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Corporate Name Recipient
Medical College of Virginia. Board of Visitors
Date
1865-04-03
Description
Letter of recommendation from P. F. Brown to the Visitors of the Medical College of Virginia for Dr. William Alexander Thom for appointment to the professorship of obstetrics.
Transcription
Chimborazo Hospital. April 3rd 1865. To the Visitors of the Virginia Med. College I desire to present to your favourable consideration the name of Dr. W[illia]m Alex. Thom [underscore] for the appointment to the vacant professorship of "Obstetrics etc." in your college. Dr. Thom is a distin- -guished graduate of the Virginia Med. College, and was for some time conne- -cted with this institution as Demonstrator of Anatomy. It has always been the custom and policy of the colleges and universities of this state, other things being equal, to confer their vacant professorships on the alumni of their schools. A reference to the faculty of the University of Virginia- the most successful institution in the state and the South- will establish this fact. Dr. Thom, after graduating at your college, settled in the County of Northampton, where he was an entire stranger. His cordial and genial manners, his rigorous and cultivated mind, but above all his thorough knowledge of his profession gained him the confidence of the community in which he settled, secured him a large practice, and he rapidly rose to eminence in his profession, and is now justly ranked among the first physicians and surgeons of this state. Dr. Thom enjoyed a high reputation as an obstetrician and was either directly employed, or consulted in all cases of this character that require professional attention in a wide circle of country around him. I know of no medical gentleman who has in so eminent a degree the qualities of a successful teacher as Dr. Thom. To high intellectual endowments are added great energy of character zealous enthusiastic perseverence in whatever engages his attention. Dr. Thom was appointed surgeon in the Confederate Army in 1861. Early in 1862 he was assigned to Hospital duty in this city. He entered on the discharge of important and responsible duties of this position, and with no more experience than usually falls to the lot of country physicians and surgeons. He rapidly rose to distinction as a practical and scientific surgeon, and to-day the Medical Staff of the Army can boast of no more accomplished surgeon than Dr. Thom. I mention this fact to show, with his professional attain -ments, and peculiar traits of character already alluded to, there is no position in his profession to which he may be assigned, that he would rise to usefulness and eminence. Very Respectfully, P.F. Browne Surgeon P.A.CS. in charge Chimborazo Hospital No. 1 [Endorsement:] Dr. P.F. Browne
Personal Name Subject
Thom, William Alexander
Corporate Name Subject
Medical College of Virginia -- History -- 19th century; Medical College of Virginia -- Faculty
Topical Subject
Medical colleges -- Virginia -- Richmond -- History -- Archives; Medical colleges --Virginia -- Richmond -- Faculty
Geographic Subject
Richmond (Va.) -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Archives
Corporate Medical Subject
Medical College of Virginia -- history
Topical Medical Subject
Schools, Medical -- history -- Virginia
City/Location
Richmond (Va.)
Original Item Size
3 p.
Genre
letters of recommendation
Local Genre
text; archives
Type
Text
Digital Format
application/pdf
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is in the public domain in the United States and thus is free of any copyright restriction. Acknowledgement of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Collection
Sanger Historical Files (1859-1865), Excerpts
Physical Folder
Chimborazo Hospitals
Source
Original letter: Letter from P. F. Browne to Medical College of Virginia, 1863 April 3; Hospitals, Chimborazo; Sanger Historical Files, Accession Number # 82/Jan/1, Special Collections and Archives, VCU Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
File Name
san_hospitals_18650403.pdf