Portrait of Royal Samuel Copeland, M.D., currently on display
Dr. Royal Samuel Copeland, M.D. (1868-1938), was Dean of the New York Homeopathic Medical College from 1908 to 1918. He later became the Commissioner of Health for New York City until 1919 then a United States Senator until 1938.
A portrait of Dr. Royal Samuel Copeland is on display in the first floor lobby of the Skyline Drive Facility.
Birth: November 7, 1868, Michigan
Death: June 17, 1938, Washington, D.C.
Education:
At New York Medical College:
Dr. Royal S. Copeland, M.D. (1868-1938), performed many tasks vitally important to the New York Medical College, New York City, and New York State. His time in New York left many marks upon the history here.
Born in Michigan in 1868, Dr. Copeland was urged to go into commerce like his father had done before participating in politics. Rather than continue a career in that field, Dr. Copeland first became a teacher, then the mayor of Dexter Michigan before attending the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for medicine. He studied across Europe for his post-graduate work and resettled in Michigan again before being offered a position in New York.
Dr. Copeland came to New York to take on the position of Dean and Professor of Ophthalmology at the New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1908. When he began his tenure as Dean of the school, the admitted class was double the size of the previous year. In 1917, he organized the Flower Hospital Unit to be sent for aid during World War I. He had intended to go to France himself as well, but was requested to remain due to his usefulness in the United States.
In 1918, he took on the role of Health Commissioner in New York City, despite pleas to retain his position at the New York Homeopathic Medical College. While acting as Health Commissioner, the country was plagued by the Great Influenza Pandemic. Dr. Copeland pushed for significantly improved ventilation in highly populated areas, such as movie theaters and schools, and a heavy presence of prevention education in such areas as opposed to closing down such areas entirely.
Dr. Copeland also pursued solutions to the narcotic addiction epidemic faced at the time. He considered his moves towards addiction rehabilitation and hospitalization some of his most notable and important work before his resigning from the Health Commissioner position in 1919. He ran for and won the seat in the US Senate in 1923. He held the position until 1938, during which he championed and voted for one of the first food and drug regulatory laws.
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