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California Pacific Medical Center Archives

Our institutional archives includes those of our campuses:

The California Campus began as the Pacific Dispensary for Women & Children, later known as the Hospital for Children & Training School for Nurses; Children's Hospital of San Francisco; and the Northern California Health Center.

Hahnemann Homeopathic Hospital became Marshall Hale Hospital and eventually merged with the Northern California Health Center which merged with Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center in 1991.

The Davies Campus has its origin as the German Hospital. Founded in 1858 by the German Benevolent Society as a free clinic at Third and Brannan, the original 80-bed hospital burned in 1877. A new location was found, and the German Hospital was rebuilt at the location where the Davies Campus hospital still stands today. The School of Nursing started in 1899 with the enrollment of 12 students. In 1917, during World War I, German Hospital changed its name to Franklin Hospital, in honor of Benjamin Franklin’s lifelong interests in medicine and science. Construction of the present day facility was completed in 1968 and renamed Ralph K. Davies Medical Center in honor of Ralph K. Davies, the then-chairman of the hospital board. In 1998, the Davies Medical Center became part of California Pacific Medical Center as the Davies Campus.

The Pacific Campus began as the Medical Department of University of the Pacific, precursor to the Medical College of the Pacific; Cooper Medical College & Lane Hospital; and Stanford School of Medicine. After Stanford moved its medical school to Palo Alto, Presbyterian Hospital was started in its place. The name changed to Pacific Medical Center, then combined with Garden Sullivan Hospital and Visiting Nurses & Hospice to form Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center.

The Dr Frank Gerbode's collection of papers, photographs, films and other memorabilia in the field of cardiovascular medicine and cardiovascular surgery makes up the Gerbode Archives. Dr Frank Gerbode (1907-1984) is a founder of both the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center and what is now the Medical Research Institute of San Francisco. A key figure in the history of our institution, Dr. Gerbode is a pioneer in cardiovascular medicine. Read more about Dr Frank Gerbode.

St Luke's Campus began its mission of caring in 1871 as an Episcopalian charitable hospital after being established by Thomas W. Brotherton, M.D., D.D., a physician and Episcopalian Priest, when he became concerned about the shortage of health care south of Market Street in the City. From the first day it opened its doors, St. Luke’s has cared for all of San Francisco, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

In 1961, the San Francisco Institutes of Medical Sciences was established as an independent institute to continue medical research when Stanford moved to Palo Alto. The Institutes of Medical Sciences became the Medical Research Institute of San Francisco in 1982. In May 1993, the Medical Research Institute of San Francisco merges with California Pacific Medical Center to create the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute (CPMCRI).