The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-04-27
Plans REUNION
HERE IN JUNE
~,,.. Of 1891, Of the keokuk Medical
College, Intend TO Come Back to
the Old Ha0nts Of the
NEEDLES.
RECALLS HISTORIC ERA
rhis is the First Glass Of the New
Medical College Which seceeded
from the Old College en-
Masst.

Tho class OF 1891, the first class
.radnated by the Keokuk Medical
College. is planning a reunion here
n Inne, with the enjoyment lasting
two days
DR.. j. Whitefield Smith, Of Bloom
ington, H.. the prime mover in the
reunion project, has written Manager
Homes of the Hotel Iowa about ar
engagements for the meeting here OF
the class.
He says about twenty-five alumni
will be present, with five members
If the faculty of that time, and that
all members of the class appear to
Re very enthusiastic over the idea.
The plan is for the men and women
n the class of 81 to arrive the night
~ June IA, or early on the morning
~ lime Is, and hold the first session
= the hotel on the afternoon of June
~ That evening they will have a
H,nouet in the Tiffany room which
viii last very late, with many pleas
sable incidents.
First Class Of New College.
All of June Is is to be spent seems
NE old haunts OF the needles Of TWEEN
y Years ago. DR.. Whitefield writes
that they want to see the keokuk OF
today, and especially ST. Joseph's
hospital, the old Keokuk Medical col
lege rooms in the upper flors of The
Gate City building. and other gather.
ing places OF the students Of their
day.
This reunion grows out of the very
pleasant reunion OF another class
held here last year, which was well
attended and proved milestone in
the lives of all the many physicians
present.
This class coming in June has the
distinction Of being the first class
graduated from the keokuk Medical
college. and they were here during
stirring times in medical education
in Keokuk.
The Historic Fight Recalled.
The College OF Physicians and Sur
xeons began here in 1S49 and was the
first medical college west of the Mis-
sissippi river II was for years the
medical department of the Iowa
Ctate university, and later its corpo-
cation was owned by the elder Dr..
). c. Hughes and his estate, with the
younger DIR. ]. G. Hughes as dean in
1890. and before and later.
In the summer OF 1890 the entire
faculty presented grievances and de.
mands to the corporation which were
rejected. At once the faculty, except
Dean Hughes. resigned in body and
formed the Keokuk Medical college.
generally called the new college, and
the College Of Physicians was called
the old college. Dean Hughes formed
a new faculty in about two months
opened the old college on time that
September-and the fight between
the two colleges began and divided
the city and western country into
two camps 1t got into the courts
made some men and ruined others
and finally both sides won-in SIX
years the old college had the largest
attendance in it's half century OF ex.
istence and the new college had
about as many as the old college had
lat the time of the secession OF 1891.
Ten years later the Keokuk Medical
college bought the corporation OF the
College of Physicians and Surgeons
at rather stiff price in money and
with stipulations to preserve its name
( and the Hughes name in the amalga-
nation. A few years later 1t all went
to Drake. at Des MONIES, and soon
after to the state university.
The Hour Glass and the Scythe.
This history of medical colleges IS