As the university progressed, new structures were added to the 13-acre Center City campus: the Main Hospital Building (1907), Thompson Building (1924) , Medical College and Curtis Buildings (1929 and 1931), Foerderer Pavilion (1954), Jefferson Alumni Hall (1968), Scott Memorial Library (1970), Edison Building (acquired 1973), Gibbon Building (1978), Bodine Center for Cancer Treatment (1986), Medical Office Building (1986), Clinical Office Building (1990), Bluemle Life Sciences Building (1991), the Dorrance H. Hamilton Building (2007) , and the Health Professions Academic Building at 901 Walnut Street (2012).
About the University
University History
Thomas Jefferson University, an academic health center, was founded as Jefferson Medical College in 1824. Jefferson Medical College has awarded more than 30,000 medical degrees and has more living graduates than any other medical school in the nation.
An infirmary to treat the poor was opened in 1825, and by 1844, Jefferson was providing patient beds over a shop at 10th and Sansom Streets. A 125-bed hospital, one of the first in the nation affiliated with a medical school, opened in 1877, and a school for nurses began in 1891.
On July 1, 1969 the institution became Thomas Jefferson University, composed of Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the Jefferson Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Health Professions, the School of Nursing, the School of Pharmacy, and the School of Population Health. Today, this academic health center tests and treats 25,000 inpatients and more than 300,000 outpatients every year, and enrolls 2,600 future health care professionals. Public and private funding of Jefferson research exceeds $64 million annually.
JMC, circa 1930s
Jefferson Hospital, 1877
JMC Building, circa 1846
Media Resources
Contacts &|Press Releases
If you are a member of the media and you wish to contact any one of the specialists at Thomas Jefferson University or Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, please call the Thomas Jefferson University Department of Public Relations at (215) 955-6300. After hours, please call (215) 955-6060.
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