Thomas Jefferson University, an academic health center, was founded as Jefferson Medical College in 1824. Jefferson Medical College has awarded more than 26,000 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 College of Graduate Studies, and the College of Allied Health Sciences. 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.
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), and Bluemle Life Sciences Building (1991).