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Subject Guide

Medical History at the University of Pennsylvania

Access to collections is granted in accordance with the Protocols for the University Archives and Records Center.

Prepared by Joseph - James Ahern
February 2013

Introduction

From the founding of the Medical School in 1765, the University of Pennsylvania has played an important role in the medical history of the United States. The collections of the University Archives and Records Center document the activities of the administration, faculty, students, and alumni in relation to medical education and health care. This includes faculty minutes, student records, lecture notes, administrative records, and publications.

This guide is designed to assist researchers navigating the University Archives’ collections related to medical history. Relevant material has been organized into the following headings: Hospitals, Medical Education (including Administration, Faculty, and Students), Medical Research, and Physicians Papers. Entries are organized alphabetically, though material under Medical Education – Students and Physicians Papers has been grouped chronologically. All entries are on the collection level and include a brief description and a link to the online collection guide. Please note, hospital records do not contain patient information.

Other useful information can be found in the guide for Philadelphia Medical History and the University of Pennsylvania.

Categories

Hospitals

Diagnostic Hospital Records, 1861 – 1920

  • UPC 50.4, 0.25 Cu Ft.

    Diagnostic Hospital was incorporated in 1861 as the Charity Hospital. As indicated by its name, the Charity Hospital’s goal was to provide medical assistance to the industrial and manufacturing workers of Philadelphia. In 1920 the Hospital’s Board of Trustees petitioned the state to amend the Hospital’s charter by changing the name to Diagnostic Hospital. The Diagnostic Hospital Records detail the administrative and financial aspects of Charity Hospital in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Graduate Hospital Records, 1930 – 1963

  • UPC 13, 26.5 Cu Ft.

    Graduate Hospital was founded in 1889 as Philadelphia Polyclinic Hospital. In 1916 Polyclinic Hospital merged with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Medicine to serve as the School’s clinical teaching facility. The Graduate Hospital Records document the administrative history of the facility.

Gynecean Hospital Records, 1887 – 1939

  • UPC 50.6, 1 Cu Ft.

    The Gynecean Hospital was founded in 1888 as a women’s medical facility in Philadelphia. The Gynecean Hospital Records document the administrative history of the hospital up to its 1925 merger with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Records, 1891 – 2003

  • UPC 12, 11.5 Cu Ft.

    The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has its origins in the University of Pennsylvania’s move to West Philadelphia in 1872. The University’s Medical faculty and alumni petitioned the Board of Trustees for a University-owned hospital to provide clinical instruction for students. The Trustees agreed and the documentary record of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania began in June 1871. The records document the administrative and financial history of the Hospital.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Public Relations Records, 1898-1988

  • UPC 511, 1.5 Cu Ft.

    The Hospital’s Public Relations Department was responsible for providing media with information and images related to Hospital events. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Public Relations Records contains information files and photographs related to the expansion and operations of the Hospital.

Board of Women Visitors Records, 1861-2011

  • UPC 506, 25 Cu Ft.

    The Board of Women Visitors was created in 1875 when the Board of Managers for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania appointed a Board of Lady Visitors to tend to the needs of the patients and assist with the various housekeeping chores. As the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania grew, so did the tasks undertaken by the Board of Women Visitors to include fund raising, social services, and operation of the Hospital shop. The Board of Women Visitor Records document the activities of the organization to provide services and funding to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dispensary Notebooks for Neurological Disorders, 1878-1907

  • UPC 512, 20 Volumes

    When the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania opened in 1875, the Dispensary for Nervous Diseases was one of seven dispensaries at the Hospital. The Dispensary Notebooks for Neurological Disorders consists of three sets of volumes arranged into three series; Dispensary Notebooks which contain the daily log of neurological cases treated; Case Study Notebooks which contain information based on patient treatment grouped by specific diagnosis; and William G. Spiller Reprints which include two compilations of papers authored by William G. Spiller and a publication of papers by physicians associated with the William Pepper Laboratory.

Howard Hospital Records, 1859 – 1930

  • UPC 50.1, 2.25 Cu Ft.

    Howard Hospital was organized in 1853 as a charity hospital to provide medical care for factory workers who lived in what was then the western part of Philadelphia. The Howard Hospital records document the administrative activities of the Hospital during the early twentieth century.

Medico- Chirurgical College and Hospital of Philadelphia Records, 1875 – 1951

  • UPC 50.3 14 Cu Ft.

    The Medico-Chirurgical College had its origins in 1848 as the Medico-Chirurgical Society which obtained a corporate charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania similar to that of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. The charter was amended in 1867 to transform the society into a medical college authorized to confer degrees. It would not be until 1881 that Dr. George P. Oliver, who had been a member of the old society and held title to the new charter, organized a faculty to hold classes. Space for the new school was secured in the second floor of a bank on the south west corner of Broad and Market Streets. About 1886 Medico-Chirurgical College absorbed the Philadelphia Dental College and the Philadelphia School of Anatomy and moved to new accommodations on the north side of Cherry Street between 17th and 18th Streets. In 1891 the College opened a hospital in the same location. In 1916 Medico-Chirurgical College merged with the University of Pennsylvania to form a new Graduate School of Medicine. The College’s buildings were demolished in 1918 to make way for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Medico-Chirurgical College and Hospital of Philadelphia records document the administrative activities of the facility from the late nineteenth century into the twentieth century.

