Having discussed curricular and other faculty affairs of the Medical College of the Pacific at some length, we must now return to the practical matter of facilities.
University College Building
Soon after the Faculty of the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific revived the Cooper School in 1870, they rented the College Building on Geary and Stockton Streets in downtown San Francisco from University (City) College - to which for convenience we will hereafter refer as "University College." As we have noted, the location of the College Building, and the liaison between the Medical School and University College, were convenient and congenial, and led in 1872 to establishment of the Medical College of the Pacific. It was not long, however, before problems related to facilities began to intrude.
The first of these was of such a petty nature that it hardly deserves mention except as it is evidence of the continuing hostility of Dean Cole of the Toland School. It appears that the San Francisco Medical Society thought it proper to change its place of meeting, and a committee charged with the business sought vainly for a long time to obtain a proper room. At length, on 21 March 1873, the committee applied to the Faculty of the Medical College of the Pacific for permission to use the lecture room in the College Building for the regular meetings of the Society. The Faculty granted permission for use of the room at a rent of ten dollars per month, provided that there should be no objection by Society members from the Toland School. The subject was before the Society for two or three meetings at which some of these gentlemen were present and they voiced no opposition, whereupon the arrangement for using the lecture room was approved.[1]
When Dean Cole assumed the editorship of the Western Lancet in 1873, he vigorously attacked the decision of the San Francisco Medical Society to rent a meeting room at the Medical College of the Pacific: [2]
| The San Francisco Medical Society has committed a grave blunder in removing its place of meeting to the lecture-room of one of the rival medical colleges in this city - the Medical College of the Pacific.. . . In allowing itself to be tagged on to the institution in question, the San Francisco Medical Society has shown a lamentable disposition to undo the work of years, and to descend to that "filthy pool" of factious squabbledom for which this city has so long been accorded the championship. We will not stop to inquire into the motives that prompted the proffer of this room. In itself the matter is insignificant enough - simply the straw at which a waning cause will catch. "The University of California knows no rival," was the remark of Professor Gilman in his recent public address. Its medical department will soon know none; the doom of any such is either to give up the ghost honorably, or to sink into a "Diploma -Shop " |
In a subsequent issue of the Lancet, Dean Cole continued his attack on the Medical College of the Pacific: [3]
To which Henry Gibbons, a firm believer that "a soft answer turneth away wrath," replied: [4]
| Not a word was said in opposition to (renting the lecture room at the Medical Department of the Pacific) at any of the meetings of the Society. After all this, the Lancet, both of whose editors are members of the Society, and one word from either of whom would have prevented the removal to the College building, publicly abuses the College for offering the room and the Society for accepting it. What the College has to gain by allowing the Society to occupy its hall at a nominal rent, does not appear. The Faculty have endeavored to deal honorably and courteously with their brethren of the other school, and to promote the social and professional relations which are called into play by their assembling on common ground in the Medical Society. The same feeling, we have no doubt, has actuated the University professors in the main, and we do not believe that they sympathize with the ungenerous and unwarranted assault. In fact, we do not attribute to the editors of the Lancet the bitter animus which their attack would imply. Not having occupied the editorial seat long enough to warm it, topics were scarce and something had to be written. |
As the years pass, we shall regrettably find it necessary from time to time to record other eruptions of Mount Cole.
A much more substantial problem arose when curricular enhancement at Medical College of the Pacific led to the need for additional space. This need was ingeniously met in mid 1874 by putting a new roof on the College Building, at the same time raising its height and substantially enlarging the second floor. The Faculty requested the Board of Trustees of the College to finance the renovation but, as far as we can determine, the Faculty paid the bill and thereby acquired some equity in the College building - an investment which later proved of benefit to the Faculty.
At about the same time in 1874, University College began to experience financial difficulties. These progressed so that, in 1875, the rapidly increasing value of real estate in the business district of San Francisco, and the limited possibilities for future expansion at the site on Geary and Stockton Streets, prompted the Trustees to accept an offer of $ 90,000 for their downtown property (which included the College Building and the Chapel). With the proceeds of this sale, the Trustees paid off an outstanding debt of $ 30,000. They then took $ 35,000 of the balance to purchase a lot with a frontage of 400 feet at 129 Haight Street, two miles west of the downtown location.
