Students learn through lessons from the past

“Lois’s participation has enlivened my teaching and enriched the learning experience for my students.”     -- Professor Dominique Tobbell

The resources of the Wangensteen Historical Library for Biology and Medicine shine a light on the future of health. 

History of Medicine Professor Dominique Tobbell has learned the value of the Wangensteen collection firsthand.  Her course HMed 3055: Women, Health, and History has become a model for faculty wanting to incorporate library and archival...

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Health Sciences Libraries

From the Collections


Tractatus de vita plantarum

The Wangensteen Historical Library owns one of only two known copies of Dr. Semmelweis’ doctoral thesis. Semmelweis is best known for his discovery of the etiology of puerperal fever and for the introduction in 1847 of the practice of physician handwashing for its prevention.

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