Pennsylvania Hospital, 1751 – 1978

  • Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 as the first hospital in the nation. Still in operation today, the Pennsylvania Hospital retains its historic records in the original building on Eighth Street in Old City Philadelphia. Those interested in the history and collections of the Hospital should contact the archivist and lead curator of the collection at Pennsylvania Hospital.

Philadelphia General Hospital Records, 1938 – 1977

  • UPC 56, 24 Cu Ft.

    Philadelphia General Hospital was run by the City of Philadelphia, and was located in West Philadelphia where Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia now stands. Originally known as the Blockley Almshouse and dating back to 1835, the name was changed in 1919. The City closed Philadelphia General Hospital in 1977. The Records of Philadelphia General Hospital document the administrative and financial history of the institution. Additional material is held by the Philadelphia City Archives.

Polyclinic Hospital Records, 1824 – 1954

  • UPC 50.2, 3 Cu Ft.

    Polyclinic Hospital was found in 1889 in connection with the College for Graduates in Medicine. Initially located at 20th and South Street, new facilities were constructed on Lombard Street between 18th and 19th Streets. When the College for Graduates in Medicine merged with the University of Pennsylvania to form the Graduate School of Medicine, Polyclinic Hospital became Graduate Hospital. Collection documents the administrative and financial history of Polyclinic Hospital.

Presbyterian Medical Center, 1799 – 1997

  • UPC 500, 117 Cu Ft.

    The Presbyterian Medical Center originated as a charitable institution named the Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. The Collection documents the history of the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia since its founding in 1871.

Presbyterian Medical Center Ladies Aid Society Records, 1872 – 2002

  • UPC 501, 7 Cu Ft.

    The Ladies Aid Society of the Presbyterian Medical Center was founded in October 1872. The Society became gradually a major source of funding for various projects of the Presbyterian Hospital. The Collection documents the history and development of the Ladies Aid Society of the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia since its founding in 1872.

Publications

  • Vital Signs, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Publication
    UPL 1010.918
    1976 – 1982, 1985, 1986

    Hospital Annual Report. Board of Managers Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
    UPI 493
    1872 – 1973, 1986, 1990

    An Account of the Inauguration of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Containing the Addresses of Excellency Governor Hartranft and Hon. William A. Wallace
    UPG 70.932
    1874

    Medical Center of the University of Pennsylvania Triennial Report
    UPI 491.4
    1973-1976, 1994-1995

    Department of Surgery Report of Operations, a Survey University of Pennsylvania
    UPI 491.35
    1923 – 1928

    Report of the Drug Dependence Treatment Center, Philadelphia VA Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania
    UPI 491.47
    1979

    Medical Center. University of Pennsylvania Report.
    UPI 494
    1970 – 1990 (with gaps)

    Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center Annual Report
    UPI 495
    1971 – 1983 (with gaps)

    Graduate School of Medicine Medico-Chirurgical College and Hospital and Polyclinic Section
    UPI 496
    1919 – 1980 (with gaps)

    Medico-Chirurgical Hospital
    UPI 496.1
    1913-14

    Polyclinic Hospital (College for Graduates in Medicine) Annual Reports
    UPI 496.2
    1895 – 1912

    Report to the Trustees by the Dean and Director University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
    UPI 491.42
    1970

    Report of the Development Study of the Graduate Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
    UPI 496.3
    1960

    Scheie Eye Institute Report
    UPI 491.2
    1991 – 1995

Military Hospitals

U.S. Army Base Hospital No 20 Records, 1918 – 1919

  • UPC 14, 1 Cu Ft.

    Responding to the likelihood of American entry into World War I, the University of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the American Red Cross and the War Department, organized the civilian Base Hospital No. 20 in 1916. University Trustees, a newly-formed Women’s Auxiliary of the Red Cross, and other benefactors donated more than thirty-six thousand dollars to train and equip the Base staff. The University granted the use of Weightman Hall, the White House, and Franklin Field for training purposes. In late November the War Department called Base Hospital No. 20 into active service in the Medical Corps of the United States Army. Arriving at Chatel Guyon, Puy de Dome, France on May 7, 1918, for the next eight months Base Hospital No. 20 operated out of hotels in this health resort, eventually reaching a capacity of 2,500 beds in thirty-three buildings. The Records contain information to the Hospitals activities in France and upon its return to the United States.

U.S. Army 20th General Hospital Collection, 1932 – 1952

  • UPC 15, 0.5 Ln Ft.

