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Beloved scholars honoured with naming of The Paul Potter and Beate Gundert Medical History Collection
By Emily Leighton
Two long-time champions of medical history and scholarship are being honoured with the formal naming of the The Paul Potter and Beate Gundert Medical History Collection at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
Over several decades, Dr. Paul Potter, who was the School’s inaugural Jason A. Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine, and Beate Gundert, PhD, who taught courses on Greek and Roman medicine in Western’s Department of Classical Studies, curated a special collection of medical history books to promote scholarship and engagement among students and the campus community.
The collection – housed at the School’s History of Medicine Office in the Health Sciences Addition – has long served as a quiet hub for reflection, research and connection. The surrounding space features unique architectural details, including a floor mosaic designed by Potter himself.
“Paul didn’t just create the space, he used it and mentored others in it,” said Shelley McKellar, PhD, current Hannah Chair in the History of Medicine. “He embodied its purpose.”
Known for his intellectual curiosity, Potter’s passion for students and rigorous scholarship defined his tenure. He taught at Western for 37 years and was integral in reviving the Osler Society, a medical history interest group for faculty and students, in the 1980s.
Potter passed away in early April, leaving a lasting mark on generations of students and colleagues at Western.
As the School celebrates the centenary of the Osler Society in 2025, the newly named collection offers a sense of place – and a bridge between past and future.
