Building a Medical Center:

The Construction of the 1955 Medical College Hospital

Founded in 1824 under the auspices of the Medical Society of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina (now MUSC) has grown from an initial faculty of seven and a student population of five into one of the nation’s top academic health science centers. Today, MUSC has an overall population of nearly 13,000 clinicians, faculty, staff and students, and is located on more than 80 acres in the city of Charleston. What fueled this expansion? This exhibit, “Building a Medical Center: The Construction of the 1955 Medical College Hospital” explores the explosive growth of MUSC over its nearly 200-year history, with specific focus on the construction of the original Medical College Hospital.