Highlights

Executive Director of the College from 1950 to 1961, General Hawley was an important figure in the College's history. By 1950 the College had grown in size and needed a director who could work closely with the Board of Regents as well as one that could organize the staff, supervise, and direct their work. With a medical degree, and a PhD in public health, Gen. Hawley arrived at the College with a distinguished record of 30 years in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army.

Marion Rapp was one of the most loyal and longest-serving staff members in the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) history, and played an integral role in shaping the College during the second half of the 20th century. Born in 1920, she joined the ACS in January 1953 as personal assistant to then College Director, Gen. Paul R. Hawley, MD, FACS(Hon), an innovative leader and a man Ms. Rapp deeply admired.

Back in the mid-1950s, it became clear that the demands for office space could not be satisfied by the buildings that the American College of Surgeons (ACS) occupied on Erie and Rush. The four buildings: 660 N. Rush, 54 E. Erie, the Nickerson building, and the Murphy Memorial building, were either at capacity or not suited for office space. As a result, a Building Committee was appointed by the Board of Regents in October 1956 with Loyal Davis, MD, FACS, as its chairman. The purpose of the Building Committee was to find a new site to house the headquarters and determine how to fund the project.