A Moment in Time: Celebrating 125 Years of History | PCOM
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A Moment in Time 
Celebrating 125 Years of History


January 22, 2024

PCOM students pose in front of window-sized collage depicting moments from PCOM's historyA lot can happen in 125 years.

A college can be founded in Philadelphia and then expanded to Georgia. Healthcare centers can be opened to better treat underserved populations. Students can graduate and begin their dream careers.

One hundred twenty-five years can hold millions of moments and memories. In celebration of its 125th anniversary, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has captured elements from those years and moments on the 125th Moment Wall. This static display has been installed on all three campus locations and will remain throughout the year as a visual representation of PCOM’s storied history.

“We wanted students to see the history that they were a part of,” said Abigail Harmon, senior graphic designer at PCOM.

“We want them to know they are one piece in a bigger story, and there are 125 years of medical education behind them.”

Cover art for PCOM's Digest Magazine (2023 vol. 1) featuring a collage of meaningful moments from history The idea for the oversized collage of PCOM’s history started with an issue of Digest, the College’s alumni magazine. A walk through the archives with Mitzi Sorrells, cataloger & special collections librarian, revealed the richness of PCOM’s history.

“Since the school’s founding in 1899 by Mason W. Pressly and Oscar John Snyder, PCOM has continued to grow and prosper over the years,” shared Sorrells.

“It has gone through several name changes, many moves and expansions. From the initial graduating ‘class’ consisting of one man and one woman, PCOM has now matriculated tens of thousands of students.”

Additional standout moments were added to the collage to create a unique celebration of how far PCOM has come over the last 125 years.

“The process of selecting items to help tell the story of PCOM’s vibrant history was a lot of fun,” said Sorrells. “We tried to include a variety of objects from decades of daily life: academic publications, programs, drawings, pins, photographs and other ephemera.”

In total, 64 items are showcased on the wall for students, faculty, and staff to enjoy on all three campuses. Moments in time that make up PCOM’s identity.

“The items are part of decades of education. I’m drawn to each one because there’s a real person or story behind it,” said Harmon.

“While the study of medicine has been around for a long time, to see it through a different lens is special.”

Moment Wall Key Photo

Below is a key of the 125th Moment Wall. The PCOM community is invited to take photos and view the individual elements of the photo collage on each campus location. Share your photos on social media using the hashtag #PCOM125.

Moment Wall Key photo displaying a collage of items from PCOM's history with numbers assigned to each item

  1. Clinic sign from booth doctors era
  2. Portrait of Angus Cathie, DO, anatomy professor
  3. Biomedical Sciences brand image from early 2000s
  4. Rugby championship medal, 1987
  5. Portrait of mace and baton holders, Ernest Leuzinger, DO’24, and Paul Lloyd, DO ‘23
  6. Commemorative token shovel from PCOM South Georgia groundbreaking
  7. Synapsis Yearbook, 1989
  8. Old EKG machine from archives
  9. Blood pressure cuff from archives
  10. PCIO Dispensary
  11. Anatomy textbook cover
  12. Lawn Fete ticket, 1907
  13. Sim Center at PCOM Georgia, 2010
  14. Rugby shot from team, 1998
  15. PCOM D.O. Care pin, 1980s
  16. Schematic drawing of PCOM Georgia, 2005
  17. Wishbone pin - 1960s - student wives
  18. Construction of hospital, 1960s
  19. Student in PCOM Georgia Sim Center
  20. 48th and Spruce campus shot, 1932
  21. PCOM City Avenue all together pin
  22. Anatomy bone box, circa 1944
  23. Finkelstein radiology goggles
  24. Faculty hand drawn sketches
  25. Meta Christy, DO ’21, graduation portrait
  26. Student Wives Club handbook, 1965
  27. Bone box contents card
  28. Commencement cover of Digest Magazine, 1990
  29. Ribbon cutting of Lotman Lobby, 1999
  30. PCOM Georgia commencement booklet, 2020
  31. Plaque recognizing Thomas Rowland, DO, 1979
  32. Old signage outside of Rowland Hall, late 1970s
  33. Levin Admin building, original Moss House Estate, 1960s
  34. Schematic of PCOM Georgia, 2018
  35. Anatomy lab classroom shot, 1980s
  36. Ribbon cutting from PCOM South Georgia, 2019
  37. PCOM soccer team photo, 1983
  38. Digest cover, 1948
  39. Class of 1999 graduation shot
  40. Poem penned by a student, Class of 1910
  41. 20th commencement booklet, 1919
  42. Funny photo from yearbook, 1970s
  43. Illustration of first campus location
  44. Iota Tau Sigma gavel, 1969-70
  45. Old radiology x-ray films
  46. Portrait of A.T. Still
  47. Commemorative coin from PCOM's 75th anniversary
  48. Portrait of late faculty member and OJ Snyder winner, Dr. Fogel
  49. Forensic medicine promotional photo
  50. Graduation tam belonging to Galen S. Young, Sr., DO
  51. PCOM groundbreaking with Paul Barth
  52. PCOM Georgia, 2005
  53. Old stethoscope
  54. City Avenue obelisks, 2001
  55. PCOM commemorative plate, 1980
  56. Pharmacy typewriter from Georgia archives
  57. PCOM Georgia ribbon cutting program, 2005
  58. Flounders Day Follies, 1983
  59. Photo from Angus Cathie exhibit, 2021
  60. PCOM college catalog, 1974
  61. Osteopathic Digest newsprint, 1920s
  62. A.T. Still had a beard pin
  63. New Student Reception greeting with Dean Barth
  64. Old doctor's bag

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About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.

Contact Us

Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312 | Cell: 717-371-0609

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