Contributions of the German Element to the Growth of the University of Maryland : Reprint from the Twenty-sixth Report of the Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland Item Type Report Authors Cunz, Dieter, 1910-1969 Publication Date 1945 Keywords University of Maryland, Baltimore--Faculty; Baker, Samuel; Miltenberger, George W.; Hemmeter, John C.; Germans-- Maryland--Baltimore Publisher Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland Download date 05/10/2021 12:20:59 Item License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10713/2333 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE GERMAN ELEMENT TO THE GROWTH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND By DIETER CUNZ Reprint from the Twenty-sixth Report of the Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland Baltimore, 1945 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE GERMAN ELEMENT TO THE GROWTH OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND By DIETER CuNz The University of Maryland began as several years represented "The Depart­ a Medical School in the year 1807. Its ment of Arts and Sciences of the Uni­ official name was "The College of Medi­ versity of Maryland." In the years 1913 cine of Maryland," after similar and 1915 the Baltimore Medical College schools in Philadelphia, Harvard, Dart­ and the College of Physicians and Sur­ mouth and New York, the fifth Medical geons were united with the University College in the United States. Five years of Maryland Medical School. later a university was engrafted upon In spite of several changes and en­ the Medical College and provisions were largements the basic structure of the uni­ made to organize besides the existing versity stood for more than a century medical division three new branches: of the way it had been set up in 1812. Divinity, of Law and of Arts and Sci­ Then the year 1920 brought a far-reach­ ences. Faculty members for the new ing reorganization. An Act of the departments were appointed in 1813, Maryland Legislature merged the uni­ yet it was several years until the new versity with the Maryland State College branches began actually to function. in College Park in Prince George's The university branched out again in County. From now on the name "Uni­ 1840, when the College of Pharmacy versity of Maryland" applied to the two was added, Less foresight was shown branches in Baltimore and College Park, when, in 1839, the university rejected which worked at separate localities but the plan to establish a Department of under a common administration. The Dentistry; subsequently a separate Maryland State College first was chart­ "Baltimore College of Dental Surgery" ered in 1856 under the name of Mary­ was founded in 1840, the first Dental land Agricultural College, the second College in the world. A generation agricultural college in America. It had later the necessity for such a depart­ profited by the Land Grant Act and had ment had become so urgent that in 1882 built up a high reputation in the field the university <Started its own Depart­ of agriculture. Through the Land ment of Dentistry. The School of Arts Grant Act the college became, at least and Sciences, although officially estab­ in part, a state institution; in 1914 its lished in 1812, was not active until control was taken over entirely by the 1831. In that year a regular college state. The charter of 1920 created a faculty was appointed and courses were university, comparable to the great begun in Philosophy, History, Classical state universities of the West. The divi­ and Modern Languages, Political Econ­ sions of Medicine and Law remained in omy, Geology, Rhetoric, Botany, Mathe­ Baltimore; Engineering, Agriculture, matics, Applied Chemistry and similar Arts and Sciences were the backbone of fields. The School of Arts and Sciences, the College Park branch near Washing­ however, was the weakest point of the ton, D. C. The years of the founding of university. Lack of funds, faults of or­ the two branches, 1807 and 1856, and ganizations, later the strong competi­ the year of their fusion, 1920, mark the tion of the newly founded Johns Hop­ most important dates in the history of kins University caused such a decline of the university-therefore the official the Arts and Science Department that by seal of the university shows these three the turn of the centuries it could not dates. stand any more on its own feet; in 1907 In the scope of this article we are it was merged with St. John's College particularly interested to see to what in Annapolis, which from now on for extent German immigrants or their de- 3 scendants contributed to the develop· timore in 1809 and held this pos1t10n ment of the university. until 1833. As president of several Not until the beginning of the nine· medical societies he was very active in teenth century did the