Records of the Board of Managers of Wills Hospital

Collection

Identifier: MSS 6/008

Scope and Contents

These records of the Board of Managers of the Wills Hospital consist of three manuscript documents, all of which date from approximately 1833, when the hospital was first established. Included are the "By Laws of the Board of Managers of the Wills Hospital", "General rules and regulations for the management and supervision of the Wills Hospital for the indigent lame and blind", and a certificate announcing the election of new managers to the Board. These documents provide insight into the organization and management of the Wills Hospital during its early years.

The by laws of the Board of Managers designate the duties of officers, the order of business, and rules of order. The hospital rules and regulations outline the procedures to be followed in the admission of patients; this document also lists the duties and responsibilities of the Board of Managers, the physicians and surgeons of the hospital, the steward, and the treasurer. The final document (28 November 1833) is a letter from the Philadelphia Select and Common Councils to the Board of Managers of the Wills Hospitals; this letter lists the new members appointed to the Board of Managers.

Dates

1833

Creator

Wills Hospital (Philadelphia, Pa.) (Organization)

Biographical / Historical

The Board of Managers of the Wills Hospital was created in 1833 when the hospital was established. The Board, responsible for the general administration of the hospital, consisted of eighteen members who were appointed by the Philadelphia Select and Common Councils. The Board of Managers existed until 1870, when the City of Philadelphia took control of Wills Hospital. At this time, the Board of Directors of City Trusts assumed the responsibilities of the Board of Managers.

The officers of the Board of Managers consisted of a president, a treasurer, a secretary, a steward, and a matron. The Board also divided itself into several committees, including a Committee on Property, a Committee on Purchases, and several Visiting Committees. The Visiting Committees consisted of three members who were elected each month on a rotating basis. They were responsible for receiving applications for admissions, discharging patients no longer in need of charity, making contracts and purchases for the support of the hospital, and keeping an account of their activities and expenditures.