Biographical/historical information

Initially established as a two-year program, the East Carolina University School of Medicine admitted its first twenty students in September of 1972, chosen from 300 applicants. In 1975, the General Assembly of North Carolina approved the funds and the school began with three objectives: to increase the supply of primary care physicians to serve the state, to improve health status of citizens in eastern North Carolina, and to enhance the access of minority and disadvantaged students to a medical education. Chancellor Leo Jenkins desired a four-year medical school at East Carolina University and in August of 1977, a charter class of twenty-eight students was admitted to the first four year-program. Since 1977, the institution has grown dramatically in its teaching, research and patient care roles. In 1999, the school was renamed the Brody School of Medicine.

In the early 1920s, a group of forward-thinking doctors imagined better health services for the people of Pitt County. They led efforts to raise the thousands of dollars needed to start a hospital to serve the public. After finally obtaining a charter in 1923 to set up a hospital, the doctors set up temporary quarters above the H. L. Hodges Company (a 5th St feed store) to begin treating patients who needed them. In 1924, the Pitt Community Hospital opened on Johnston Street with 42 beds. Following the Second World War and due in part to newly available money from the Hill-Burton Act, a federal bill to help establish more hospitals throughout the country, plans took shape to build a new hospital. Construction began in 1948, and in 1951 Pitt County Memorial Hospital opened not far from Greenville on West Fifth Street. It had 120 beds and four stories, with four operating rooms, a small emergency room, an examination room, and a closed ward for contagious illnesses. By the early 1960s, new technology began to appear, enabling surgeries once only dreamed of to take place in Greenville, and specialists began choosing Greenville for their practices. Before long, the hospital had outgrown its walls and by 1961, the new "A" wing opened.

A professional survey in 1968 recommended adding more than 100 new beds. Unfortunately, state regulators rejected plans from hospital and county leaders: Pitt Memorial needed to rebuild, not renovate. They agreed to help secure federal funding for construction. Around the same time, people began whispering about establishing a medical school at East Carolina University, culminating with the arrival of the first class of four-year students in 1977. The new Pitt Memorial hospital opened at its current location in 1977. The new hospital began expanding almost immediately.

By the 1990s, changes in technology and economics led to trustees seeking to be released from county jurisdiction, allowing PCMH to operate separately while remaining true to public-interest guidelines as a nonprofit corporation. After many months of difficult political discussions, the county commissioners approved the change by a narrow margin. In June 1998, the hospital received its new charter as a private institution. Soon, a new organization, University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina, was created to integrate the hospital's many health care services. In 2011, the hospital underwent another name change, becoming Vidant Medical Center, and is the primary teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

This collection holds many of the publications produced by the East Carolina University School of Medicine, University Health Systems of Eastern North Carolina (PCMH, Vidant), and joint publications by both institutions.

Scope and arrangement

This collection holds a number of publications created by both the ECU School of Medicine and the University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina (formerly Pitt County Memorial Hospital). The majority of the publications with multiple issues are listed in alphabetical order in the container list. Publications are the series names, while the issues are represented by files. The final two series contain one issue and other smaller publications by the same groups. Publications vary from ECU Physicians newsletters to the Alumni Journal to ECU School of Medicine yearbooks.

Administrative information

Processing information

Processed by Abby Brown and Layne Carpenter, 2021.

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Language of material

English

Related material

East Carolina University School of Medicine Collection (LL 02.11), The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Oral History Collection (LL 02.03), The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Pitt County Memorial Hospital Papers (LL 02.09), The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

East Carolina University School of Medicine Collection (LL 02.11), The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Oral History Collection (LL 02.03), The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Pitt County Memorial Hospital Papers (LL 02.09), The William E. Laupus Health Sciences Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Container list