Academics

Jeffries marks 45 years of service to Penn State College of Medicine

HERSHEY, Pa. — When Dr. Graham Jeffries came to Hershey in July 1969 as the first academic faculty member, there was no hospital, only part of the signature Crescent building had been built, and the three classes of medical students had to be taught in Harrisburg.

Jeffries, who became Penn State College of Medicine’s founding chair of the Department of Medicine, had not been particularly interested in leaving his job on the Cornell faculty at New York Hospital, but a visit to the new campus and meeting with George Harrell, the College of Medicine’s first dean, changed his mind.

“George had vision, and I realized that it would be exciting to start from the ground up,” he said. The medical school had students, but no faculty. When the hospital was built, it had an emergency room, but no house staff. “We all took turns being on call at night,” said Jeffries. 

They quickly recruited faculty to develop research programs. The hospital opened its doors to patients, and that generated money to support the faculty.

“Things developed slowly, but it was an exciting time,” he said.

Learn more about Jeffries in this Penn State Medicine article.

Last Updated November 9, 2015

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