Founded by fourteen Boston pharmacists as the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 1823 and is the oldest higher education institution in Boston. It is also the second-oldest and largest college of pharmacy in the United States, preceded only by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (1821). In 1825, the university published the First American Pharmaceutical Library Catalogue, detailing the effects of many pharmaceutical products. In 1852, the university obtained a charter from the Great Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to award its first formal degree.

In 1918, the university built the George Robert White Building in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, across from Harvard Medical School to serve as its main campus.

Established in 1867, HSDM was the first dental school in the United States to be affiliated with a university and its medical school (the oldest dental school is the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, 1840). The first class admitted five students under the leadership of Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep, a prominent Boston physician and strong advocate for dental education. The tower, or castle "keep," that appears in the School's shield honors Dr. Keep.  The original location was a N. Grove St, previously occupied by HMS.  The school moved to its current location in 1909.

In 1940, the school was reorganized and renamed the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) to emphasize the biological basis of oral medicine.

 Founded in 1832 as a maternity hospital for “deserving married women … and unmarried women [of] good character,” Boston Lying-In Hospital moved to its fourth location in 1923 as part of the Longwood hospital district expansion.   It merged with the Free Hospital for Women in 1966, renamed the Boston Hospital for Women.

In 1980 it along with Peter Bent Brigham and Robert Breck Brigham merged to become Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Opened at current location: 1906-

Notes on evolution: moved 5 times: Holden Chapel, Cambridge (1782-1802+); Mason St, Boston (1816-46); N Grove St, Boston (next to MGH) (1847-83); Boylston St at Exeter, Boston, next to library (1883-1906); 1906- 164 Longwood Ave

In 1869, the Children’s Hospital, now Boston Children’s Hospital, opened its doors at 9 Rutland Street in Boston’s South End. It is the 2nd oldest childrens' hospital ( the oldest is Childrens' Hospital of Philadelphia).  A year later they moved a few doors away to 1429 Washington Street, expanding capacity to 30 beds. Continuing to grow, they moved hospital moved in 1882 to Huntington Avenue, and finally, in 1914, to the current home at 300 Longwood Avenue. 

Over the years, Children's Hospital has expanded it campus from the original Hunnewell Building to include the John F. Enders Laboratories for Pediatric Research, The Berthiaume Family Building, The Karp Family Research Laboratories, James Mandell Building, and the Hale Family Building complete with the Benderson Family Heart Center.  Children's Hospital is home to the world's largest pediatric research enterprise. 

The current building built in 1987, houses approximately 475 beds.

Founded in 1889, the School of Nursing moved to the Gardner House in 1930, situated across the street from the original Children's Hospital Hunnewell Building. A three-year program, student nurses once provided the majority of care for Children's Hospital patients. In 1930, the Gardner House was built that included classrooms, library, parlors, and dormitory rooms for 224 nurses. In 1978, the school closed and merged the program with Curry College in Milton in a collaborative program. 

In 1994, the Gardner House was demolished and replaced with a patient family parking garage. 

Founded in 1902 as the Mount Sinai Dispensary, it has been at the current location since 1928.  During an era of religious separatism and anti-Semitism, Boston's Jewish community founded Beth Israel Hospital in 1916 to meet the needs of the growing Jewish immigrant population. Its first hospital on Townsend Street in Roxbury held 45 beds. The new hospital addressed the needs of immigrants who spoke Yiddish and for patients who kept a kosher diet. In 1928, Beth Israel established relationships with Tufts University and the Harvard Medical School and relocated to a new facility in the Longwood area of Boston. During the Depression, Beth Israel was one of only two hospitals in Boston that treated welfare recipients. 

In 1996 Beth Israel merged with New England Deaconess to form Beth Israel-Deaconess.

Founded in 1947, focused on childhood cancer, expanded to adults in 1969.  It began as the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute (Dr. Farber was its founding physician) renamed in 1983 to additionally honor Charles Dana, philanthropist that founded the Children's cancer Research Foundation.  The hospital was launched with a successful appeal over the radio featuring patient Einar Gustafson who was identified as "Jimmy" in the promotions- thus the Jimmy Fund today.

Founded in 1898 by Elliott Joslin (1869-1962), formally named the Joslin Clinic in 1952.  It is now one of the world's largest diabetes research centers as well as delivering care with over 40 faculty and hundreds of researchers.

Formed of the Merger of Boston Hospital for Women, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Robert Breck Brigham Hospital in 1980.  Later there was a merger with Massachusetts General Hospital in 1994 and then numerous other hospitals and medical groups changing the name to Mass General Brigham in 2019.  The system is the largest in Massachusetts and one of the largest in the country.  The hospital on Francis St. has approximately 800 beds.

Time at current location: 1913-1960

Notes on evolution: founded in 1881 as the Infant’s Hospital at 37 Blossom Street, the name changed to the West End Nursery and Infants hospital in 1883.  In 1914 it moved to Van Dyke Street (Shattuck) and was renamed the Thomas Morgan Rotch, Jr. Memorial Infants’ Hospital  in honor of physician-in-chief Dr. Thomas Morgan Rotch's only son who died at 24. 

In 1961, the Infant's Hospital merged with the Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Founded in 1913  and established "for the care of sick persons in indigent circumstances," with a bequest from restaurateur and real estate baron Peter Bent Brigham, it was intended to integrate patient care and medical education on the Johns Hopkins model.  There were several buildings, fronting on Francis St. including surgical, medical, pathological and outpatient buildings as well as a nurses' quarters.  Many first including the first successful heart valve surgery (1923) and the first use of the Drinker Respirator (iron lung) in 1929.  It mergred with Boston Hospital For Women, Robert Breck Brigham Hospital to form Brigham and Women's Hospital in 1980 

Born of the fusion of the Harvard Medical School library and the Boston Medical library, the library was established in 1958, the building opened in 1965.  It currently houses the Harvard Medical School library and the Center for the History of Medicine as well as the Warren Anatomical Museum.

It was named for Francis Countway, a bookkeeper at the Lever Brothers soap company who rose to president in 1913.  His sister, Sanda, established a foundation which donated the funds to establish the library.

Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers — the first professional public health training program in America. In 1922, the School split off from MIT, and in 1946, it became an independent, degree-granting institution at Harvard University. 

In 2014, the School was renamed in recognition of an extraordinary gift from alumnus Gerald L. Chan, SM ’75, SD ’79 , his family, and The Morningside Foundation in memory of his father, Mr. T.H. Chan. The $350 million unrestricted gift to the School’s endowment has supported research, education, financial aid, and other priorities. 

Founded in 1914, the Robert B. Brigham Hospital for Incurables was established through the philanthropic legacy of Robert Breck Brigham, the nephew of Peter Bent Brigham who made his fortune as a real estate developer and restaurant owner.

The hospital, with 115 beds, was intended for the "medical and surgical treatment of those citizens of Boston who [were] incapable of obtaining a comfortable livelihood by reason of chronic or incurable disease or permanent physical disability."  It focused initially on those with arthritis.

In 1980, along with the Peter Bent Brigham and Boston hospital for Women it formed Brigham and Women's Hospital