In 1853, Sheppard Asylum was established by Baltimore merchant Moses Sheppard, a Quaker who was greatly influenced by mental health rights advocate and social reformer Dorothea Lynde Dix. Sheppard set up a board of trustees and secured a charter from the state of Maryland, stipulating the asylum's purpose was to be curative, combining science and experience for the best possible results.
Due to financial problems, the hospital did not open until 1891, 34 years after Sheppard's death. In 1893, the future of the hospital was greatly enhanced when Baltimore merchant, Enoch Pratt bequeathed a generous amount of his fortune to complete the construction and expand the asylum, with the stipulation that the name be changed to The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital. Today, the hospital is considered one of the leading mental health providers in the United States and is ranked in the top 10 by US News and World Report.
| Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| File Type | jpg | |
| URL | https://www.apaf.org/getmedia/d215f1e8-17d9-4836-a843-021c10519458/13-Sheppard-Enoch-Pratt.jpg | |
| Gallery | History of Hospital Care | |