James H. Etheridge and family collection

Collection

Call Number: Ms Coll 62

Scope and Contents

The papers contain correspondence of J. H. Etheridge from 1894 until his death in 1899, correspondence of the Powers and Throop families back to the 1850s, medical case records and payment ledgers, talks and published articles, Rush Medical College ephemera, medical society ephemera, diplomas and certificates including some awarded to Etheridge's father, photographs, and the many obituaries written on Etheridge.

Dates

1827-1937

Language of Materials

Materials are in English except for some diplomas in Latin.

Conditions Governing Use

Collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by a descendant, James Grant Young, from the estate of Margaret Grant Young, 2017 and 2023.

Arrangement

Organized into 8 series: 1. Biographical information /Obituaries. 2. Correspondence of James H. Etheridge. 3. Powers/Throop family correspondence. 4. J. H. Etheridge writings. 5. Organizations and societies. 6. Medical practice. 7. Oversize box: Additional patient records, correspondence, and miscellany. 8. Flat box: Large photographs, certificates, and diplomas.

Related Materials

Additional materials related to James H. Etheridge were donated by James Grant Young, from the estate of Margaret Grant Young, to the Rush University Medical Center Archives.

Extent

7.75 Linear Feet (11 boxes)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/med.ms.0062

Additional Description

Abstract

James H. Etheridge was a gynecologist who became Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rush Medical College. The collection contains biographical materials, correspondence of Etheridge, correspondence of Etheridge's wife's family (including the correspondence of Heman G. Powers, a Chicago businessman), Etheridge's writings, his patient records, ephemera from medical societies, photographs, and certificates and diplomas.

Biographical / Historical

James Henry Etheridge, gynecologist, was born in St. Johnsville, New York, March 20, 1844. His physician father, Francis B. Etheridge, taught J. H. Etheridge medicine before the latter entered Rush Medical College, Chicago, in 1866. After graduation in 1869, Etheridge began a general practice in Evanston, Illinois. In 1870, he married Harriet Elizabeth Powers, of Evanston, daughter of wealthy businessman Heman G. Powers and Sarah Throop Powers. They traveled abroad and and he visited hospitals in London. On his return in 1871, he set up practice in Chicago and became part of the teaching faculty of Rush Medical College. At first, he was a successful general practitioner, and then he specialized in gynecology. In 1889, he became Professor of Gynecology at Rush Medical College, and in 1892, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was active in medical organizations and served as President of the Chicago Medical Society and the Chicago Gynecological Society. At the height of his career, he died suddenly on February 9, 1899. He was known as a man of good nature and wit, and as a skillful and rapid operator.

Heman George Powers, wealthy Chicago businessman and father-in-law to James H. Etheridge, was born in Keeseville, New York in 1820. He married Sarah Throop in 1843 in Vergenne, Vermont. About 1857, he moved to Chicago and built up a large wholesale grocery business under the name Durand Bros. and Powers. The business was destroyed in the Chicago fire of 1871. Powers then entered the banking business and became president of a bank in Chicago. In retirement, he lived in Evanston, Illinois, and spent time at a farm he owned in Wisconsin.