Palmer H. Futcher Collection

Biography

Palmer Futcher was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Thomas B.Futcher, a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine assoicate professor. He was also a god son of William Osler. Futcher received a B. A. from Harvard University in 1932 and an M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1936. He served an internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital under the guidance of W.T. Longcope. Futcher pursued post-graduate research at the Rockfeller Institute under D.D. VanSlyke, before returning to Johns Hopkins Hospital as Longcope’s chief resident. With the outbreark of World War II, Futcher was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve and attained the rank of Commander (MC). After the war, he returned briefly to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as an instructor in medicine before accepting a position at Washington University as an assistant professor of medicine, working with fellow Harvard and Johns Hopkins University Medical School alumn, Barry Wood. In 1948 Futcher returned to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as an associate professor in medicine and as the physician-in-charge of the private outpatient service, Johns Hopkins Hospital. Futcher was an assistant dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine from 1959 to 1962 and was then appointed director of the university health clinic and the personnel health clinic. Named executive director of the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1967, Futcher moved to Philadelphia. In 1971 he was appointed to the Univeristy of Pennsylvania School of Medicine faculty. He later worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital until his retirement.

Scope and Content

The Palmer H. Futcher Collection contains extensive Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine memorabilia related to his father, Thomas Futcher, William Osler and Harvey Cushing. There is also a collection of Futcher’s medical notes taken over the course of his medical career and material related to the Harvard Class of 1932 and subsequent reunions.

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