The Organization of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences: Stage I. The Decree of the USSR Council of People's Commissars "On Establishment of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences" (June 30, 1944)

Abstract

The activities of the Secretariat of K. E. Voroshilov, the Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of People's Commissars during June 1944 resulted in adoption of the Charter of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, lists of academic research institutes, lists of candidates to full and honorary members of the Academy and other documents (the USSR Council of People's Commissars Decree # 797 of June 30 1944). The Charter had such peculiarities as electiveness of the top official of the Academy by the General Meeting under organizational and financial control of the USSR Council of People's Commissars. The organized Academy consisted on 60% of the USSR central research institutes and only on 40% of theoretical and clinical departments of the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine. At that, out of 38 institutes that the USSR Council of People's Commissars expected to re-subordinate to the Academy, only 25 were included into final choice basically at the expense of reduction of number of clinical institutes. The final version of the list of candidates to full members of the Academy included 56 names instead of 80 and the list of honorary members increased from 10 to 18. At relatively equal scientific deserts preference was given to personalities aged of 50-70 years (90,5%), Russians by nationality (80%), males (97%), residing in the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic (88%). The average age of candidates was 61 year, candidates to honorary academicians - 74 years, and 74% 0f candidates to members of Academy were unaffiliated. The leading role in organization of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences at the first stage, including its adoption played K. E. Voroshilov who was involved both in organization, development and reorganization of the A. M. Gorky All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine. in 1932-1944 and preparation, including endorsement and editing of all package on needed documents to be presented at the meetings of the Politburo of the Central Committee of C. P.S. U.(B.) of June 29 1944 and the USSR Council of People's Commissars of June 30 1944.