Historical Collections at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library

The Historical Collections of the WHSC Library primarily documents the history of Emory medicine and health sciences, from the first graduating class in 1855 to current day. The collection contains records, artifacts, and printed material related to the Emory medical schools and health sciences, the history of medicine & nursing, and the history of the health sciences in Georgia and the broader southeastern United States.

Notable items in our collection are the 1543 first edition of Andreas Vesalius’ book De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body), the most important anatomy book in history as it redefined our understanding of human anatomy; the personal papers of renowned cardiologist J. Willis Hurst, who served as cardiologist to President Lyndon Johnson for 18 years; and the papers of Daniel Elkin, a pioneer in vascular surgery in the mid-20th century.

The Library serves the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health, the graduate Division of Biological & Biomedical Sciences, the Emory National Primate Research Center, and Emory Healthcare including the components of the Emory Clinic, Emory University Hospital, Emory Hospital Midtown, and Wesley Woods. Branch libraries are located on the Grady campus, Glenn Building, in Emory Hospital, and in Emory Midtown.