Q:  When and where was the American College of Surgeons (ACS) founded?

A:  The American College of Surgeons was founded in 1913 in Chicago.

Q:  Is there a history of the ACS?                

A:   Three  books describing the history of ACS have been published:

• Davis, Loyal, Fellowship of Surgeons: a History of the American College of Surgeons Chicago:   ACS, 1960c;1996 , is available on request from the Archives.
• Stephenson, George W. American College of Surgeons at 75 Chicago: ACS, 1990c; 1994, is available for purchase through the ACS Publications and Services Catalog.

A third book serves as a history of the founding and earliest years of the College and is available for viewing in the Archives:

• Martin, Franklin H., The Joy of Living: Au autobiography (2 vols.), Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, Doran & Co., Inc., 1933.

Q:  Who was the founder of the College?

A:   Although many were responsible for its founding, Franklin W. Martin, MD, FACS, is generally regarded as the person who conceived and brought to reality the journal Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics (SG&O ) in 1905, The Clinical Congress of Surgeons of North America in 1910, and the plans for the founding of the American College of Surgeons in 1913.

Q:  Is there a list of all the presidents of the College?

A:   A list of the ACS Presidents is available online.

Q:  Who was the first African-American member of the College?

A:   Daniel Hale Williams, MD, FACS, , St. Luke’s Hospital in Chicago, was the first African-American surgeon. He was admitted to Fellowship in 1913.

Q: Who was the first woman member of the College?

A:   Florence West Duckering, MD, FACS, an attending surgeon, New England Hospital for Women and Children,  Boston, MA, was one of the first women surgeons admitted to the College in 1913. However, the 1913 American College of Surgeons Yearbook lists at least five other women as members of the College.

Q: I am a Fellow of the College. What services does the Archives offer me?

A: Access to the Archives of the American College of Surgeons is a member benefit. ACS Members can have gain access to the Archives on an appointment-only basis for any of the collections. Additionally, the Archivist is available for consultation about

• Conducting research using the ACS collections
• Questions regarding preservation of historical material
• assistance with grand rounds on historical topics
• questions dealing with rare books and donation of material to the ACS and other collections
• reference questions regarding the history of surgery and the history of the College

Q: I am not a member of the American College of Surgeons. May I use the Archives?

A: Nonmembers can access the Archives by submitting a written request containing their complete contact information and specifying the reasons for their request to use the Archives. Upon approval, access to the Archives may be arranged.

See also “Access Policies.”

Q: How do I contact the Archives?

A: Susan Rishworth, MA, MLS, ACS Archivist may be contacted at 312-202-5270 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m (CT). E-mail messages can be sent to srishworth@facs.org.  The Archives is located on the 27^th Floor of the American College of Surgeons headquarters building, 633 N. St. Clair St., Chicago.

June 2009

 

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