About the History of Medicine Office
Dr. Jason Hannah
There is a strong history of medicine tradition at Western, from its inclusion of medical history in the curriculum to the founding of various medical historical groups in the late 1910s and 1920s. Professors J.W. Crane (1877-1959), Murray Barr (1908-1995), and others participated in the Harvey Club and the Osler Society, supported a medical school archives and museum, and conducted medical history research.
In 1974, the Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine was established at Western, funded by the Associated Medical Services, Inc in honour of its founder Jason A. Hannah, M.D. (Queen's, 1928). In 1999, the Hannah Chair was fully endowed through a generous donation from AMS. Professor Paul Potter held the Hannah Chair from its inception in 1974 until his retirement in 2011, engaging medical students in the history of medicine while also contributing important scholarship to the field. The current Hannah Chair is held by Professor Shelley McKellar and is a joint position with the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western. The Hannah Chair continues to build on the strong research, teaching and profile tradition surrounding the history of medicine at Western.
Read more about the AMS Hannah Chairs in the History of Medicine across Canada to appreciate the range of professional expertise and ongoing activities in the history of medicine occurring in many Canadian medical schools today.
The History of Medicine Office is located in Health Sciences Addition 041, and is the location for most medical history events.
