North Carolina Medical College

North Carolina Medical School Building was located on the corner of Concord Road and Lorimer Road across from the public library. It was torn down in October 1970.

Included in the history of the sciences at Davidson College is the founding of the North Carolina Medical College. Incorporated in 1893, the North Carolina Medical College was the first chartered medical college in North Carolina and had its roots in Davidson’s pre-medical program. The “president” of the college was Dr. John Peter Munroe, a Davidson College physician and professor. In 1896, Dr. Munroe bought a lot from Davidson College and built on it a three-story brick building for his college. In 1902, however, the clinical section of the college moved to the old Presbyterian Hospital on West Trade Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. Five years later, the rest of the medical college followed, setting up quarters at the corner of Church and 6th Street. The school prospered in Charlotte for six years before moving, once again, to Richmond to become a part of the Medical College of Virginia. The original Medical College building in Davidson was demolished in 1970.

Before the Medical College was founded, however, Davidson College did offer classes for students interested in medicine. An advertisement in the May 1886 issue of the Davidson Monthly offers a “Preparatory Class for Medical Students.” In the years before the founding of the Medical College, the courses consisted of private lessons in anatomy, histology, and physiology. These courses were taught by the town doctor and college physician and were designed to prepare Davidson students for entrance into medical schools such as the University of Virginia. By 1890, the one-year pre-medical course had been expanded into two years. By 1893, the courses had increased to three years. That same year, the North Carolina Medical College was founded.

Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, North Carolina Medical College, Physics – Bibliography

Beaty, Mary D. A History of Davidson College. Davidson, N.C.: Briarpatch, 1988.

Cromartie, Caroline King. The Physical Development of Davidson, North Carolina: An Historical Analysis. Davidson College Honors Thesis, 1978.

Davidson, Chalmers Gaston. “Davidson Celebrates.” Davidson Journal 1 (1987): 2-7.

Davidson, Chalmers Gaston. Mid-Point for ’28. Davidson, N.C.: Davidson College, 1953.

Kelley, Robert Lincoln. Davidson College: A Diagnosis and a Prescription. Lancaster, PA: Council of Church Boards of Education in the U.S.A., 1926.

Lingle, Walter L. Memories of Davidson College. Richmond, VA: John Knox, 1947.

Logan, Van Lear. “Growing Up in Davidson.” Davidson Journal 1 (1987): 20-23.

Ratliff, Charles E. Economics at Davidson: A Sesquicentennial History. Davidson, NC: Davidson College, 1987.

Shaw, Cornelia Rebekah. Davidson College. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1923.

Spencer, Samuel R. The First Year. Davidson, NC: Davidson College, 1969.

Author: Molly Gillespie & Mark Grotjohn
Date: 1998 & 3 July 2006

Cite as: Gillespie, Molly and Mark Grotjohn. “North Carolina Medical College,” Davidson
Encyclopedia, 3 July 2006 <https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/encyclopedia/north-carolina-medical-college/>