Sign of the student times: M-Home houses receive official insignia
Each house has a different color (maroon, purple, hunter green and blue) and one-word phrase that best describes a quality of its namesake (equality, justice, discovery and resilience)
Dr. William Henry Fitzbutler House
House Color: Maroon
AEQUITAS – Equality
An exceptional educator, humanitarian and physician who fervently sought to improve the health of African Americans, Dr. William Henry Fitzbutler (1842-1901) became the first African-American to graduate from the Medical School in 1872. He ultimately founded and became dean of the resulting Louisville National Medical College and hospital for more than two decades.
He championed diversity, equality, and social justice during a time when racial and gender inequality were the norm. He was a benevolent individual, a physician of great curiosity, courage, and commitment, and one with a vision to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow.
The “hands” represent equality and humanism, two key aspects of Dr. Fitzbutler’s legacy.
Dr. Alice Hamilton House
House Color: Purple
IUSTITIA – Justice
Dr. Alice Hamilton (1869-1970), a member of the Medical School Class of 1893, was the first U.S. physician to devote herself to research in industrial and occupational health. In 1919, Dr. Hamilton was hired as an assistant professor in a new Department of Industrial Medicine at Harvard Medical School, making her the first woman appointed to their faculty in any field. She published the first American textbook on industrial hygiene, and another on industrial toxicology.
Her empathy, humanism, courage, and perseverance were evident through her advocacy for women’s equality and the rights of others. She was a woman of great integrity with a vision to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow.
The “scales” acknowledge Dr. Hamilton’s many contributions to social justice.
Dr. Jonas Edward Salk House
House Color: Hunter Green
INVENTUM – Discovery
Dr. Jonas Edward Salk (1914-95) was an American medical researcher who discovered and developed the first successful polio vaccine. He completed a research fellowship at the University of Michigan and was a faculty member at the University of Michigan in the School of Public Health, where he worked on developing an influenza vaccine.
Dr. Salk was an individual who subverted his own self-interest for the benefit of others. He was a scientist of distinct integrity driven by compassion and a personal desire to improve the lives of others. He was a benevolent individual, a physician of great curiosity, courage, and commitment, and one with a vision to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow.
The “sun” represents life and pays tribute to Dr. Salk’s quip when asked whether he would patent his vaccine: “There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”
Dr. Amanda Sanford House
House color: Blue
CONSTANTIA – Resilience
Dr. Sanford (1838-94) was the first woman to earn a M.D. degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, graduating with highest honors in her class in March 1871. Her graduation thesis, “Puerperal Eclampsia,” was a thorough review of the state of knowledge at the time about this dire obstetrical complication and included original research as well as statistics and case studies.
Dr. Sanford’s willingness to pursue the study of medicine at a time when gender inequality pervaded many professional careers is but a small attestation to her courage, perseverance, and resilience. She was a woman of deep integrity and honesty who used her intellectual gifts to spur scientific innovation with a vision to embrace the possibilities of tomorrow.
The “fetal heart tracing” is a symbol of Dr. Sanford’s contribution to the health of women and children.