Mayo Clinic Timeline

1840 - 1880

William Worrall Mayo immigrates from England and becomes a family doctor in Southern Minnesota. Two of his five children, sons William and Charles, attend medical school and return to join his practice.
William James Mayo is born in LeSueur, Minn., in 1861.
Charles Horace Mayo is born in Rochester, Minn., in 1865.

1883

Dr. William J. Mayo graduates from medical school and joins his father in practice.
A tornado devastates Rochester, Minn. Dr. W.W. Mayo joins with the Sisters of Saint Francis to care for the injured. This is the genesis of Saint Marys Hospital - now one of the largest teaching hospitals in the world.
Dr. Charles H. Mayo graduates from medical school in 1888 and enters practice with his father and brother.

1890 - 1921

Physicians from throughout the world travel to Rochester to learn the innovative approaches to medical practice and surgery developed by Drs. William and Charles Mayo - the Mayo brothers. A three-year internship course is established and interns are designated fellows of the clinic.
The Mayo brothers invite other physicians to join them, as they pioneer the concept of a medical team working in close collaboration, now known as the group practice.
In 1914, the first Mayo Clinic Building is dedicated. It contains many features that remain central to patient care at Mayo and influences the design of future buildings at Mayo Clinic.
In 1915, the Mayo brothers use their accumulated personal income ($1.5 million) to establish the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Their gift was announced at a meeting of the Mayo Alumni Association. All income from the practice is placed in the trust and the physicians draw a salary, a tradition that continues. The Foundation is used to fund stipends for fellows who come to study following medical school -- the forerunner of the modern residency program.
In 1915, Mayo Clinic partners with the University of Minnesota to develop the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, becoming the first three-year university-based program to train graduate physicians in specialty practice.
In 1915, the Association of Resident and Ex-Resident Physicians of Mayo Clinic -- now referred to as Mayo Clinic Alumni Association, is established.
In 1917, the first graduate degrees in Mayo's programs are conferred on two women and two men.
In 1917, the first formal meeting of the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association is held and officers are elected.
By 1921, membership in the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association has grown to 121.

1926 - 1977

In 1926, Mayo Clinic Proceedings begins publication. Today, it has one of the largest circulations of any general medical journal.
In 1947, approximately 10 percent of all graduate medical students in the United States have completed a residency or fellowship at Mayo Clinic.
By 1949, membership in the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association surpasses 2,000.
In 1954, Rochester Methodist Hospital is established.
In 1961, approximately 3 percent of all medical faculty in the United States are alumni of the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education.
In 1972, Mayo Medical School opens its doors to a first class of 40 students chosen from 473 applicants.
In 1977, the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association establishes The Doctors Mayo Society, to recognize philanthropic leaders among Mayo alumni. In its first year, the society enrolls 174 members.

1982 - 1996

In 1982, the Minnesota Higher Education Board approves Mayo Foundation as a degree-granting institution for M.D. and Ph.D. degrees.
In 1983, the first class is admitted to the Mayo M.D.-Ph.D. Program.
In 1986, Mayo Clinic, Saint Marys Hospital and Rochester Methodist Hospital integrate into a single medical center. Expanding for the first time, Mayo Clinic opens in Jacksonville, Fla.
In 1987, Mayo Clinic expands to Scottsdale, Ariz.
In 1988, Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale establishes its first residency program.
In 1989, the Mayo Clinic Alumni Center, made possible by the generosity of Mayo alumni, is dedicated on the fifth floor of the Harold W. Siebens Medical Education Building.
In 1991, Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville establishes its first residency program.
By 1992, membership in the Mayo Clinic Alumni Association exceeds 10,000.
In 1996, Mayo School of Continuing Medical Education is established, formalizing the continuing education of physicians that Mayo Clinic has provided for 100 years. Medical professionals from throughout the nation and the world rely on Mayo Clinic to learn the most advanced medical practices to enhance their patient care skills.

2003 - Present

In 2003, membership in The Doctors Mayo Society reaches 1,495 and philanthropic gifts from alumni and spouse members (current and estate) since the inception of the society total $37.4 million.
In 2004, the name of Mayo Graduate School of Medicine is officially changed to Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education. The school maintains full accreditation for all eligible programs.
In 2004, the number of physicians and scientists trained at Mayo Clinic surpasses 18,000.
In 2004, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine becomes the unifying name for all Mayo education and research programs.
In 2004, the Mayo Clinic Model of Education is published as a defining guide for Mayo's dedication to medical education excellence.