The James B. Williams Medical Education Building: A Hub for Medical Innovation at Emory University

Emory University, a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, has a rich history dating back to its founding as Emory College in 1836. Over the years, Emory has grown into a comprehensive institution comprising nine undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools, including the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Goizueta Business School, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Oxford College, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University School of Law, Rollins School of Public Health, Candler School of Theology, and Laney Graduate School. Among its many contributions to education and research, the James B. Williams Medical Education Building stands out as a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to fostering the next generation of healthcare professionals.

A Legacy of Leadership and Philanthropy: James B. Williams

James B. Williams, the building's namesake, is a prominent figure in Atlanta's financial and philanthropic circles. As the retired chair of SunTrust Banks, Williams has been a long-time supporter of Emory University, particularly its health sciences programs. His involvement with Emory began in 1973 when he was elected to the board of trustees. He was later elevated to emeritus trustee in 2003.

Williams's contributions to Emory's growth are significant. He chaired the board of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center for over two decades, during which time health science research funding increased fourfold. In the 1980s, he spearheaded a five-year, $220 million campaign that included the substantial 1979 Woodruff gift. His work was instrumental in the construction of numerous health sciences buildings, including the O. Wayne Rollins Research Center, an expansion of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, the Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing building, the new building for the Winship Cancer Institute, and the Emory-Children's Center building.

In recognition of his outstanding service and dedication to Emory University, the new medical education building was named in his honor in 2009.

A State-of-the-Art Facility for Medical Education

The James B. Williams Medical Education Building is a modern facility designed to enhance the learning experience for medical students. It provides a vibrant academic environment where students can collaborate and innovate. The building features advanced training resources, including modern classrooms and simulation labs, that allow students to develop their clinical skills in a safe and controlled setting.

The building's design promotes interdisciplinary learning and teamwork, essential skills for success in today's healthcare environment. Students from different medical disciplines can interact and learn from each other, fostering a collaborative approach to patient care.

Emory University: A History of Excellence

Emory University's commitment to excellence in education and research is reflected in its history and achievements. Founded in 1836, the university has a long tradition of producing leaders in various fields. Emory faculty and alumni include one vice president of the United States, two prime ministers, two Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and a United States Supreme Court Justice. Other notable alumni include twenty-one Rhodes Scholars and six Pulitzer Prize winners.

Early Years and the Civil War

Emory College was founded in Oxford, Georgia, by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Bishop John Emory. Ignatius Alphonso Few served as the college's first president. In 1854, the Atlanta Medical College, a forerunner of Emory University School of Medicine, was established.

The American Civil War had a significant impact on Emory College. The college closed in November 1861, and its students enlisted on the Confederate side. The college was used as a hospital and later as a headquarters for the Union Army. Despite the disruption caused by the war, Emory continued to produce officers who served in the conflict, including General George Thomas Anderson.

Growth and Expansion

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Emory experienced significant growth and expansion. In 1880, Emory College President Atticus Greene Haygood delivered a speech expressing gratitude for the end of slavery, which caught the attention of New York banker George I. Seney. Seney's donations enabled Emory to repay its debts, construct new buildings, and establish a new endowment.

The technology department was launched by Isaac Stiles Hopkins, who later became the first president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 1906, the Wesley Memorial Hospital and Training School for Nurses, later renamed the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, was established. The Candler School of Theology was founded in 1914.

Contributions to World War I and World War II

Emory University played an active role in both World War I and World War II. During World War I, Emory organized a medical unit composed of faculty and alumni of the medical school. This unit, known as Emory Unit, Base Hospital 43, served in France from 1918 to 1919.

During World War II, the Emory Unit was mobilized again and served in North Africa and Europe. Emory's contributions to the war effort were recognized by christening a ship, M.S. Emory Victory, in its honor. Emory students, alumni, and faculty served in both the Asia-Pacific War and the European theater.

Several Emory graduates and faculty members made significant contributions during the war. Lieutenant Commander James L. Starnes, a graduate of Emory Law, was the navigator of the battleship USS Missouri and served as officer of the deck during the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. Golfer Bobby Jones served during the Battle of Normandy. Alfred A. Weinstein, a professor of surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, was a prisoner of war of the Empire of Japan. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a graduate of the Candler School of Theology, organized the Hiroshima Maidens reconstructive surgery program based on his associations made while studying in the United States.

Emory also helped the nation prepare for war by participating in the V-12 Navy College Training Program and Army Specialized Training Program. The Candler School of Theology trained men for military chaplaincy. During the war, military students outnumbered civilian students at the university.

Read also: Explore JCU's History and Programs

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

The women's movement and civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s profoundly shaped Emory University. Formerly an all-male school, Emory officially became a coeducational institution in 1953. In 1962, Emory embraced the initiative to end racial restrictions when it asked the courts to declare portions of the Georgia statutes unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled in Emory's favor, and Emory officially became racially integrated.

Commitment to Human Rights

Emory University has a long-standing commitment to human rights. In 1971, Emory established one of the nation's first African-American studies programs and the first of its kind in the Southeastern United States. Under the leadership of President James T. Laney, Emory promoted racial equality and advocated for global human rights. Laney and many of the school's faculty and administrators openly opposed the military dictatorship in South Korea.

In 1983, Kim Dae-jung, while in political exile, gave a speech on human rights and democracy at Emory and accepted an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Kim later played a major role in ending authoritarianism in South Korea, served as the eighth president of South Korea, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.

