The Physician as Humanist

It is appropriate that this lecture should be given in a building which is devoted to the broader aspects of living and which is located on the campus of an institution which treats bodily ills. This institution began as part of a liberal arts college. This tradition in the state of Virginia started with Mr. Jefferson when the University was established at Charlottesville. He decreed that one of the first chairs should be in medicine, not as preparation for a professional career, but as a discipline which should be understood by all educated men. The faculty at this institution has recognized this principle, and this lectureship was endowed by a member of the faculty – a rather unusual occurrence. The medical college is continuing its interest in this field through the ecumenical program which is just getting started and which is broadly based in the health sciences as a whole