Jonathan Knight painted by Nathaniel Jocelyn, 1827 Jonathan Knight (September 4, 1789 – August 25, 1864) was an American physician and founding professor of the

Yale Medical School The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

. He was a son of Dr. Jonathan Knight, a Surgeon's mate in the Continental Army, and was born in Norwalk, Connecticut. His mother was a daughter of Dr. Asahel Fitch, of Reading, Connecticut. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1808. For two years after graduation he taught school in Norwich and

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decade ...

and was next a Tutor in Yale College for one year. He then attended two annual courses of medical lectures in the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, having already been licensed to practice, by the Connecticut Medical Society, in August, 1811. He received the honorary degree of M. D from Yale College in 1818. The Medical Institution of Yale College was organized in 1813, and he was appointed the Professor of Anatomy and Physiology. He continued in this post for twenty-five years, when he was transferred to the Chair of Surgery. After having lectured for more than fifty years to successive classes of students, he resigned all connection with the college, in May, 1864. For many years, in addition to his duties in the medical school, he lectured on Anatomy and Physiology to the Senior class in the Academical Department. During all his residence in

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134 ...

he was engaged in extensive practice. He was President in 1846 and 1847 of the Convention which formed the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's sta ...

, and was also President of the Association itself in 1853. At the time of his death he was President of the American Mutual Life Insurance Company. The Knight Hospital of the U. S Government in New Haven, now the

Yale–New Haven Hospital Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) is a 1,541-bed hospital located in New Haven, Connecticut. It is owned and operated by the Yale New Haven Health System. YNHH includes the 168-bed Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, the 201-bed Yale New Haven ...

, was named in his honor. He died in New Haven, aged 75 years, nearly. A funeral discourse by Rev. Dr Bacon, and a commemorative sketch by Prof. F Bacon, M. D., were printed.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Knight, Jonathan 1789 births 1864 deaths Yale College alumni Yale School of Medicine faculty People from Norwalk, Connecticut 19th-century American physicians Presidents of the American Medical Association