History

Founded in 1978 as the Friends of the LACMA Library, that is, the Los Angeles County Medical Association Library, the Society’s initial mission was to “promote, support and assist in the development of the library” through various fundraising campaigns and events, including two annual lectures.  In 1988, when the LACMA library was closed and its collections needed a new home, the Society was instrumental in moving the library’s 6,700-item archive of rare books to the Huntington Library, where they remain on permanent deposit.  From that time until today, and since 2019 as the Southern California Society for the History of Medicine, the Society’s focus has been on supporting the LACMA collections at the Huntington Library, history of medicine initiatives in Southern California, and sharing our collective enthusiasm for the history of medicine by continuing our nearly 50-year tradition of sponsoring public lectures in Los Angeles.