The purchasers of the downtown property did not want the College Building and the Chapel, and informed the Trustees that they could remain in possession of the buildings if they would move them to Haight Street or other location with no expense to the new owners.
On 27 May 1875, J. D. Thornton, Esq., Secretary of the Board of Trustees of University College, was invited to attend a meeting of the Medical Faculty to inform them of the financial status of University College. He confirmed to the Faculty that the downtown property had been sold and that possession would be transferred to the new owner in December 1875. Mr. Thornton then offered two options to the Faculty. They could move the College Building to the lot on Haight Street at their own expense. Or, if they did not wish to do so, the Trustees were ready to refund the amount the Faculty had previously paid for improvements on the building, and would not claim past rent in view of their prior agreement absolving the Faculty from paying rent for two years.
At a Faculty Meeting on 23 September 1875, the need to either move the College Building to Haight Street or find other facilities for the Medical School, was discussed. A committee composed of Professors Barkan, Bentley and Gibbons, Sr., was appointed to determine the best course of action for the School. In addition, Dr. Gibbons, Sr., was requested to ascertain from the new owners whether the College Building could remain in its present location for another year.
As the deadline approached for transferring the downtown property to the new owners, there was growing apprehension among the Faculty for the welfare of the School. Feeling the need for the leadership of Dr. Lane during this critical period, they instructed the Dean to write to him urging his return from Europe in time to be present at the beginning of the next Session in June. 1876. Dr. Lane could not accede to this request, but promised to return in time to attend the Commencement in November and deliver the Valedictory Address.
During late 1875 and early 1876, the Faculty continued their efforts to locate alternate facilities for the School. In 1872 the San Francisco City and County Hospital had been moved some distance from its original location across from Toland Medical School to a new site on Portrero Street. Since proximity to the County Hospital would be a definite asset, a committee was appointed to search for a lot near the Hospital to which the College Building could be moved. None suitable could be found.
When the Faculty met on 28 December 1875, Professor Gibbons, Sr., announced that he had arranged with the new owners of the downtown property to grant the Faculty a lease of the ground for the next two or three months provided the Faculty agreed to remove the College Building from the premises on two or three weeks' notice. At the same meeting the Faculty finally decided that they now had no option other than to move with the College Building to Haight Street. Accordingly, Professors Gibbons, Sr., Ellinwood and Douglass were appointed as a Special Committee to make final financial and other arrangements with the Board of Trustees for the move.
On 20 January 1876, Professor Gibbons, Sr., reported to the Faculty that negotiations of the Special Committee with the Trustees had resulted in the following generous agreement:
The Board of Trustees of University College agreed to move the College Building, when desired to do so by the Faculty, from the downtown site to the grounds on Haight Street, and to put it in good condition, all free of expense to the Faculty. The Trustees also agreed to allow the Faculty to occupy the relocated College Building free of rent for two years with the understanding that the Trustees would retain ownership of the Building, and that all outstanding financial obligations of University College to the Faculty would be canceled. |
The decision to move the College Building to Haight Street having been made, the Faculty began planning the Session for 1876. However, they remained in suspense as to the timing of the transfer to Haight Street. On 2 March 1876 they were abruptly informed that the Building must be removed from the downtown site within a few days.
As agreed, the Trustees of University College took full responsibility for the moving project which included the transport of both the College Building and the Chapel over a distance of two miles up hill to the lot on Haight Street. Although steam power may have been used, the probabilities are that the moving was done by horses and that the College Building, which was 128 feet long, had to be cut in two at the downtown site and the parts rejoined at the new location. Fortunately the move was accomplished expeditiously so that by 4 May 1876 the Faculty of the Medical College of the Pacific had resumed operations in the College Building now relocated at 129 Haight Street, where they were to remain for the next six years. [5]
The Annual Announcement for the Session of 1877 carried the following information:
| The College Building is conveniently and centrally situated on Haight Street, near Octavia Street, at which place the Dispensary Clinics are also held. Cars running within a short distance of the City and County Hospital pass within a block every few minutes. Thus the student will find in convenient proximity all the varied appliances for theoretical and practical instruction. |