    In 1940 the United States Surgeon-General called upon the University of Pennsylvania to organize an overseas military hospital along the lines of the successful civilian Base Hospital No. 20 organized by the University in France during World War I. As a result, a Penn medical faculty committee organized the 20th General Hospital, a World War II medical facility which would operate in the Assam jungle region of northeast India. In 1940 the United States Surgeon-General called upon the University of Pennsylvania to organize an overseas military hospital along the lines of the successful civilian Base Hospital No. 20 organized by the University in France during World War I. As a result, a Penn medical faculty committee organized the 20th General Hospital, a World War II medical facility which would operate in the Assam jungle region of northeast India. After training at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, the unit left for India in early 1943, arriving on March 21 at Ledo, where a huge military installation was being created. These records focus on the activities and medical research of the 20th General Hospital from the time of its deployment to Camp Claiborne in May of 1942 until the unit’s disbandment at the end of World War II.

Publications

  • Report of the 20th General Hospital
    UPI 491.11
    3 April 1943-1 August 1945

    Keeler, Louis. The Chalice: Letters and Diary of Rev. Louis Meyer. (West Conshohocken, PA: Infinity Publishing Company, 2009). UPT2 K29 2009

Medical Education - Administration

Archives General Collection 1740 – 1820

  • UPA 3

    The Archives General Collection contains material from the dean’s records which consist of faculty minutes and correspondence 1765 through to 1820.

Archives General Collection, 1820 – 1930

  • UPA 3, 40 Cu Ft.

    The Archives General material contains material from the dean’s records related to the Medical School faculty from the mid-nineteenth century through to the early twentieth century. The collection is arranged chronologically.

School of Medicine Records, 1767 – 1986

  • The School of Medicine was founded in 1765, and is the oldest medical school in the United States. The School of Medicine Records contains correspondence, departmental records, minutes for faculty and committee meetings, and student records.

  • Publications

    University Medical Magazine
    UPL 1010.91
    1888 – 1900

    University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin
    UPL 1010.91
    1901 – 1904, 1908-1911, 1952 – 1957

    Medical Affairs
    UPL 1010.915
    1959 – 1975

    Health Affairs
    UPL 1010.915
    1973 – 1985

    News of the Graduate School of Medicine
    UPL 1010.92
    1950 – 1957

    Report on the Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania
    UPI 491.41
    1956-1963

    Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. University of Pennsylvania. School of Medicine
    UPI 491.44
    1987-1997

    Department of Orthopaedic Surgery University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Annual Report
    UPI 491.46
    1979

    Report of the Philadelphia Polyclinic and College for Graduates in Medicine
    UPI 496.2
    1889 – 1912

    School of Medicine Announcements
    UPL 10.91
    1844 – 2000 (with gaps)

    Graduate School of Medicine
    UPL 10.92
    1893 – 1967 (with gaps)

    Annual Announcement of the Philadelphia Polyclinic and College for Graduates in Medicine
    UPL 10.924
    1891 – 1919

    Announcement of the Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia
    UPL 10.925
    1881 – 1920

    Biomedical Graduate Studies Catalog
    UPL 10.94
    1987 – 1993

Auxiliary School of Medicine Records, 1865 – 1898

  • UPC 6, 0.5 Cu Ft.

    In 1865 George Bacon Wood endowed an Auxiliary Faculty of Medicine with five chairs to teach basic science courses. Each member of the auxiliary faculty delivered 34 lectures, and students were not required to attend in order to graduate. Wood’s endowment allowed students and graduates of the Medical School to attend lectures for free. The Records for the Auxiliary School of Medicine contains a faculty minute book for the period 1865 – 1898.

Dermatology Collection Records, 1936 – 1954

  • UPP 118, 7 Cu Ft.

    This collection has not been fully processed, but contains early material related to dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Stokes Institute, and material from Herman Beerman, Donald Pillsbury, and Frederick De Forest Weidman.

Graduate School of Medicine Records, 1920 – 1973

  • UPC 3.6, 162 Cu Ft.

    The Graduate School of Medicine was formed when Medico-Chirurgical College and Hospital of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Polyclinic and College of Graduate Medicine merged with the University of Pennsylvania in 1917 and 1918. The Records for the Graduate School of Medicine have not been fully processed, but a rough inventory is available.

School of Allied Medical Professions Records, 1919 – 1981

  • UPC 7, 12 Cu Ft.

    The Philadelphia School for Occupational Therapy was organized in the spring of 1918 under the auspices of the Central Branch of the National League for Women’s Service. In 1950, the Philadelphia School for Occupational Therapy merged with the University Hospital’s Division of Physical Therapy to create the School of Auxiliary Medical Services at the University of Pennsylvania. It was renamed the School of Allied Medical Professions (SAMP) in 1960. SAMP graduated its last class in May 1981, and the school was closed on June 30, 1981. The collection consists of the General Records, Minutes, and Student Transcripts.

School of Dental Medicine Records, 1878 – 1988

  • UPC 4, 142 Cu Ft.

    The School of Dental Medicine opened in April 1878 with Dr. Essig as Secretary of the faculty (a position equivalent to the deanship). After Harvard and Michigan, Penn became the third university in the country to establish a school of dental medicine. The School of Dental Medicine Records document the development of the school, its students and alumni from its founding into the Twentieth Century.

