The University of Tennessee, College of Medicine has its roots in Nashville as the Nashville Medical College. That college as organized in 1876, and in 1879 was acquired by the University of Tennessee as its medical department. The Memphis Hospital Medical College was also found in 1876 but, because of the yellow fever epidemic in Memphis, did not actually hold classes until 1880. In 1909 two Nashville schools merged and were operating as the joint Medical department of the University of Nashville and the University of Tennessee. It moved to Memphis in 1911 and merged with the College of Physicians and Surgeons to become the University of Tennessee, College of Medicine.
In 1911 the Medical Units were located in two buildings. The medical and pharmacy schools were housed in Lindsley Hall, the former home of the College of Physicians and Surgeons that was located at the present site of the eastern end of the General Education Building. In 1913 the University absorbed the Memphis Hospital Medical College.
From its beginning, the major purpose of the Medical Units was to provide practicing health professionals for the state. This purpose was greatly enhanced in 1921 when the city of Memphis signed an agreement with the University, which stated that the city would maintain the physical plant of the Memphis General Hospital, and the University would provide medical staff and the health care for the patients. Thus, the University had an excellent facility at its disposal for the clinical training of its students.
In 1922 Dr. O.W. Hyman, a member of the Anatomy faculty since 1913, was appointed business manager of the institution. Three years later Dr. Hyman was appointed Dean of the College of Medicine and administrative officer for the Medical Units. He would hold this later position for thirty-nine years. The University took over the Memphis General Hospital School of Nursing in 1926 and placed it under the direction of the medical college. The first building of the present campus was also built in 1926 and would become the Wittenborg Anatomy Building named for Dr. August H. Wittenborg, head of the Anatomy Department from 1911 until 1941.
The school of biological sciences was established in 1928. Its role was to coordinate the teaching of the basic sciences and to offer graduate instruction at the M.S. and Ph.D. level. Dr. T. E. Nash served as its Dean for thirty-two years. In 1928 two more buildings of the present campus were completed, the Mooney Memorial library and the pharmacy building later called the Crowe Building.
Dr. Hyman began the four-quarter plan for medical school in 1931. Under this system medical students were admitted four times per year, a system designed to maximize the use of all classrooms, laboratories, and equipment. During the early thirties, UT acquired the Rex club located at the corner of Madison and Dunlap at the present site of the GEB. This building was known as the University Center and served as the campus student center until 1969. In 1936, the Memphis General Hospital was torn down and replaced by the John Gaston Hospital. Both medical and nursing students received their clinical training in this facility.
Following World War II, there was a great expansion in the Medical Units. The dental building and the pathology building was built in 1951, as was the Cancer Research Building which was later renovated and known as the Van Vleet Building. In 1954 the Chemistry-Physiology Building, later named for Dr. T. E. Nash, was built followed by the Hyman Administration Building in 1955. The graduate school of medical sciences was organized in 1960 and the next year Dr. Hyman retired.
In 1963 the College of Medicine moved from its four admissions per year quarter system to a two admissions per year system. Under the guidance of Dr. M.K. Callison, then Dean of the College of Medicine, the city built the Bowld Hospital and the Dobbs Research Institute and greatly expanded the City of Memphis Health Complex In 1969, the Child Development Center and the Student Alumni Center were both completed. The College of Community and Allied Health Professions was formed in 1972. In 1973, Dr Edmund Pellegrino replaced Dr. Joe Johnson who had served as the interim Chancellor. Dr. T. Albert Farmer replaced Dr. Pellegrino in 1975. During Dr. Pellegrino's tenure, the University of Tennessee Medical Units was renamed the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences. In 1977 both the medical and dental schools moved to a one-year admissions system.
In 1981 Dr. James C. Hunt was named Chancellor following his three-year tenure as Dean of the College of Medicine. He served as Chancellor until 1992 at which time he stepped down to establish the Underserved Areas Program. Dr. Robert L. Summitt, Sr. served as Dean from 1981 until his retirement in July 1998. Dr. Henry G. Herrod is currently serving as Dean of the College of Medicine.