Savitt Medical Library

The history of medicine library on the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine campus is located in the Savitt Library. It consists of a reading room, conference room, lounge, and museum. It is open to the public. The library is named in honor of the six doctors Hood, who practiced in Nevada. Dr. William Henry Hood was issued Nevada medical license #1 in 1901. Two satellite locations are in the Savitt Basic Science building and an exhibit is on the Las Vegas School of Medicine campus.

Holdings

The library's holdings includes over 10,000 photographs relating to the School of Medicine, the Nevada Stale Medical Association, frontier military medicine in the Great Basin, Nevada hospitals, and Nevada doctors since 1850. The collection includes 25 years of the Greasewood Tablettes, oral histories relating to public health, hospitals, and the practice or medicine. The library's exhibits include: The Dr. Donald Mousel collection of over 100 eyeglass dating from the 18th century; the Fred Anderson collection of early Nevada Indian artifacts and medical instruments; 19th-century surgery instruments; and early 2oth-century medical furniture and instruments. The book collection includes 22 books published by the Greasewood Press on Nevada history with reference to health science; approximately 50 nineteenth-century books; several 18th-century books; over 110 monographs relating to history or medicine; 50 books on military medicine; early issues or the Bulletin of the Nevada State Medical Association; the complete New York Academy of Medicine Library catalog; the Index Catalog of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office; and U.S. Army frontier hospitals in Nevada from 1860s-1880. The library has a list and information on more than 700 doctors who practiced in Nevada between the 1850 and 1900. The complete collection of the Classics of Medicine is housed in the library. The library also has an archive of over 120 oral histories.

Museum and Library Guide

Introduction

The Great Basin History of Medicine Museum/Library is located on the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine campus.

The Library is named for the six Doctors Hood, who practiced in Nevada from 1886 to 2002 and the museum is named for Dr. Anton Sohn, founder of the museum and library.

The Museum and Library collections are housed in 8 sections between 5 locations:

  1. The Main Museum and Library is in the north end of the Savitt Medical Library located in the Pennigton Medical Education building and housed the following:
    • Museum Entrance
    • Mousel Room
    • Daugherty Room
    • Bolstad Room
  2. Nevada State Health Laboratory entrance
  3. Pennigton Medical Education building front lobby, in front of Savitt Medical Library entrance
  4. Sol & Ella Savitt Medical Sciences Building entrance
  5. Savitt Medical Library Penthouse Storage

The Museum/Library is managed by the Department of Pathology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine

This guide lists museum highlights & historic photos.

Museum Entrance

da Vinci Drawings 

Outside of the main entrance to the museum are copies of six etchings by Francesco Bartolozzi (September 21, 1727 — March 1815) based on drawings by Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 — May 2, 1519).

These etchings were collected more than 80 years ago by Dr. George A. Collett of Elko, NV and were donated to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine by the Collett family in 2015.

Frandsen Plaque

UNR Professor Peter Frandsen started premedical courses at the University of Nevada shortly after he arrived in 1900. By his guidance and recommendation, 71 of his students entered medical, dental, and veterinarian schools across the country, many of whom returned to practice in Nevada.

The Frandsen plaque is displayed at the entrance of the museum and decorated with nameplates of 53 of his students who were admitted to top US dental and medical schools between 1898 and 1936 as well as the names of student winners of the History of Medicine Essay from 1992 to present.

Mousel Room

Donald Mousel, MD (1930-1994) practiced pediatric ophthalmology in Reno. He was a role model for medical students and provided free healthcare for indigents in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and New Guinea.