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Flexner, Abraham

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International Encyclopedia of Civil Society

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Abraham Flexner, an American educator, is probably best known for his recommendations and efforts in the early 1900s to reform medical education. However, he also helped shape one of the first think tanks in the United States and was a highly sought and trusted advisor to would-be philanthropists of his time.

Basic Biographical Information

Abraham Flexner was born on November 13, 1866, in Louisville, Kentucky (United States), to parents who had emigrated from Germany. Graduating in 1886 from Johns Hopkins University, one of the most advanced American universities of its era, he returned to Louisville to establish an innovative college-preparatory school. In 1905–1906, he pursued graduate studies at Harvard University and the University of Berlin.

Major Accomplishments/Achievements

In 1908, Flexner was hired by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to study the status of North American medical schools. His ensuing publication, Medical Education in the United...

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References

  • Flexner, A., & Dijkgraff, R. (2017). The usefulness of useless knowledge. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

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  • Wheatley, S. C. (1988). The politics of philanthropy: Abraham Flexner and medical education. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

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Further Reading

  • Flexner, A. (1940). I remember: The autobiography of Abraham Flexner. New York: Simon and Schuster.

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  • Thomas, N. B. (2002). Iconoclast: Abraham Flexner and a life in learning. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Herman J. Albrecht Library of Historical Architecture, Wernersville, PA, USA

    Darwin Stapleton

Authors
  1. Darwin Stapleton
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Correspondence to Darwin Stapleton .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Regina A. List

  2. Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Helmut K. Anheier

  3. Schar school, George Mason University, ARLINGTON, VI, USA

    Stefan Toepler

Section Editor information

  1. Hamburg, Germany

    Regina A. List

  2. University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Helmut K. Anheier

  3. Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany

    Helmut K. Anheier

  4. Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Arlington, VA, USA

    Stefan Toepler

  5. Center for the Study of Civil Society and the Non-Profit Sector, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation

    Stefan Toepler

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Stapleton, D. (2020). Flexner, Abraham. In: List, R., Anheier, H., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_206-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_206-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99675-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99675-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Social SciencesReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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