Our History
Courtesy of University of Kansas Medical School Archives
Early History
A special committee of the Woman's Medical College/Medical College of Pennsylvania Special Trust Fund was convened in 1998 to protect the Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine, a nationally recognized archival collection, during bankruptcy proceedings at The Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann University Medical School. The Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine (FHWIM) was founded as a recommendation of that special committee and played a significant role in shepherding the Archives and Special Collections through the bankruptcy process. FHWIM Board members were, and continue to be, relieved and confident that the safety of the Archives and Special Collections on Women in Medicine was initiated under their guidance, and is now fully protected by merger into the Drexel University College of Medicine.
2001 to 2007
In 2001, with the most urgent part of its original mission fulfilled, the FHWIM turned its focus to its larger mission to promote the history of women in medicine and the medical sciences on a national and international level. At this point in history, it became clear that the Foundation's greatest impact would be made by providing funding, resources, and expertise through partnerships with other organizations in effecting programs and projects that facilitate the preservation of the unique perspectives and contributions of women in medicine so that the knowledge of their work will continue to shape the future of medicine.
Today's Mission
The Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine (FHWIM) was founded with the belief that knowing the historical past is a powerful force in shaping the future. FHWIM takes pride in “preserving our past to influence the future”, and focuses on its mission,
To promote and to preserve the history of women in medicine
and the medical sciences.
The Foundation's Board of Trustees believes strongly that we can further our mission by partnering with organizations that share the same passion for and commitment to the history of women in medicine and the medical sciences, and integrating this history into the medical community.