Records of the Committee on By-laws and Ordinances of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia

This collection of records of the Chairman of the Committee on By-Laws and Ordinances of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia spans 1970 to 1990. The records were created by five committee chairmen: Louise C. Gloeckner (1970- 1972), Robert S. Pressman (1973-1977), Paul Nemir, Jr. (1977-1978), Joseph B. VanderVeer (1978-]979), and Palmer Howard Futcher (1979-1990); the bulk of the records are from the administrations of Pressman and Futcher. Many of the papers contain Futcher's autograph notes, indicating that he perused and maintained the files crealed by previous chairmen.

The collection is arranged chronologically and includes photocopies of the information written on the original file folders. Present in the collection are agendas, minutes, correspondence, memoranda, and numerous drafts and revisions of the Ordinances and By-laws of the College of Physicians. Included are minutes of the Committee on ByLaws and Ordinances, as well as minutes of Council meetings, which the Chairman of the Committee on By-Laws and Ordinances was required to attend. Correspondents in the collection include College Presidents George I. Blumstein, Katharine R. Sturgis, John P. Hubbard, George P. Rosemond, Lewis W. Bluemle, Brooke Roberts, Lewis L. Coriell, and Robert Austrian; Executive Directors William F. Chaveas and John M, O'Donnell; and other Fellows of the College, including John L. McClenahan, Joseph A. Wagner, and Karl F. Rugart.

The papers from this collection document the preparation of the Ordinances and By-laws of the College of Physicians issued in 1972, 1984, and 1990. Several important changes were made during these years, many of which relate to the nomination and election of officers of the College, including the creation of the office of President Elect, the elimination of the office of Vice President, and the decision to hold elections every other year. Other changes include the remission of dues for Fellows over sen:mty, new· requirements for non-resident status, and the creation of a new level of membership in the College, "Associate Fellow".

Of special interest in the collection are records dating from April to August 1982 which pertain to the threat of nuclear attack in the Philadelphia area; included is information on an evacuation plan proposed by the Cnited States Government and a statement of opposition to that plan issued by the College's Committee on Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Also present is correspondence between Palmer Howard Futcher and Brooke Roberts; in their letters, Futcher and Roberts address the inability of the medical community to deal with the fatalities, injuries, and mass destruction resulting from a nuclear attack. Futcher and Roberts also discuss whether or not the College should issue an official statement in favor of nuclear disarmament. Also of note in the collection are papers from July 1987 which document the College's decision to feminize the certificate of Fellowship presented to female Fellows. Previously, female Fellows had received certificates contalning masculine Latin endings. Also documented in this col lection is the role played by Lhc Committee on By-Laws and Ordinances in the 1990 reorganization of the College of Physicians; during this year, an Ad Hoc Committee on Goveruance, with the help of the Committee on By-Lah'S and Ordinances, drafted the Ordinances and By-Laws of 1990, which differed significantly from previous versions. In an open letter to the Fellows (25 February 1990), Robert Pressman expressed his disapproval of the "radical and wrenching changes" occurring at the College.