Archives and Rare Books

The 75th Anniversary of the End of World War II

The end of World War II brought elation for some. The staff and patients of the 21st General Hospital, the US Army reserve hospital staffed by members of the Washington University medical community, were almost certainly among those in celebration. The personnel of the 21st had served continuously since 1942 and shared an immense relief  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Wu Comes to WU

Ying-Kai Wu (1910-2003), also known as Y. K. Wu, was born in the town of Xinmin in northeastern China. In 1933, he graduated from the Moukden Medical College, located in present-day Shenyang. Wu then trained in surgery at the prestigious Peking Union Medical College in Beijing. There, he served as chief resident in surgery in 1938 and  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Remembering V-E Day: May 8, 1945

Victory in Europe Day, more commonly known as V-E Day, is celebrated each year to commemorate Germany’s unconditional surrender to the Allies near the end of World War II on May 8, 1945. Several hundred members of Washington University Medical Center community were serving in the U.S. armed forces on V-E Day, many of them attached to  [Read more]

Archives and Rare Books

Medical School Militarized

On Veterans Day the United States honors those who served in the United States Armed Forces. Washington University School of Medicine has educated many military men and women over the years, including one particularly interesting group.

During the Second World War it was possible to be an active serviceman or servicewoman and still attend medical school – or nursing or dental school – by participating in the US Army’s Specialist Training Program (ASTP), the Navy’s V-12 Program, or the Cadet Nurse Corps.