriously against medical educa- tion in Alabama.
 A bill will be introduced in the leg islature next month providing for the removal of the medical college to Bir- mingham. The people of Mobile will naturally make an earnest protest, and they will, as they always do when this medical college subject is up for discussion, arouse much sympathy. But the legislature should ignore sen timent and act for the greatest good of the greatest number. With the University's medical school in opera tion here in Birmingham it would in a very few years take rank with the greatest medical colleges in the Uni ted States. It would draw students from all parts of the south and would consequently widen the already wide influence of the university. There fore, every citizen of Alabama hav- ing pride in his state should feel a lively interest in this matter and be ready to cooperate with the doctors and the Jefferson county delegation in promoting the early passage of the proposed measure.