At a meeting in 1816, the following recommendation was recorded. It tells clearly what was required of students who wished to receive the degree of Doctor of Medicine:

"Whereas, Horatio Orvis and Sylvester Miller have produced to the Trustees of the College satisfactory evidence that they have each of them regularly studied Physic & Surgery with one or more reputable Practioner(s) of Physic & Surgery for the Term of three years and that they have each attended two full courses of Lectures of all the professors in this college and they having each of them been examined by the Professors of this College in the presence of the Trustees on the several branches of Sciences taught in this College and having each read and defended a Thesis on a Medical subject at the time of his examination and having also, by the Professors and Trustees of this College, been considered as qualifed and well entitled to receive the degree of Doctor of Medicine therefore Resolved that the said Horatio Orvis and Sylvester Miller be and they are hereby respectfully Recommended to the Regents of the University of the State of New York to receive said Degree."

In 1817, Alexander Butterfield, Jonathan S. Buel, Caleb Budlong, and James Warden presented certificates that entitled them to a public examination which was duly given and they were recommended to the Regents for the degree of M.D.

In 1818, these gentlemen qualified for a medical degree: David M. Richards, Ayers P. Merrill, Lucius Woodbury, Jonathan Sherwood, Luther Guiteau, Isaac Sears, and James Hadley.

1819: James Tripp, Horace Brownson, Joseph N. Clark

Also in 1818, "Resolved that no dead human body be admitted into this college in vacation of Lectures; and further that if any student in any way attached to the said College shall hereafter either directly or indirectly be concerned in digging up or in removing from any cemetery or burying ground any dead human body to be used as an anatomical subject in said College he shall forthwith be dismissed from the College and his name given up to some proper(?) For public prosecution."

From Minutes of 1818

Source: This list was extracted from original documents of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of New York, Fairfield, NY by Jane Dieffenbacher.
Copyright © 1997 Jane Dieffenbacher
Submitted by: Jane Dieffenbacher, Fairfield Town Historian

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