Ethan Rhodes
Michael Reese Hospital was a philanthropic enterprise of Chicago's Jewish community, founded in 1881. The hospital was established with funds bequeathed by Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant who made his fortune through land speculation. The hospital was named after him and was intended to be open to all, regardless of religion, race, or nationality. While the hospital was founded by the Jewish community, it served a diverse array of mostly European immigrants in its early years, and by the time it closed in 2009, it primarily served Chicago's Black community.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center |
| Location | 2929 S. Ellis Avenue, Bronzeville neighborhood, Chicago, Illinois |
| Founder | Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant |
| Year founded | 1881 |
| Funding source | Michael Reese's bequest |
| Beneficiary | Open to all, regardless of religion, race, or nationality |
| Specialty | Medical research and education |
| Achievements | First US hospital with a motorized ambulance service; first to have an infant incubator; largest hospital in Chicago at its height |
| Year closed | 2009 |
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What You'll Learn
- Michael Reese Hospital was founded by Chicago's Jewish community
- The hospital was named after a German Jewish immigrant
- It was open to all, regardless of religion, race, or nationality
- The hospital was a major research and teaching hospital
- It closed in 2009, serving the black community in its final years
Michael Reese Hospital was founded by Chicago's Jewish community
In its early years, the hospital served a diverse array of mostly European immigrants, including Jews from Germany, Russia, and Poland, as well as immigrants from Sweden and Ireland. The Jewish community of Chicago had a strong presence in the hospital's establishment and operations. The Hebrew Relief Association of Chicago, later known as the United Hebrew Relief Association of Chicago (UHRAC), was a driving force in making the hospital a reality. UHRAC purchased a plot of land at 29th Street and Groveland Park Avenue (renamed Ellis Avenue) for the construction of the hospital.
The hospital was designed by the renowned firm Schmidt, Garden, and Martin, with Richard E. Schmidt as the credited architect and Hugh Garden as the designer. The building was constructed of brick and stone, reflecting the community's desire for a fireproof structure after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which had destroyed the city's first Jewish hospital. The original Michael Reese building was replaced in 1907 by a larger 1,000-bed facility on the same site to accommodate the growing needs of the community.
Michael Reese Hospital played a significant role in medical advancements and innovations. It established a training school for nurses in 1890 and became the first US institution to implement a motorized ambulance service in 1899. The hospital was also a leader in medical research, with pioneering achievements in the development of the gastroscope, insulin research, and the polio vaccine. Additionally, Michael Reese Hospital was the first to introduce an infant incubator in 1915 and established the first permanent incubator station for prematurely born babies in 1922.
Throughout its history, Michael Reese Hospital remained committed to serving the underserved and advancing the health and well-being of the Jewish population. Despite facing financial challenges and shifts in the demographics it served, the hospital endured for over a century as a testament to the philanthropic spirit of Chicago's Jewish community.
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The hospital was named after a German Jewish immigrant
The Michael Reese Hospital was indeed named after its benefactor, Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant. In 1878, Reese bequeathed $200,000 to his sister Henrietta Rosenfeld and her husband Jacob Rosenberg, with the instruction that the money be distributed to charities of their choice. Rosenfeld and Rosenberg chose to donate the entire sum, worth about $4.9 million in today's money, to the Hebrew Relief Association of Chicago (UHRAC). They did so with two conditions: that the hospital be named after Michael Reese, and that it be open to everyone, regardless of religion, race, or sex.
Michael Reese was a real estate developer who had built a fortune through land speculation, hard work, thrift, and a talent for business. He had arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1846, later moving to San Francisco in 1850, where he lost most of his wealth in the shipping business. He then moved to Nevada, investing in silver mines and becoming enormously rich. He died in 1877 while on a trip to Bavaria to visit his parents' graves.
The hospital was founded in 1881 on 29th Street and Ellis Avenue, on the edge of Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. It was the first Jewish hospital in Chicago, serving a diverse array of mostly European immigrants in its early years. The hospital was known for its commitment to charity care, medical research, and education. It established a training school for nurses in 1890 and became the first US institution to implement a motorized ambulance service in 1899.
Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital, and one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Chicago. At its height, it had 2,400 beds and was the largest hospital in the city. The hospital closed in 2009, and the campus was vacated by January 2009.
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It was open to all, regardless of religion, race, or nationality
Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center was an American hospital located in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1881 by a community of individuals who believed that the gift of human life comes with a responsibility for the welfare of every human being. The hospital was created using funds from the bequest of Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant who had built a fortune through land speculation.
Reese left $200,000 in trust to his sister and brother-in-law, Jacob Rosenberg, who was married to another sister. The money was to be distributed to charities of their choosing. Reese's heirs requested that the hospital be open to all people, regardless of religion, race, or nationality. This was one of two conditions for the gift, the other being that the hospital be named after Michael Reese.
