Two hundred and fifty years ago, ink was put to parchment, independence was declared and the United States of America was born. Yet by then, Charity Hospital had already spent four decades fulfilling a promise that would come to define one of the nation's highest ideals: caring for people in need.

Founded in New Orleans in 1736, 40 years before the Declaration of Independence promised "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," Charity was established to tend to the needs of the city's most vulnerable residents and offer healthcare to those who couldn't afford it.

Like New Orleans, the hospital saw both French and Spanish oversight until Louisiana became the 18th state to join the Union in 1812.

- Lee Hamm

In 1834, the Medical College of Louisiana was founded - the institution that would become Tulane University - and from the beginning, medical education in New Orleans was tied to public service. The university was founded to address yellow fever and other tropical diseases and public health concerns in a city that by 1840 was the third most populous in the U.S. and attracting tourism and enterprise. At Charity, students and physicians would learn at the bedside of a growing city and nation.

That connection deepened in 1843, when the Medical College of Louisiana agreed to provide free care at Charity in return for land granted by the state. What began as a 10-year commitment would continue for more than a century, shaping generations of healthcare workers and establishing a model of medical training rooted in service.

"The spirit of Charity means you're treating everybody who comes through the door just like you should as a medical professional: with compassion, with care and with every ounce of skill and knowledge that you have," said Senior Vice President and Dean of Tulane University School of Medicine, Dr. Lee Hamm.

The coming decades would mark a period of growth and progress for Tulane and the city. By 1859, the university boasted the fourth-largest medical school in the United States, with Charity counted among the largest hospitals in the world. In 1884, the endowment of Tulane University allowed the medical school to continue to thrive and expand​​, and by the turn of the century, Tulane ranked among the nation's leading medical schools.

That growth would continue in the late 1930s. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal was taking hold and working to stimulate a post-Depression economy. As part of that mission, new construction was spurred by nationwide federal investment - that included Charity Hospital, which in 1939 unveiled a new 20-story art deco building at its current location on Tulane Avenue, then hailed as the second-largest hospital in the United States.

For decades, Charity remained vital to the future of New Orleans and America. Generations were born in its beds, trained in its halls and treated by a hospital founded on the principle of providing care for all.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina the hospital, by then one of America's oldest, was forced to close.

The building, however, endured.

Now as the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, Tulane is working to ensure Charity's commitment to New Orleans and the region continues.

The university recently announced a major milestone in its plan to transform the former Charity building into a national hub of bioscience discovery and medical advancements, which will include 650,000 square feet dedicated to Tulane education, health, research and innovation initiatives.

"While there is still much work to do to finalize this deal, this once-in-a-generation opportunity will reimagine a historic treasure as a new center for the latest breakthroughs and innovations in human health," Fitts said.

The building will become the new home for Tulane's Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the Tulane University Innovation Institute. Parts of the Tulane School of Medicine will also occupy the redeveloped structure, which will include state-of-the-art classrooms, community spaces and interdisciplinary labs for approximately 700 new researchers.

Charity Hospital once witnessed the forming of a nation. As it approaches 300 years since its own beginning, its history of hope will be carried forward by Tulane scientists and students embarking on research and studies to produce the cures of tomorrow.

"For generations, Charity Hospital stood at the heart of medical education and patient care in New Orleans," Hamm said. "It's exciting to see this historic building poised for a new chapter that honors its legacy of healing, learning, and service."