Nathan Smith Davis

Biography

Nathan Smith Davis was born in 1817 in a small Pennsylvania community and studied medicine with a passion for bringing scientific discipline to practice. Drawn to the growing city of Chicago, he co-founded the Chicago Medical College and devoted himself to educating physicians who could meet the demands of a rapidly changing society.

He was one of the principal founders of the American Medical Association and championed standards for care, ethics, and public health that still guide the profession. Throughout his life he balanced scholarship and pastoral concern, leaving a legacy of institutions and writings that helped elevate the medical arts across the Midwest.