How a 19th-century medical college became a private research powerhouse in New Orleans

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in 1834 to combat cholera and yellow fever, Tulane University evolved from a public medical school into a private research institution. Today, it stands as a unique academic entity, having survived civil war, economic depressions, and devastating hurricanes to become a leader in tropical medicine and public service.

Tulane University began as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834, established by doctors concerned about infectious diseases like smallpox and cholera. By 1847, the state legislature reorganized it into the University of Louisiana. However, the institution faced severe financial strain following the American Civil War and the subsequent agricultural depression. Its trajectory shifted permanently in 1884 when the state transferred control to the Tulane Educational Fund, an organization backed by the wealth of businessman Paul Tulane. This transition made Tulane one of the few American universities to successfully convert from a public state institution into a private one.

The university's identity is deeply tied to its New Orleans home. Its uptown campus, established in the 1890s on St. Charles Avenue, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a mix of architectural styles, from Richardsonian Romanesque to Mid-Century Modern. The university has weathered significant crises, most notably Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused over $650 million in damages and forced a temporary closure. In the aftermath, the university implemented a 'Renewal Plan' that mandated service learning for all undergraduates, cementing a commitment to the city's recovery that persists today.

Beyond its local impact, Tulane has cultivated a reputation for specialized research. It hosts the only school of tropical medicine in the United States and operates the Tulane National Primate Research Center. The university's academic structure is broad, encompassing ten schools that range from the A.B. Freeman School of Business to the School of Liberal Arts. With a history that includes the invention of the binocular microscope in 1851 and the establishment of the first U.S. center for adult stem cell research in 2001, Tulane continues to balance its historic legacy with modern, high-level research activity.

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