  • Publications

    School of Dental Medicine. Blueprint for Progress. A Ten Year Report
    UPI 496.4
    1972 – 1982

    School of Dentistry University of Pennsylvania Thomas W. Evans Museum and Dental Institute
    UPL 10.923
    1950 – 1991 (with gaps)

    School of Dental Medicine Catalog
    UPL 10.95
    1878 – 2001 (with gaps)

    First Annual Announcement of the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery
    UPL 10.951
    1956

    Advanced Dental Education, Division of School of Dental Medicine
    UPL 10.952
    1987 – 1997

    Oral Hygiene Announcement
    UPL 10.956
    1921 – 1957

    Continuing Education School of Dental Medicine
    UPL 10.957
    1983

    School of Dental Medicine Catalog
    UPL 10.96
    1982 – 1997

    Public Hygiene, School of Hygiene, Public Health
    UPL 10.98
    1909 – 1930

School of Nursing Records, 1908 – 1998

  • UPC 8, 61 Cu Ft.

    Although the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania started a nurse training program as early as 1886, the University did not begin its nursing degree program on a collegiate basis until 1935 when, at the request of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, the Board of Trustees of the University authorized the establishment of a Department of Nursing Education in the School of Education. The records of the School of Nursing reflect the history of the school, its functions and programs, as well as its relationship with the University and other organizations. The collection consists of, among other things, annual reports, committee records, and committee records.

  • Publications

    School of Nursing Annual Report
    UPI 492.3
    1898, 1989-1991

    School of Nursing Announcement
    UPL 10.93
    1951 – 1967

    School of Nursing Hospital of Graduate School of Medicine
    UPL 10.936
    1922 – 1930 (with gaps)

    School of Nursing Graduate Program
    UPL 10.937
    1962 – 2003 (with gaps)

School of Veterinary Medicine Records, 1832 – 1991

  • UPC 5, 45 Cu Ft.

    One of the oldest of its kind in North America, the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania is the only veterinary school in the United States that was a direct outgrowth of the University’s School of Medicine. It was founded in 1882 when University Trustee Joshua Bertram Lippincott donated $10,000 for the purpose of establishing veterinary school within the University. The Historical Material series records the school in its formative stage. It features minute books for the Board of Managers, 1889-1954, for the faculty, 1909-1963, and for alumni societies, 1901-1960. The Administration series constitutes the bulk of the collection. Included in it are a biographical data file of faculty members and prominent alumni.

  • Publications

    Veterinary Medicine School of Report
    UPI 498
    1970 – 2006 (with gaps)

    School of Veterinary Medicine Report. School Related: Ad Hoc Committee to Make Recommendations Concerning the Needs and Priorities of the Pre-Clinical Areas of the School as Applied to Teaching and Research
    UPI 498.1
    1973

    School of Veterinary Medicine Report. Student and Faculty Related.
    UPI 498.2
    1969 – 2002 (with gaps)

    Veterinary Medicine Bulletin
    UPL 10.97
    1884 – 1999

    University Bulletin Veterinary Extension Quarterly
    UPL 10.975
    1921 – 1959

Edward J. Stemmler Papers, 1942-1999

  • UPT 50 S825, 11 Cu Ft.

    Edwin J. Stemmler graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1960, and began a twenty nine year career at the University. Starting as an intern in 1960, he rose to the position of Executive Vice President of the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. The Edward J. Stimmler Papers documents his professional career at the University, as well as his activities in a number of professional and medical institutions.

Vice President for Medical Affairs Records, 1920 – 1983

  • UPC 1, 3.75 Cu Ft.

    The position of Vice President for Medical Affairs was created in 1931, and was first held by Alfred Stengel, M.D. This University vice-president had charge of the University’s Medical Division and directed the administrative and academic activities and affairs of the schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Nursing; and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The collection contains correspondence, Medical Faculty Council Records, and scrapbooks.

Medical Education - Faculty

Archives General Collection 1740 – 1820

  • UPA 3

    The Archives General Collection contains material from the dean’s records which consist of faculty minutes and correspondence 1765 through to 1820.

Archives General Collection, 1820 – 1930

  • UPA 3, 40 Cu Ft.

    The Archives General material contains material from the dean’s records related to the Medical School faculty from the mid-nineteenth century through to the early twentieth century. The collection is arranged chronologically.

Herman Beerman Papers, 1923 – 1981

  • UPT 50 B415, 0.5 Cu Ft.

    Herman Beerman received his B.A. in 1923, his M.D. in 1927, and his Sc.D. in 1935 all from the University of Pennsylvania. He served an internship at the Mt. Sinai Hospital and his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Beerman continued his career at the University of Pennsylvania in the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Medicine in the Departments of Dermatology. The papers of Herman Beerman consist of correspondence, 1923, 1965-1978; copies of his curriculum vitae; information on the dinner held in his honor by the History of Dermatology Society in 1981; clippings; photographic prints; and other miscellaneous papers.

