#Jefferson200 featured a full slate of events, community service projects, and partnerships to mark the enterprise’s 200th anniversary and will be preserved for Jeffersonians to see in 50 years.
Philadelphia, PA (December 4, 2024) — In January, Jefferson launched #Jefferson200, a year-long bicentennial celebration marking two centuries of excellence in higher education, healthcare and community impact.
In the months since, Jefferson’s diverse community of more than 8,300 students, 65,000 employees, 77,000 alumni, 390,000 insurance members, as well as countless patients, volunteers and donors that touch lives in greater Philadelphia, the U.S. and around the world, embarked on a mission to celebrate their history as well as chart a path forward. “Creating Our Third Century" was the theme for the series of events, community initiatives and groundbreaking announcements delivered throughout the year.
“Jefferson has been a pillar of the community for the past 200 years and while we focused on celebrating our rich history this past year, we look forward to having a positive impact in our third century and beyond,” says Dr. Joseph G. Cacchione, CEO of Jefferson. “Our ‘we improve lives’ mantra is more than just words. It’s our guiding light toward seeking out ways to make our region a better place to live, learn, grow and heal.”
In 1824, founders of Jefferson Medical College, the precursor to Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College, embarked on a noble mission to address the critical need for high-quality medical education. In doing so, they opened a medical clinic to provide care for the underserved, effectively laying the foundation as the nation's first teaching hospital. Sixty years later, the University was founded as the Philadelphia Textile School — the nation’s first textile school — which led to Philadelphia University merging with Jefferson in 2017.
That humble beginning has evolved into the Jefferson of today — Thomas Jefferson University, a renowned global research university; Jefferson Health, nationally recognized regional health system; and Jefferson Health Plans, an award-winning not-for-profit insurer — all unified by a single mission to improve lives.
Jefferson is nationally and internationally recognized for many inventions and historical “firsts” including: the first clinic established by a college to offer free medical and surgical care for outpatients; the first surgical use of anesthesia in Philadelphia; the blending of quail feathers and wool to create the Army’s ubiquitous olive drab as an alternative to dark blue and light-colored khaki military uniforms; the first successful open-heart operation using a heart-lung machine; the first coordinated ambulance service; the first renal transplant; and the first bifurcated aortal graft designed by using multi-branched seamless tubes that knit fibers needed for artificial blood vessels.
“While it was both rewarding and enjoyable to celebrate our University’s history, I hope this year has energized all Jeffersonians to build on the successes of the past to blaze a brighter path forward,” says Dr. Susan C. Aldridge, President of the University.
Dr. Baligh R. Yehia, President of Jefferson Health, notes that the bicentennial year reinforced the enterprise’s commitment to engaging its team members, while remaining steadfast in our mission to be a leader in access to care.
“2024 was a banner year for Jefferson Health. By opening of our state-of-the-art Honickman Center, combining with Lehigh Valley Health Network and announcing that the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center earned the highest designation by the National Cancer Institute, we are uniquely positioned to build upon our successes and improve lives for the next two hundred years.”
On December 4, “Jefferson 200” will come to a ceremonial end with the sealing of the enterprise’s Bicentennial Time Capsule at the newly renovated Marion J. Siegman, PhD, FAPS Archives on our Center City campus.
To preserve the history and work of our current community of healers, builders and creators, the Jefferson community was asked to submit items for inclusion to represent today’s Jefferson in 50 years. Those items — including photographs and booklets from Bicentennial year events, collections of textiles, a portable ventilator used during the COVID-19 pandemic, letters from dignitaries and a Swell Surf Foot, for example — will be preserved within a stainless steel and gasket material Time Capsule designed to protect virtually any material for centuries. Initially housed in an Archives display, it will be opened in 2074 during Jefferson’s semiquincentennial.
F. Michael Angelo, the University’s archivist, notes that it is very important to preserve our history for future generations of creators and healers at Jefferson.
“We hope that the varied contents of this time capsule represent a snapshot of Jefferson and its community in this, our bicentennial year,” Angelo says. “As we pause to look back at our history and our record of the past, we prepare for the challenges of today and tomorrow. We believe that, when opened in 2074, this time capsule will convey a little bit of our excitement, dedication, and achievements to future generations.”
While the December ceremony ostensibly bookends the bicentennial year, it comes after a litany of events that celebrated Jefferson’s history while driving it into the future. Key moments included:
Dr. Aldridge, who was inaugurated as the University’s seventh president during the bicentennial year, notes that the celebrations also brought great joy and energy to the campuses.
“We are certainly proud of those who walked in our shoes before,” Dr. Aldridge says. “We know that the only way to honor their legacy and accomplishments is to build upon them.”
