Title supplied by cataloger. Founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church on September 29, 1913, the College of Medical Evangelist opened a small storefront clinic at 941 E. First Street in Los Angeles. Because demand was so great just three short years later, it became apparent that there was a need to expand the clinic. Through non-stop efforts of the Adventist Church, it purchased property on Boyle Avenue in 1916, and in 1917, construction began on cottage-style buildings that would become a permanent hospital. On April 21, 1918, a crowd of 2,500 people gathered to witness the dedication of White Memorial Hospital - named in honor of Ellen G. White. In 1920, a new dormitory for nurses was built, and in 1923, medical training began with the opening of the White Memorial School of Nursing. In the mid-1930s, the hospital built a 180-bed, five-story concrete and steel structure at a cost of $330,000, which was dedicated in 1937 - it was the first earthquake-resistant hospital in California. In 1955, the hospital completed a new 200-bed facility at a cost of $2.3 million; by the late 1950s, White Memorial's campus was spread out among eight city blocks, and the medical school which was divided between Loma Linda and White Memorial campuses were pressured to merge to a single location. In 1962, Loma Linda University relocated its students and faculty to a consolidated campus in Loma Linda. In 1963, the hospital's ownership was transferred from Loma Linda University to the Southern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a division of the Adventist Church; the name would eventually be changed from White Memorial Hospital to White Memorial Medical Center. Today, White Memorial Medical Center, located at 1720 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, is a 369-bed, not-for-profit, faith-based, acute care teaching hospital staffed by 400 physicians, 1,700 employees and 50 volunteers, providing a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and diagnostic services to communities in and near downtown Los Angeles. Aerial view of White Memorial Hospital and White Memorial Church; view is looking northeast. This is the site of the future White Memorial Medical Center on Boyle and Cesar Chavez Avenue in Los Angeles. Some identifiable streets include: (l to r) Boyle Avenue, vertically at left, curving from upper left to upper middle; Bailey Street, vertically at middle, curving at upper middle; State Street, vertically from bottom right corner to middle top; (bottom to top) Michigan Avenue, horizontally at forefront; New Jersey Street, lower middle, breaking at center; Brooklyn Avenue (presently Cesar E. Chavez Avenue), horizontally at middle; and Bridge Street, horizontally at upper middle The San Bernardino (10) Freeway, is visible horizontally at top, with the Los Angeles County Hospital/USC Medical Center farther back. Photograph dated February 6, 1957.
Type
image
Format
1 negative :safety ;12 x 14 cm. Photographic safety negatives
White Memorial Medical Center (Los Angeles, Calif.) White Memorial Hospital (Los Angeles, Calif.) White Memorial Church (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center Express highways--California, Southern Hospital buildings--California--Los Angeles Church buildings--California--Los Angeles Hospitals--California--Los Angeles Streets--California--Los Angeles Interstate 10 Los Angeles (Calif.)--Aerial views Aerial photographs
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.