Lester W. Burket Papers, 1936 – 1978

  • UPT 50 B959, 6 Cu Ft.

    Lester W. Burket received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry in 1932. He taught at Penn from 1937 – 1977, serving as Dean of the School of Dental Medicine from 1951 to 1972. The original material in the collection mainly consists of honorary degrees, award plaques, and membership certificates.

David Lion Drabkin Papers, 1925 – 1963

  • UPT 50 D756, 2 Cu Ft.

    David Lion Drabkin began his career at the University of Pennsylvania as Instructor of Physiological Chemistry and of Biochemistry in the School of Medicine, 1926. He served as Assistant Professor, 1930-1942; Associate Professor, 1942-1946; Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, 1946-1968; and as Professor Emeritus at the School of Dental Medicine, 1968-1981. These papers include lecture notes while teaching for the Graduate School of Medicine, 1946-1968 and for the Walter Reed Medical Center, 1950. Also included are his research notes; correspondence with students, publishers, and friends; design plans for equipment; typescript drafts of manuscripts; and miscellaneous personal reference material. In addition, instrumentation manuals, operating instructions, and product literature may also be found among his papers.

William Benson Harer Papers, 1915 – 1963

  • UPT 50 H328, 1 Cu Ft.

    Dr. William Benson Harer dedicated a lifetime to the practice and teaching of medicine in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, most of which was done while he served on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania where he received an undergraduate degree (1919) and a medical degree (1921). Dr. Harer served both his internship (1921-1923) and residency (1924-1927) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP). Dr. Harer was on the School of Medicine faculty as an instructor 1927-41 and later as Associate Professor (1941-1955) and Professor (1955-1963) of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was honored as an Emeritus Professor of Medicine in 1965. The William Benson Harer Papers document his career as a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania, his involvement with the Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania, and his time as a student at the University of Pennsylvania.

Harry E. Morton Papers, 1931 – 1966

  • UPT 50 M889, 0.25 Cu Ft.

    Dr. Harry E. Morton started his academic career at the University of Pennsylvania in 1931 as an Instructor in Bacteriology. He would spend his 44 year career teaching at Penn’s School of Medicine, rising to the rank of Professor of Bacteriology specializing in microbiology. The Harry E. Morton Papers consists of six class register books (1931-1947), and 36 class rolls (1931-1966) for Microbiology courses he taught in the School of Medicine.

Richard Hodgson Nones Papers, 1898 – 1971

  • UPT 50 N799, 0.25 Cu ft.

    In 1898 Nones was appointed dean of the dentistry department at Medico-Chirugical College, and in 1900 he organized the dental department at Philadelphia General Hospital where he was head oral surgeon. The Robert Hodgson Nones Papers contain material from his tenure as dean of Medico-Chirugical College’s dental department – principally an address to the 1903 graduating class, and list of professors and instructors. The collection also contains a few papers given by Nones at professional meetings, and his membership certificates.

William Osler Publications, 1904 – 1921

  • UPT 50 O81, 9 Items

    From 1884 to 1888 William Osler was a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, he continued his clinical investigations, spending many hours in the postmortem rooms performing autopsies. He maintained his earlier emphasis on superior patient care, conducting famous ward walks in Old Blockley, a unit of Philadelphia Hospital. This collection consists primarily of published works by William Osler, many inscribed with the name “Alexander Randall” inside the front cover. The other item is a published memoir, by Arthur Ames Bliss, of his experience as a resident physician at Blockely Hospital (later Philadelphia General Hospital) in 1883 and 1884.

Richard A. F. Penrose Papers, 1884 – 1885

  • UPT 50 P417, 0.1 Cu Ft.

    Richard A. F. Penrose received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1849. He was appointed Professor of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children at the Medical School from 1863-1888. The Collection consists of a class book, (1884-1885), in which Penrose recorded grades of students he examined on their course work.

George Arthur Piersol Papers, 1856 – 1917

  • UPT 50 P624, 1.5 Cu Ft.

    George Arthur Piersol earned his MD at the University of Pennsylvania in 1877. He served on the faculty of the Medical School from 1877 – 1884 and from 1890 – 1921. He was professor of anatomy, histology and embryology; his most notable contributions relate to the histology, pathology and development of the sense organs; author of two standard medical textbooks Histology (1st ed., 1893) and Human Anatomy (1st ed., 1907). The contents of the collection include the original drawings and photographs of drawings from Piersol’s portfolio used as illustrations for his published texts along with identifying manuscript notes; a calendar of lectures for his anatomy courses (1893-1903); medical lecture cards for his father, Jeremiah Morris Piersol, at Homeopathic Medical College (1855-1856) and for himself at U. of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine (1874-1877); copies of anatomy examinations (1908-[1917]); letters of introduction to European colleagues for Piersol from Joseph Leidy and Sir William Osler (1877); notes on medical works read by Piersol; his manuscript translation of Brain and Spinal Cord: a Manual for the Study of the Morphology and Fibre-tracts of the Central Nervous System by Emil Villigier prepared for publication (1912); a Copy of An Illustrated Synopsis of Normal Histology: Adapted to the Course of Practical Instruction in the University of Pennsylvania by Piersol (1885).