Rosenfeld and Rosenberg chose the Hebrew Relief Association of Chicago as the recipient of the bequest, which was to be used to build a three-story, 60-bed Jewish hospital. The hospital was constructed on a plot of land purchased by the Hebrew Relief Association of Chicago (UHRAC) at 29th Street and Groveland Park Avenue (renamed Ellis Avenue).
In its early years, the hospital served a diverse array of mostly European immigrants, including immigrants from Germany, Russia, Poland, Sweden, and Ireland. By the time the hospital closed in 2009, it primarily served the black community. Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital and was one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Chicago. It was known for its contributions to medical research and education, including the development of the first motorized ambulance service in the US and the first infant incubator.
The hospital's school of nursing, which opened in 1890, graduated 4,160 students over the course of nearly a century. However, the school was likely segregated, as it did not accept Black students until the late 1930s. While the hospital was intended to be non-sectarian, with a non-kosher kitchen, it did not fully extend its services to Black Chicagoans.
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The hospital was a major research and teaching hospital
Michael Reese Hospital was a major research and teaching hospital. It was founded in 1881 as the first Jewish hospital in Chicago, serving a diverse array of mostly European immigrants. By the time it closed in 2009, it primarily served Chicago's black community.
Michael Reese Hospital was established through the bequest of Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant who had built a fortune through land speculation. On his death in 1878, Reese left a substantial amount of money to his sister and brother-in-law, Jacob Rosenberg. They chose to distribute the funds to the Hebrew Relief Association of Chicago, with the goal of building a Jewish hospital that welcomed everyone, regardless of religion, race, or nationality.
The hospital was originally located on the corner of 29th Street and Groveland Park Avenue (renamed Ellis Avenue), in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. The building was constructed of brick and stone to be fireproof, following the destruction of the previous Jewish hospital in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Over time, the hospital expanded with additional buildings, including an isolation ward, an annex for women and children, a laboratory, a morgue, and a laundry facility.
Michael Reese Hospital was a pioneer in various medical advancements. It established a training school for nurses in 1890 and became the first US institution to implement a motorized ambulance service in 1899. The hospital was also known for its research contributions, with notable discoveries in the fields of gastroenterology, insulin function, polio vaccine development, and neonatal care.
The hospital complex underwent significant expansion and renewal efforts, particularly in the post-war period. New buildings housed specialty clinics, such as a tumor center, a Psychosomatic and Psychiatric Institute, a nurse's residence and school, and a heart surgery center. At its height, Michael Reese Hospital had 2,400 beds, making it the largest hospital in Chicago.
Despite financial challenges and shifting demographics, the hospital remained committed to serving its community. During the Great Depression, it provided critical healthcare to residents who could not otherwise afford it, including an increasing number of Black Chicagoans. The German Jewish community continued to support the hospital, even as its operations became somewhat disconnected from the Jewish community over time.
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It closed in 2009, serving the black community in its final years
Michael Reese Hospital was founded in 1881 by a community of individuals who believed that the gift of human life comes with a responsibility for the welfare of every human being. The hospital was named after Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant who built a fortune through land speculation and left $200,000 in his will to build a new hospital. Reese's heirs requested that the hospital be open to all people, regardless of creed, nationality, or race.
Located in the Bronzeville neighbourhood of Chicago, Illinois, Michael Reese Hospital was one of the oldest and largest hospitals in the city. It was a major research and teaching hospital, known for its innovations in medical technology and its commitment to serving the community. The hospital established a training school for nurses in 1890 to ensure a steady supply of nursing staff and was the first hospital in the United States to implement a motorized ambulance service in 1899.
However, by the 1940s, the area surrounding the hospital began to decline economically and physically. Despite this, the hospital continued to serve the community, and in 1948, it received an award from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations for "serving all people by providing hospital care without discrimination". By 1951, the hospital was described as "an interracial medical centre" that served over 25,000 Black patients each year.
In its early years, Michael Reese Hospital served a diverse array of mostly European immigrants. However, by the time of its closure in 2009, the hospital primarily served the Black community. The hospital closed its doors on August 31, 2009, after over a century of providing healthcare services to the residents of Chicago. The site was vacated by January 2009, and demolition of the buildings began in October of the same year.
The legacy of Michael Reese Hospital lives on through its contributions to medical advancements and its commitment to serving the community, especially the Black community in its later years. The hospital's founding values of philanthropy and welfare for all continue to inspire and guide healthcare initiatives in Chicago and beyond.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Michael Reese Hospital was a civic and philanthropic enterprise of Chicago's Jewish community.
The hospital was named after Michael Reese, a German Jewish immigrant who left his fortune to his family to distribute to charity.
Michael Reese's brother-in-law, Jacob Rosenberg, directed the bequest with two conditions: the hospital was to be named after Michael Reese, and it would treat all patients, regardless of race, religion, or nationality.
The hospital was founded in 1881 on 29th Street and Ellis Ave, on the edge of Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood.
The hospital was the first Jewish hospital in Chicago and served the community for 110 years. It was also one of the oldest and largest hospitals in the city.
