Stanford Medicine is building on a history of innovation and excellence across health care, research and education. 

Medical Center History

  1. Medical school originates in San Francisco as the medical department of the University of the Pacific

  2. Establishment of Stanford University

  3. Stanford University opens

  4. Board of trustees adopts Cooper Medical College as Stanford University’s School of Medicine

  5. Ray Lyman Wilbur, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  6. William Ophüls, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  7. Establishment of Stanford Home for Convalescent Children

  8. Loren R. Chandler, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  9. Windsor C. Cutting, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  10. Robert H. Alway, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  11. Medical school moves from San Francisco to new quarters, including classrooms, laboratories, hospital and clinics, on Stanford University campus; the hospital was co-owned by the City of Palo Alto and known as the Palo Alto-Stanford Hospital Center

  12. Arthur Kornberg, PhD, wins the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

  13. Robert J. Glasser, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  14. Stanford University purchases the Palo Alto Hospital Center, becomes incorporated as Stanford University Hospital

  15. Renaming of children’s facility to Children’s Hospital at Stanford in recognition of its expanding roles in instruction and research

  16. Clayton Rich, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  17. Children’s Hospital at Stanford opens a new wing, consolidating all pediatric outpatient services of Stanford University Medical Center

  18. Paul Berg, PhD, wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

  19. Stanford University Hospital embarks on a major modernization program to promote and expand facilities; signs agreement with Children’s Hospital at Stanford for consolidation of all pediatric services in the new Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

  20. Dominick P. Purpura, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  21. Renaming of outpatient clinics to Stanford University Clinic

  22. David Korn, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  23. Remodel and modernization of Stanford University Clinic

  24. Naming of the Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine in honor of philanthropists Arnold and Mabel Beckman

  25. Ground breaking for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford

  26. Stanford University Hospital opens new wing, the first major modernization project since 1959

  27. Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine opens

  28. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford opens

  29. Richard M. Lucas Center for Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Imaging opens

  30. Stanford University Medical Center's new 780-space parking garage opens

  31. Stanford University Clinic's new outpatient building on Blake Wilbur Drive opens

  32. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences's new building on Quarry Road opens

  33. Creation of Stanford Health Services through the merger of Stanford University Hospital and Stanford University Clinic

  34. Eugene A. Bauer, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  35. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford board of directors transfers control of the facility to Stanford Health Services; Packard Children’s Hospital remains a separately licensed nonprofit corporation

  36. Ground breaking for the new Center for Clinical Sciences Research

  37. Merger of the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center and UCSF/Mount Zion Medical Center with Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital to create UCSF Stanford Health Care, a private nonprofit organization

  38. Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital returns to independent status ending a two-year merger with UCSF Medical Center

  39. Center for Clinical Sciences Research building opens

  40. Philip A. Pizzo, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  41. Ground breaking and construction begins for new Clark Center (Bio-X) building

  42. Ground breaking for new cancer center

  43. Creation of the Stanford Institute for Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, a multidisciplinary effort to develop novel treatments for cancer and other diseases

  44. The Clark Center (Bio-X) building and the underground parking garage on Pasteur Drive opens

  45. Stanford Cancer Center opens

  46. Roger Kornberg, PhD, wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

  47. Andrew Fire, PhD, wins the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

  48. Demolition of Fairchild Auditorium for new learning and knowledge center

  49. Ground breaking for Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge

  50. Ground breaking for the Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building

  51. Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge opens

  52. Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building opens

  53. Lloyd B. Minor, MD, becomes Dean of the School of Medicine

  54. Brian Kobilka, MD, wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

  55. Thomas Südhof, MD, wins the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

  56. Michael Levitt, PhD, wins the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

History Photo Stream

Flickr stream courtesy of Stanford Medical History Center