I. S. Ravdin Papers, 1912 – 1972

  • UPT 50 R252, 189 Cu ft.

    I. S. Ravdin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1918, and would spend the next fifty plus years of his career associated with Penn. During that period he rose to the posts of the John Rhea Barton Professor of Surgery, Director of the Harrison Department of Surgical Research, and Chief of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also made significant contributions to medical research, particularly in cancer studies. During World War II Ravdin was Commander of the 20th General Hospital. The Papers of I. S. Ravdin reflect the entire range of his personal and professional interest, including his work as a surgeon, hospital administrator, military career, and private practice.

Jonathan Rhoads Papers, 1802 – 2002

  • UPT 50 R474, 273 Cu Ft.

    Jonathan Rhoads began his long career at the University of Pennsylvania with an internship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1932. Upon the completion of the internship, he decided to continue at the University in a residency under I. S. Ravdin, the chief of surgery. In 1944 he was appointed an Assistant Professor of Surgical Research and, in 1945, as an Assistant Professor of Surgery. It was not long before Rhoads’ extraordinary skill and knowledge propelled him to upper levels of the Medical School and Hospital. He was appointed a full professor of surgery and the J. William White Professor of Surgical Research in 1949. His rise did not stop at the Medical School, but continued into the University proper when he was appointed Provost of the University in 1956, a position he held until 1959. Upon stepping down from the provostship, Rhoads returned to the Medical School and Hospital as the chair of the Department of Surgery and the John Rhea Barton Professor of Surgery. He held these posts until he retired from his administrative positions in 1972. This massive collection documents the life and work of Jonathan Evans Rhoads in multiple dimensions and through all major periods of his long career. The Jonathan E. Rhoads Papers have been organized in seven series: I. Personal (1802-2001), II. Professional (1880-2002), III. Civic Organizations (1884-2001), IV. Awards, Gifts, Etc. (1971-1998), V. Photographs, Audio-Visual Tapes, Books And Memorabilia (1969-2002), VI. Architectural Drawings (1968-1973), and VII. Theresa Rhoads Papers (1932-1987). Series I and II have been further organized into sub-series. The material within each series is arranged alphabetically.

Alfred Newton Richards Papers, 1904 – 1969

  • UPT 50 R514, 38 Cu Ft.

    Alfred Newton Richards arrived at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1910 to be chair of Pharmacology, a position which he occupied until 1946, when he became Professor Emeritus. The University series consists of Richards’ class lectures, notes regarding his courses, and laboratory experiment work. The laboratory experiments include those carried out by colleagues and students and those carried out solely by Richards or in conjunction with colleagues and students. Kidney function is the general subject of most of the experiments, but many specific aspects of this subject are examined. Additional material related to Richards can be found in UPA 4, 1930 – 1950.

Medical Education - Students

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

Archives General Collection 1740 – 1820

  • UPA 3

    The Archives General Collection contains correspondence related to medical students from 1799 through to 1820.

Curriculum and Lecture Notes Collection, 1759 – 1976

  • UPW, 23 Cu Ft.

    The Curriculum and Lecture Notes Collection was created by the University Archives in the 1950s to assemble individual manuscripts and small groupings of archival material relating to courses taught at the University of Pennsylvania throughout its entire history. This collection documents the teaching methods used in the various schools of the University of Pennsylvania throughout its history. The collection contains a number of items related to the School of Medicine, and the School of Dental Medicine.

NINETEENTH CENTURY

Archives General Collection, 1820 – 1930

  • UPA 3, 40 Cu Ft.

    The Archives General material contains material related to Medical School students from the mid-nineteenth century through to the early twentieth century. The collection is arranged chronologically.

William James Campbell Papers, 1863 – 1872

  • UPT 50 C189, 1 Cu Ft.

    William James Campbell studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania under Joseph Leidy. Campbell took his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in 1871 from the University after serving a residency at Pennsylvania Hospital. The lecture notes address a variety of medical subjects including hygiene, obstetrics, surgery, practical medicine, physiology, clinics, anatomy, botany, geology, and chemistry. Professors include Harrison Allen, D. Hays Agnew, Robert Bolling, Joseph Carson, Henry Hartshorne, F.V. Hayden, H. Lenox Hodge, James E. Hutchinson, Joseph Leidy, R.A.F. Penrose, George Pepper, William Pepper, J.G. Reese, Edward Rhoads, R.E. Rogers, Francis G. Smith, Henry H. Smith, Alfred Stille, James Tyson, and Horatio Wood.

Benjamin Woolsey Dwight and Francis E. Dwight Papers, 1801 – 1882

  • UPT 50 D992, 0.25 Cu Ft.

