Dr. Brush and the Bricks

As I was searching for something in some of our old medical journals last week, I came across an article about our building written on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its dedication. 

I was pretty confident that I knew almost everything about the building and the decision to build it. The Faculty had acquired a building on Eutaw Street's Hamilton Terrace in 1896, and thought that it might serve as its forever building. They renovated it to include a banquet hall in the basement, an assembly room on the ground floor, a library on the second, and an apartment for the librarian on the third.

But there were also some problems. The roof leaked, ruining portraits and books, and in eight years, the membership had almost doubled to 700. Beginning in 1903, President Eugene Cordell began suggesting that the Faculty build its own building. 

By 1904, when Dr. William Osler announced that he was moving to England, the issue of a new building still had not been settled. At the presentation of the portrait of Dr. Osler to the Faculty, President Dr. Edward N. Brush urged the membership to get serious about a new building. He told them to think about how much they could afford to help fund the new building, and then double it!

That became the theme of the building campaign, and Dr. Brush became the Chair of the building committee. A budget of nearly $100,000 was established, and the fundraising began. The architecture firm of Ellicott & Emmart was selected, a plot of land was purchased for $24,000, a general contractor was chosen and a time-frame of ten months was suggested. 

The following year, Dr. George Linthicum took over as the Chair of the Building Committee and kept it moving forward, including taking out a $15,000 loan, which was quickly paid back. However, Dr. Brush stayed active on the committee and eventually played a seminal role in the building by donating all of the bricks for the façade of the building! 

An additional fundraising campaign was initiated, this time, a beautiful double-sided medal, designed by Faculty member and medical illustrator, Max Brödel, available for purchase for the tidy sum of $1.00. Unfortunately, I have never found one of these medals, so I am happy that there are images of it. 

After nine years of searching through the archives, journals and history, it is always gratifying to find something new. 

Happy Archives Week!

Honestly, who knew?  

Regardless, Happy International Archives Week! The theme for this year is #ArchivesAreYou.

This week commemorates the founding of the International Council on Archives (ICA). It gives archivists a time to call greater attention to the importance of archives and the people who work in them.

“Archives Are You” captures the idea that archivists leave their unique traces on the archives. They also make appraisal decisions and choose how deeply to describe different series of records. The National Archives serves everyone, and we want our services to welcome the broadest possible range of people. Both for archivists and researchers, “Archives Are You.” *

When I first started at MedChi and was going through the archives, I was overwhelmed by our 200+ years of history and how closely our founding members, our members today, and all of those in between are woven through the fabric of our lives. This blog is here to preserve some of those memories so they are not lost in the mists of time. 

Learn more about International Archives Week 2022 on the Pieces of History blog: 

*From the US Archives Facebook page.

In Memory: Dr. George Salim Malouf, Sr.

Dr. George Malouf, Sr. was born in Lebanon and received his Doctorate in Medicine from the French Faculty of Medicine in Beirut. After completing his residency training at Boston City Hospital, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and came to Maryland.

In 1958, he opened up his ophthalmology practice in Prince George’s County, the Malouf Eye Center.  Dr. Malouf was joined in his practice by his two sons, Dr. Alan Malouf and Dr. George Malouf, Jr., and the practice grew to locations in Bowie, Hyattsville and Suitland.

Throughout his career, Dr. Malouf was very involved in the community and in organized medicine. He was a charter member of the Maryland Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons and served as President of the Society in 1981. 

He was active in the Prince George’s County Medical Society, serving as President and as a Board member. He served as President of MedChi in 1984 and as the Chairman of the Maryland delegation to the American Medical Association.

Dr. Malouf was the recipient of many professional honors and awards. In 1988, he received the Governor’s Citation for “deep commitment to his fellow citizens of Maryland, as demonstrated by his pioneering efforts in the field of ophthalmology and his distinguished record of community service…”

Other awards include the Prince Georgian of the Year Award in 1988 and MedChi’s A.H. Robbins Award for “outstanding community service by a physician” in 1987.

In 1991, Dr. Malouf was honored with the prestigious Benjamin Rush Award for Citizenship and Community Service from the American Medical Association. The award was given for his outstanding contribution to the community, for citizenship, and public service that is above and beyond the call of duty of a practicing physician.

Please click here to read an oral history interview with Dr. Malouf from 2011. 

Dr. George Salim Malouf died on May 28, 2022.