Jonathan Knight painted by , 1827">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
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{{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