    Between 1801 and 1803 Benjamin Woolsey Dwight studied medicine first at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia – where he also practiced at Pennsylvania Hospital, and next at Columbia College in New York. Francis E. Dwight was the grandson of Benjamin Woolsey Dwight. In 1882 he took medical instructions at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University in New York, New York. The Benjamin Woolsey Dwight and Francis E. Dwight Papers contain material relate to their medical education – mainly notebooks for lectures attended, and admission cards for Benjamin Woolsey Dwight.

Elias White Hale Papers, 1848

  • UPT 50 H161, 1 Item

    Elias White Hale attended the University of Pennsylvania Medical School from October 1846 to 1848. His preceptor was Dr. Joseph B. Ard. In 1848, he received his M.D. degree from the University. This collection contains a draft copy of the final essay of Elias White Hale required for his graduation from the School of Medicine. The essay is on the topic of pneumonia. It describes the illness at its various stages.

Thomas Mackie Smith Papers, 1826 – 1847

  • UPT 50 S662, 0.5 Cu Ft.

    Thomas Mackie Smith attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned the degrees of A.B. in 1828 and M.D. in 1831. He served as a resident physician in the Philadelphia Almshouse. The Papers series (1826-1847) contains documents relating to Smith’s attendance at the University of Pennsylvania, including lecture tickets, a commencement announcement, a commencement program and a registrar’s bill.

TWENTIETH CENTURY

Walter L. Croll Papers, 1905 – 1972

  • UPT 50 C944, 1 Ln Ft.

    Walter Lewis Croll attended the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, receiving his M.D. in 1911. Croll specialized in gynecology and obstetrics and served as the Chief Resident Surgeon at the Elizabeth Steele McGee Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The papers of Walter Lewis Croll include notes taken in lectures while a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania. There are notes on surgery, the circulatory system, and the nervous system (taught by Piersol) as well as notes on chemical experiments.

William Rhys Jones Notes on Cases: Obstetrics Clinic, 1920 – 1921

  • UPT 50 J79, 1 Item

    William Rhys Jones was a physician who, as a young man, kept a detailed journal of his final year in Penn’s School of Medicine, 1920-1921. This collection consists of a single volume of William Rhys Jones’ handwritten notes on obstetrics and gynecology cases during his final year of medical school (1920-1921) at the University of Pennsylvania. The journal contains accounts of 147 cases; each describes an unnamed patient treated by Jones under the supervision of his professor, Dr. Barton Cooke Hirst (1861-1935).

John Hess Foster Scrapbook, 1913-1921

  • UPT 50 F755, 1 Volume

    In the fall of 1913 John Hess Foster entered the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania and received his M.D. degree in 1917. The majority of the scrapbook is devoted to Foster’s time at the University of Pennsylvania as a medical student and details not only the various social activities, such as the fraternity, student association, and athletic events, that he attended but also his medical work at the University Settlement House of the Christian Association and the Southeastern Dispensary for Women. There is a collection of individual snapshots with autographs of faculty (primarily posed in the class room or laboratory) and fellow students at the School of Medicine. Many of these snapshots were used as illustrations in the 1917 medical school yearbook, The Scope, for which Foster was the photograph editor.

Frank David Levy Memorabilia, 1917 – 1918

  • UPT 50 L668, 4 Items

    Frank David Levy was the second oldest of five children of an immigrant family that came from Poland in the 1890s. He attended the College of the University of Pennsylvania for two years before entering the Medical School. At Penn he was a member of the Flexner Medical Society and the Phi Delta Upsilon social fraternity. After earning his M.D. in 1917, he had his internship at the Philadelphia General Hospital for one year from 1917 to 1918. These four items relate to Frank David Levy’s years as a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania and as an intern at Philadelphia General Hospital.

Undergraduate Medical Association Records, 1908-1962

  • UPS 507, 0.25 Cu Ft.

    The Undergraduate Medical Association was formed in 1908 by University of Pennsylvania Medical School students, to foster extra-curricular activities among medical students, and encourage research. The Undergraduate Medical Association Records consists of a scrapbook, published proceedings from 1908, and loose items related to its annual meeting.

Medical Research

David Y. Cooper Papers, 1821 – 1999

  • UPT 50 C776, 7.5 Cu Ft.

    Dr. Cooper’s most notable contributions in the medical field include the discovery of the role of cytochrome P-450, which is a series of enzymes found in the body, and the introduction of mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration. The collection reflects his interest. It consists of Dr. Cooper’s professional papers from 1950 to the 1990s. There are six bound volumes of published papers from 1950 to 1985 and three unbound volumes of papers including letters, manuscripts and photographs from 1978 to 1990s. In addition to his personal papers, the collection consists of several books from his personal library.

Federated Medical Resources Records, 1966 – 1990

  • UPC 57, 2.5 Cu Ft.

    The Federated Medical Resources was founded in 1966 as a non-profit corporate group by five universities and colleges in the Philadelphia area–the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, the Thomas Jefferson University, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. The mission of the corporation was to provide its members with laboratory animals for use in their research and training programs. The collection documents the administration of the Federated Medical Resources throughout the twenty-three years of its existence. It consists of administrative files, financial records and animal health records.

