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Records of the Office of Vice President for Health Sciences/Dean of the Faculty of Medicine largely created during the administration of Henrik H. Bendixen, who served as acting Vice President for Health Sciences in 1984 before being named to the position in 1985. He was succeeded in early 1989 by Herbert Pardes.
Particularly well-documented topics in the records include medical school relations with two of its affiliated hospitals, Bassett (Cooperstown, N.Y.) and Harlem; growing academic ties with China; the establishment with Presbyterian Hospital of a joint Office of Clinical Trials; the activities of the university's Office of Science & Technology Development; affiliation with St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College in London; and the site visit to the medical school of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) in Jan.-Feb. 1989.
History and Biography
The Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences at Columbia University traces its origins to the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, generally known as the College of Physicians & Surgeons. As the health sciences campus grew in complexity over the 20th century, the Dean was given administrative oversight of the schools of dentistry, public health, and – after its partial University affiliation in 1937 – nursing. From 1933 to 1945, the deanships of medicine and dentistry were combined in one person and for many years the director of the school of public health functioned more as a department head than as the leader of an autonomous school.
All ancillary health science programs, such as occupational and physical therapy, also reported to the Dean of the medical school. In addition, the Dean served in an advisory capacity on the Joint Administrative Board, the body that coordinated the relationship between Columbia University and Presbyterian Hospital. In recognition of these increased responsibilities, the Office of the Vice President in Charge of Medical Affairs was created in 1949; in 1973 the title was changed to Vice President for Health Sciences. As of the writing of this finding aid (2010), it is named the Office of the Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences/Dean of the Faculty of Medicine.
From 1949 through 1973 the Vice President was also the Dean of P&S. In that year, the offices were split; they remained split until 1984, when they were reunited.
For a list of Vice Presidents and Deans during the period covered by these records see the Deans of the Health Sciences Schools page.
Organization
Records of the Office of Vice President for Health Sciences/Dean of the Faculty of Medicine largely created during the administration of Henrik H. Bendixen, who served as acting Vice President for Health Sciences in 1984 before being named to the position in 1985. He was succeeded in early 1989 by Herbert Pardes.
Particularly well-documented topics in the records include medical school relations with two of its affiliated hospitals, Bassett (Cooperstown, N.Y.) and Harlem; growing academic ties with China; the establishment with Presbyterian Hospital of a joint Office of Clinical Trials; the activities of the university’s Office of Science & Technology Development; affiliation with St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London; and the site visit to the medical school of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) in Jan.-Feb. 1989.
A small portion of the records date to Bendixen’s post-vice presidential career as Senior Associate Vice President for Health Sciences/Senior Associate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. He retired from Columbia in June 1994.
The Central Records of the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences were still in active use during the Bendixen administration. Correspondence and other records created or received by the VP’s Office continued to be filed there. There is no indication why the records here were kept separate from Central Records. In many cases, relevant correspondence on the same subject was filed in both sets of records. Researchers will need to check both record series to be sure they have seen all material relating to a specific topic.
Subject Headings and Related Records
Administrative Information
Transfer from Georgian Building storage room, date unknown (accession no. 2004.12.21).
Records processed and finding aid written by Stephen E. Novak, April 2010.