The College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University was founded in 1894 as the first statutory college in New York. Before the creation of the college, instruction in veterinary medicine had been part of Cornell's curriculum since the university's founding. In 1868, when Cornell opened, there was little formal study devoted to the veterinary medicine and Cornell would become a pioneer in the field.

History

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Shortly after Cornell's founding, Cornell co-founder Ezra Cornell requested the creation of a chair of veterinary medicine. Cornell's other co-founder and first president, Andrew Dickson White, was asked by Ezra Cornell to find the best-qualified person to teach veterinary-related courses at the university. Dr. James Law, from the Edinburgh Veterinary College in Scotland, was chosen for this role. Under pressure from Dr. Law, Cornell set unprecedented standards for veterinary degrees: four years' study for a bachelor's degree in the field, and two years' additional study for a doctoral degree in the field. (Later, when New York State finally established Cornell's Veterinary College, a high school diploma would be required to be admitted to it, which was a high requirement for the time). The first D.V.M. degree from Cornell was awarded in 1876 to Daniel Elmer Salmon, a man who went on to identify the Salmonella pathogen and became the founding head of the U.S. Bureau of Animal Industry. He is also noted for initiating the fight against contagious diseases.

State legislation creating Cornell's Veterinary College was signed on March 21, 1894 by former New York Governor Roswell P. Flower, a man who had become convinced of the value of veterinary medicine to the health of people by virtue of prior personal farm experience. The enabling legislation creating the college also provided funds for a veterinary building at Cornell. The building opened in the fall of 1896. A new veterinary complex for Cornell and the college was created in 1957. Today, this complex is the largest veterinary complex in higher education in the United States.

Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine is only one of three veterinary colleges and schools in the U.S. Northeast, and one of 28 such colleges and schools in the United States. The college is noted for the James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health, a world-renowned center for canine and equine research, as well as for important work in animal vaccine development, animal reproductive research, and identifying common factors that affect the health of both animals and humans. Cornell is consistently ranked the best veterinary college in the world.

Degrees

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The College of Veterinary Medicine offers programs in veterinary medicine that lead to the following degrees:

• D.V.M.
• M.S. (through the Graduate School)
• Ph.D. (through the Graduate School)

References

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External links

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• New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell
• History and Archives of the College of Veterinary Medicine

Cornell University | Colleges and schools of Cornell University | Veterinary schools