Lowell T. Coggeshall and American Medical Education: 1901-1987

This essay analyzes Lowell T. Coggeshall's impact on American medical education by focusing on Coggeshall's 1965 report to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Planning for Medical Progress through Education. Coggeshall graduated from medical school in 1928 and became an expert on tropical diseases. During his military experience in World War II, Coggeshall shifted his focus to administration. He was a skilled executive and became well acquainted with the ways of both the federal government and academic medicine. The AAMC, founded in 1876, was a kind of informal "deans' club" for many years. The many social and medical changes of the 1950s and 1960s prompted the AAMC to form a committee, headed by Coggeshall, whose chief task was to provide guidance for the AAMC. The 1965 report recommended that the AAMC move its headquarters to Washington, D.C., and take a more active role in shaping national health policy. However, many of the report's suggestions were not implemented, such as having the AAMC change its name and represent not only medical schools but all health-related academic units. While the report was widely praised, it was also strongly opposed by some powerful groups. This essay reviews the impact of Coggeshall's report and examines the nature of such reports in general. Coggeshall's greatest contribution to American medical education was his role in reshaping the AAMC into an effective voice for academic medicine.