Dr. Hiram Corson, an 1828 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, made his first diary entry March 31, 1827, while he was still a medical student. His last entry was dated January 31, 1896. He died March 4, 1896. He was well-known nationally and was highly respected by such illuminati as Sir William Osler.
The diaries of Dr. Hiram Corson give many insights into the man, the society and times in which he lived, the Civil War, and most especially into medical education and the medical profession of the nineteenth century. More than any other man in America, Hiram Corson was responsible for women physicians gaining recognition and being accepted into the medical profession.
Undaunted by reprisals or scorn, Hiram Corson was an outspoken abolitionist. His sense of justice caused him to respond to many issues. His public awareness throughout his long life is reflected in his diaries, which contain a treasure of information.
For more than thirty years he worked for the better care for the mentally ill. In 1877 Pennsylvania Governor John F. Hartranft appointed Dr. Hiram Corson to the Board of Trustees of the State Lunatic Asylum at Harrisburg “in recognition of his life-long interest and zealous efforts in behalf of the insane.”
Flip through the pages below or follow this link to read any one of the three volumes of Hiram Corson’s diaries.