German element the organization of the Medical Library in Baltimore develop something like a in Baltimore. His oldest son, William social upperclass. After 1815, when Nelson Baker, became professor of new waves of German immigrants Anatomy in 1838; his early death cut poured into the state, it became obvious off a career which had begun under that some of the older German immi· very promising circumstances. His grant families, who had come during brother, Samuel George Baker, suc· the last decades of the eighteenth cen· ceeded to his father's old chair in 1837; tury and who had gained wealth and being at the time of his election only reputation, were becoming more and twenty-two, he was probably the young· more an integral part of the "society" of est professor the university has ever the city-families like the Hoffmanns, had. the Mayers, the Fricks, the Bakers, and George W. Miltenberger, born in Bal· others. These families were especially timore in 1819, graduated from the concerned about the lack of a higher University of Maryland in 1840. Upon type of educational institute in. the city. completion of his studies he was im· These circles were therefore particular· mediately appointed demonstrator of ly interested when the idea of founding Anatomy and in the ensuing years be· a college was brought up, and from came lecturer on pathological anatomy. these families again came quite a num· He was thirty-three years old when he her of teachers who built up the vari· accepted the chair of Materia Medica ous schools and colleges which today and Therapeutics. In 1855 he wa~ made are united under the common designa· Dean of the Faculty, and a few years tion of "The University of Maryland." later he was chosen for the chair of It should be mentioned in this con· Obstetrics. After half a century of nection that the first medical teacher of teaching he retired in 1891. High any prominence in Baltimore was a honors in the academic and medical German immigrant: Charles Frederick field were bestowed upon him; a great Wiesenthal. He had come from Prussia number of his scientific articles ap· in 1755, began to practice medicine in peared in the "Maryland Medical Jour· Baltimore, and in the eighties, deeply nal" and the "Transactions of the Medi­ concerned about the lack of proper pro· cal and Chirurgical Faculty of Mary· fessional training for young doctors, land." In the history of the university started a private medical school. Upon he deserves special mention as one of his death in 1789, his son, Andrew the founders and first president ( 1880) Wiesenthal, continued there courses on of the alumni association. anatomy and surgery to the time of his With the Baker brothers Charles own death in 1798. This was the first Frick (1823-1860) shares the fate of medical school in the state until 1807, brilliant careers suddenly ended by un­ when the College of Medicine _was timely death. After having taught for founded. several years in a Baltimore Prepara­ In the early history of the College of tory School of Medicine he became pro· Medicine the Baker family holds a con· fessor in the Maryland College of spicuous place. Three of its members, Pharmacy in 1856 and two years later Samuel Baker ( 1785-1835) , and his joined the Faculty of Physics (Medi­ two sons, William N. Baker (1811- cine) at the University of Maryland. 1841), and Samuel G. Baker ( 1814· Although only a few short years were 1841) , belonged to the most outstand­ granted to him, his teaching and his ing and most popular professors in the research work were long remembered Department of Medicine. Samuel Baker, as a high point in medical science in horn in Baltimore, was the son of a Baltimore. He had a great reputation German immigrant. He was elected to ,as an investigator; his chief interest the chair of "Materia Medica" in Bal- was directed toward fevers, the blood, 4 the kidneys and their secretions. His paratively new field: the history of book on "Renal Diseases" ( 1850) was medical science. His book, "Master in his time counted among the standard Minds in Medicine" (1927), became a works in that field. After his death a landmark in medical historiography. branch of the Library of the Medical Only in parentheses we may mention and Chirurgical Faculty was named his artistic ambitions; he was a thor· after him; beside.s, a "Charles Frick oughly trained musician, and even com· Research Fund" at the university pre· posed scores for orchestra, .voice and served his memory. piano. His cantata "Hygiea," first In the twentieth century the Frieden· performed at a meeting of the American wald family played as important a role Medical Association at Baltimore, is a in the development of the Medical praise of the science and art of medi· Faculty as the Baker family in the first cine; after several performances in this half of the nineteenth century.