In 2005, Emory presented the President Medal to Civil Rights Movement activist Rosa Parks. In 2014, John Lewis, the only living "Big Six" leader of the civil rights movement, delivered the keynote address at Emory's 169th Commencement and received an honorary doctor of laws degree. In 2015, Emory University School of Law received a $1.5 million donation to help establish a John Lewis Chair in Civil Rights and Social Justice.

Financial Growth and Selectivity

In 1979, Emory University experienced a historical shift when Robert Winship Woodruff and George Waldo Woodruff donated $105 million worth of Coca-Cola stock to the institution. This substantial gift significantly boosted Emory's financial resources and enabled it to further enhance its academic programs and research capabilities.

Emory University is considered highly selective. In 2022, Emory University received 33,517 applications and had a 9% regular decision admission rate and a 10.6% overall admission rate. The Scholars Programs have an acceptance rate of just 2%. The enrolling class was 55.4% female, 44.6% male and 10.4% of enrolling class identify as first-generation college students. The median SAT score of the class of 2023 was 1500 and median ACT score was 34.

Academic Programs and Resources

Emory College of Arts and Sciences offers the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S) undergraduate academic degrees. Oxford College offers an associate degree (A.A.) in liberal arts.

The Emory University library system includes over 3.9 million print and electronic volumes and 83,000-plus electronic journals. The Rose Library contains rare materials relating to literature, African American history and culture, and Southern and Georgia history. Notable among the collections are papers of Flannery O'Connor, Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, Salman Rushdie, W. B. Yeats, and Seamus Heaney.

Research and Innovation

Emory University is a leading research institution with a strong focus on innovation. The university's research is heavily funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services's National Institutes of Health. In 2021, the federal agency awarded the university nearly $600 million.

Emory University research is heavily funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services's National Institutes of Health. The federal agency awarded the university nearly $600 million in the fiscal year of 2021. In 2015, Emory University was one of four institutions selected by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for its seven-year, multimillion-dollar Tuberculosis Research Units (TBRU) program, which aims to drive innovation in tuberculosis research and reduce the global burden of the disease. In 2015, an Emory-led research consortium received a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research human immune responses to Varicella zoster virus and pneumococcal vaccination. The university also received a $9 million grant over five years from the NIH to support one of three national Centers for Collaborative Research in Fragile X syndrome. The grant is a renewal of Emory's National Fragile X Research Center, continuously funded by the NIH for more than 10 years. In 2015, the university received an $8.9 million grant over five years from the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to better understand the role of reactive oxygen species and inflammation in blood vessel function and to explore new interventions and preventive approaches for atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysms. In 2015, the university received an $8 million grant over five years from the NIH to develop and validate mathematical models of how prior immunity affects recall immune responses to influenza viruses. The researchers will create and disseminate powerful, user-friendly modeling tools for use by the wider research community in developing more effective vaccines. In 2015, the university received a $3.6 million grant over five years from the NIH to examine the effects of maternal stress on brain function, development, and behavior in African-American infants, including the biochemical connection between the brain and the microbiome. In 2015, the university received a $3.5 million grant over five years from the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) for an Informatics Technology for Cancer Research award.

The Emory University Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) and the Emory Vaccine Center are world leaders in AIDS Vaccine Development and HIV Pathogenesis studies are funded by nine different institutes of the NIH and by the Georgia Research Alliance. The centers include one of the largest groups of academic vaccine scientists in the world and are currently attempting to develop an effective HIV vaccine. Emory University researchers Dennis C. Liotta, Raymond F. Schinazi, and Woo-Baeg Choi discovered Emtricitabine, a nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) used in the treatment of HIV.

Emory University was one of three institutions that successfully treated medical evacuees during the 2014 ebola outbreak. In 2015, the United States Department of Health and Human Services named Emory University the lead coordinating center for the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC). The university collaborated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the CDC and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response on the program, which received $12 million.

In 2015, Emory and Georgia Tech were awarded an $8.3 million grant by the NIH to establish a National Exposure Assessment Laboratory. The laboratory will research the impact of environmental chemicals on children's health. In 2015, the two universities received a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create new bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs and concentrations in healthcare robotics, which will be the first program of its kind in the Southeastern United States. In 2015, Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta were awarded a four-year, $1.8 million grant by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in order to expand the Atlanta Cystic Fibrosis Research and Development Program. In 2015, Emory University and the University of South Florida received a $2.5 million grant over five years from the John E. Fogarty International Center of the NIH to study the effects of childhood adversity on the oral and gut microbiomes and to determine how these effects influence mental health.

Rankings and Recognition

Emory University consistently ranks among the top universities in the United States. Emory University moved up one spot to No. 21 in U.S. News & World Report for 2024-2025. Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Goizueta Business School's BBA Program ninth in the nation in 2014.

Data Misreporting Incident

In 2012, Emory University underwent an internal investigation that revealed deliberate falsification of information by members of Emory University's Office of Admission and Institutional Research. These individuals intentionally misreported data concerning entering students' standardized test scores and class rankings between 2000 and 2012 to standard reference sources and third parties who rank colleges and universities. The falsified data aimed to boost the university's rankings. Following the investigation, the individuals responsible either resigned or were terminated, and the university issued a public apology to address the misconduct. To prevent future inaccuracies in data collection and reporting, Emory University took corrective actions in 2012 and 2013.

Global Initiatives

Emory University has a strong commitment to global engagement. In 2015, Emory University, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Public Health Foundation of India, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences established the Center for Control of Chronic Conditions in New Delhi, India. The International Association of National Public Health Institutes is based at the university. The association was chartered in 2006 with a $20 million, five-year grant through Emory University from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

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