The Nashville Academy of Medicine celebrated our bicentennial anniversary in 2021. The first medical association in Tennessee, was founded in Nashville on March 5, 1821, by seven physicians in the log courthouse on the Public Square. The organization took the name "The Nashville Medical Society."
January 2021: In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to celebrate virtually with the installation of our president, Nicole Schlechter, MD, PhD. We hosted a three-course dinner for our virtual president's reception where each member had a cook-at-home experience with Chef Steven Rubilio and Amerigo, and we unveiled our new bicentennial logo shown above.
February 2021: All MFN Donors and NAM members were greeted with a special card wishing them a Happy New Year! The Bicentennial Happy New Year card can be seen here online. Thank you to the Medical Foundation of Nashville and its donors for celebrating this momentous occasion!
March 2021: On March 5, 2021, the official 200th Anniversary of NAM, we gathered at the steps of the Tennessee state capitol to accept a Senate Joint Resolution honoring 200 years of our members serving Tennessee. Click here to see more photos and details on our facebook page. Thank you to Senator Jeff Yarbro, Sen. Heidi Campbell, Sen. Brenda Gilmore, Sen. Rusty Crowe, and Representative John Ray Clemmons for sponsoring SJR0182 to honor and commend the Nashville Academy of Medicine upon the occasion of our bicentennial anniversary. This ceremony was attended by a small group of NAM leaders amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, but we were excited to celebrate with more of our members and partners in October, when conditions had improved.
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What is a birthday/anniversary without some sweets? NAM commissioned cookies with our new bicentennial logo and delivered these to our physician board leaders and the physician groups who support us with membership for all of their physicians. Thank you all for your leadership and support! NAM would not be where it is today without the amazing physician members and leaders who give their time and energy to our organization.
May 2021: On Saturday, May 22, 2021, the TMA House of Delegates, with a near record number of attendees present from across the state gathered in person for the first time as a larger body since the COVID-19 pandemic began. They honored the bicentennial anniversary of the Nashville Academy of Medicine with a resolution of commendation to close their actions of the day. TMA Board Chair, Timothy Wilson, MD, of Knoxville, read the full resolution before the house. The full resolution can be read here, and was framed for display at the gala in October, and now hangs in the NAM office. The following physician leadership from TMA joined the full NAM delegation for a photo: Elise Denneny, MD (TMA President 2019-2020), M. Kevin Smith, MD (TMA President 2020-2021), Timothy Wilson, MD (TMA Board Chair), Edward Capparelli, MD (TMA Speaker of the House), and John McCarley, MD (TMA Board Treasurer).
July 2021: In celebration of our bicentennial anniversary, NAM documented 200 years of the organization's history and the impact its members have made in Middle Tennessee. Physicians have a rich history in Middle Tennessee, and NAM is honored to display this in a virtual way for all to access and enjoy! New technologies have given us the ability to display our history and share from books, letters, maps, newspapers, and more. Visit www.nashvillemedicine.org/timeline to view our historical timeline including nearly 260 timeline points of NAM's history and the impact that physicians have made in Nashville over 200 years.
August 2021:Topline is a semi-monthly newsletter published by the Tennessee Medical Association for educational purposes. The publication is mailed to every TMA dues-paying physician member as a benefit of membership and can be viewed online for free. The edition mailed to all members in August 2021 featured NAM's bicentennial anniversary as the feature cover story. Click here to see the full edition of July / August 2021 Topline.
October 2021: On the first Saturday in October, 2021, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee was illuminated with a touch of glamour and celebration not seen in two years. The Nashville Academy of Medicine welcomed hundreds of physicians and their guests to a bicentennial gala benefiting the Medical Foundation of Nashville and honoring two hundred years of physicians serving Nashville.
The halls were adorned with displays of antique medical memorabilia, photos, manuscripts, and archives from the history of the Nashville Academy of Medicine. As the cocktail hour ended, the silent auction continued, and guests were ushered into an elegant dinner in Laura Turner Concert Hall complete with a string quartet and illuminated reminders of the 200th anniversary. Robin Williams, MD, NAM board chair; Nicole Schlechter, MD, NAM President; Ralph Atkinson, MD, MFN board chair; and Christopher Ott, MD, MFN board vice-chair addressed the audience to honor distinguished guests, share about the history and accomplishments of the organization, and lead in the celebrations of the evening. Guests danced the night away to the songs of the renowned Jimmy Church Band, and ended the evening with a toast to honor the history and the future of the Nashville Academy of Medicine and its physician members.
Click here to read more about the event.
Click here to see the event photos by Ian Riley Photography.
November 2021: In their closing issue for 2021, Nashville Medical News featured the 200th anniversary of NAM with a full page spread. This content featured a photo of the NAM and MFN boards and staff, and some highlights from the historical 200 years. Click here or on the image below to see the full content.
December 2021: In true Nashville fashion, the Academy secured a short run of Hatch Show prints in honor and commemoration of a historical 200 year history to be distributed to patrons of the 200th Gala celebration as well as members of the Academy. It is a great privilege to have been able to partner with Hatch Show on this special print as a community business that has been around since the late 1800s.
As a final bicentennial commemoration, a 60-page coffee table book was developed by members of the Academy staff to further recognize, celebrate, and capture the rich history of the Academy and the incredible work it has done over the course of the last 200 years. Copies of this book were also presented to sponsors and patrons of the bicentennial gala. This book is rich with photos, articles, and decades of featured members and Nashville physician leaders.
Limited quantities of the commemorative book and unframed Hatch Show prints are available to our members and community partners for $50 each. Please email info@nashvillemedicine.org for more information.