Using the Rush Archives
Rush Archives Service Hours:
Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact the Archivist:
Nathalie Wheaton, MSLS / (312) 942-6358
Outside of Service Hours: For very urgent requests outside of service hours, please contact the Library of Rush at lib_ref@rush.edu
Note for researchers: Internal reference requests are given precedence. External requests will be addressed as time allows. However, this webpage will lead you to a number of digital resources from the Rush Archives that may meet your information needs.
Visiting the Rush Archives: In-person visits from researchers from outside of Rush must be approved by the archivist ahead of time.
Location: 1700 W. Van Buren Street, Suite 086, Chicago, IL 60612.
Using our Material in your Publication/Exhibit/Presentation: Contact the Archivist for a Permission to Publish form and fee table.
Citing our Collections: Footnotes or captions should indicate the collection or other identifying information from our finding aids. Please contact the Archivist for more information. Basic format for citation:
[Identification of item], in the [Name of Collection] [Collection Number], Rush University Medical Center Archives, Chicago, Ill.
Looking for Medical Records/Patient Records? Visit Rush University Medical Center's Health Information Management Office.
Looking for Student Records/Transcripts? Visit Rush University's Office of the Registrar.
About our Rush In-Person Blog Posts
Each month, the Rush Archives contributes to the Rush InPerson blog, featuring historic photos and stories from our collections.
Rush InPerson is a forum for doctors, nurses, professors, students, and patients to share their experiences about life at Rush University Medical Center.
View Rush Archives posts on the Rush InPerson blog at rushinperson.rush.edu/category/rush-archives/.
Rush Opens New Hospital Building, 1982
From the Archives: Rush’s New Hospital, 1982
January 5, 2012 by Rush University Medical Center
By Nathalie Wheaton
Thirty years ago, Rush employees and patients were moving into a new hospital building, the Atrium. The May/June 1982 issue of the Rush’s NewsRounds newsletter featured a photo spread devoted to the “move-in.”
These photos show everything from the excitement of the dedication ceremonies, the attention given to patients, and the nitty-gritty details like packing up an office.
Rush moves into its new hospital building, the Tower, this weekend. The McCormick Foundation Center for Advanced Emergency Response opens on Friday, and the new hospital officially opens on Monday.
Nathalie Wheaton is assistant archivist in the Rush Archives. To learn more, please contact rush_archives@rush.edu. Visit the Rush Archives web page or explore our collections.
Rush Celebrates 150 Years, 1987
From the Archives: Rush’s 150th Birthday, 1987
February 20, 2012 by Rush University Medical Center
By Nathalie Wheaton
Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1987. Rush commemorated this milestone with parties, contests and branded merchandise.
In this photo, Rush President Leo M. Henikoff, MD, cuts a special cake for Rush’s sesquicentennial. Henikoff served as president from 1984 to 2002.
Rush University Medical Center’s oldest component, Rush Medical College, was chartered March 2, 1837, two days before the city of Chicago received its charter. That makes us older than Chicago and gives us plenty of history to share.
Rush’s 175th birthday party is March 2 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Armour Academic Center, room 994. Contact the Rush Archives to RSVP and for more information at rush_archives@rush.edu or (312) 942-7214
Nathalie Wheaton is assistant archivist in the Rush Archives. To learn more, please contact rush_archives@rush.edu. Visit the Rush Archives web page or explore our collections.
Time Capsule, 1924
By Heather Stecklein
In 1875, Rush Medical College moved to Chicago’s West Side and constructed an elaborate, multi-use building at the corner of Wood and Harrison streets. The building’s cornerstone held early issues of the Chicago Medical Journal, various Chicago newspapers, tourists’ guides to Chicago for 1875, a city directory, the valedictory address for 1871, photographs of former faculty, and a copy of the 1837 Rush Medical College charter.
In 1924, the building was demolished to make room for the new Rawson laboratory, and Rush Medical College faculty explored the capsule’s contents. Shown in this photograph are, among others: Edwin L. Holmes; James Spencer Dickerson; O.B. Swanson; Arthur E. Wood, grand master of the Illinois Lodge of Masons; Judge Henry Horner; Dr. C.T. Barnes; Dr. Robert H. Herbst and James H. Harper.
Heather Stecklein is an archivist with Rush University Medical Center. You can contact the Rush Archives at rush_archives@rush.edu or at (312) 942-7214.