Esmond R. Long Papers, 1917 – 1965

  • UPT 50 L849, 2 Cu Ft.

    Long joined the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1932 as a professor of pathology and director of the Henry Phipps Institute for the Study, Treatment, and Prevention of Tuberculosis. He devoted his life to the study of tuberculosis, after having contracted it as a young man, and became known as one of the foremost leaders in the control of the disease. During World War II he served in the Army as chief consultant on the disease. The papers largely consist of scrapbooks, certificates, and medals awarded during the war and after in recognition for his fight against tuberculosis.

Benjamin F. Miller Papers, 1929 – 1989

  • UPT 50 M647, 11 Cu Ft.

    Benjamin F. Miller graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 1928 and from Harvard Medical School, M.D., in 1933. After interning at the Cornell Medical Center and the New York Hospital, he started a three-year National Research Council Fellowship in Medicine at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research in 1934. In 1937 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago and held that position until 1947. From 1947 to 1950, he was concurrently Research Associate in Medicine at the National Research Council and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the George Washington Medical School, and from 1950 to 1954, Senior Associate Physician at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Lecturer on Medicine at the Harvard Medical School (1952-1954). Miller spent the next ten years, 1954-1963, at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, serving as Director of the May Institute for Medical Research as well as Associate Professor of Experimental Medicine. He was appointed Associate Professor of Surgical Research at the University of Pennsylvania in 1963 and stayed in that position until his death in 1971. For many years Miller focused his research on two subjects, cardiovascular diseases and the transplantation of the kidney. The Correspondence and General Files document all major activities, academic or social, research or publishing, in which Benjamin F. Miller was engaged in various periods of his fruitful career.

Mudd Family Papers, 1935 – 1985

  • UPT 50 M944, 1 Cu Ft.

    A world-renowned microbiologist hailed for his work in freeze-drying blood plasma and combating patient infections in hospitals, Dr. Stuart Mudd served the Medical School’s Pathology Department, as Chairman of the Bacteriology Department, Chairman of the Microbiology Department, and Chief of the Microbiologic Research Program at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital. His research accomplishments are chronicled in some 200 papers and several books which he edited. This collection contains assorted published articles by both Stuart and Emily Mudd largely in the form of journal articles or offprints of journal articles.

Richard Bunker Singer papers, 1920 – 2012

  • UPT 50 S617R, 24 Cu Ft.

    Richard Bunker Singer entered the University of Pennsylvania, where over the next eight and one half years he earned three degrees: the A.B. in 1934, an A.M. in Physics in 1935, and the M.D. in 1939. He followed his graduation from Medical School by serving a two-year rotating internship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1941 the National Research Council awarded Singer one of its prestigious fellowships. He used it to conduct research at Harvard University in acid-base balance in human blood. At Harvard, Singer worked under the direction of Dr. A. Baird Hastings. His research was eventually interrupted by World War II. During World War II Singer served as a United States Navy flight surgeon in the Pacific Theater. In 1947 he completed his National Research Council Fellowship at Harvard University, and accepted a teaching position at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Singer opted for a career change in 1952 when he accepted a position in life insurance underwriting at New England Mutual Life Insurance Company in Boston, MA. He remained with the firm until his retirement in 1979. It was at New England Mutual Life that Singer began his studies on the analysis of excess mortality follow-up studies – which he would continue after his retirement. The Richard Bunker Singer Papers document the family life and professional career of Dr. Singer. Dr. Singer’s career as an executive with the New England Life Insurance Company, his teaching material, and items related to his medical career are documented in the Professional Series.

Luther L. Terry Papers, 1926 – 1982

  • UPT 50 T329, 5 Cu Ft.

    Luther Terry was appointed Surgeon General in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. It was during his term that the first United States Public Health Service report on the correlation between smoking and lung cancer was issued. He chose to endorse the report and to champion the anti-smoking cause. Even after he left the post of Surgeon General in 1965, Dr. Terry continued to remain active in the anti-smoking campaign, particularly in the efforts to ban cigarette advertising on radio and television. The collections reflects his major research interest of the effects of smoking and health, particularly through his participation in groups such as the National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health, National Society for Medical Research, and the Nutrition Foundation.

Wistar Institute Records, 1824 – 1954

  • UPC 40.1, 2 Cu Ft.

    The Wistar Institute was founded in 1882 as he nation’s first independent biomedical research facility, named after Caspar Wistar. This collection has not been fully processed, but a preliminary inventory is available. The bulk of the collection relates to publications created by and sent to the Wistar Institute.

Publications

  • Publications of the Department of Surgery and the Harrison Department of Surgical Research, 1967
    UPL 1010.93 1967

    Report of the Harrison Department of Surgical Research
    UPI 491.3
    1937 – 1972 (with gaps)

    Research Programs Department of Medicine School of Medicine. HUP
    UPI 491.6
    1904 – 1908, 1988-1989

    Research Programs Department of Medicine University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
    UPI 491.62 3
    1988 – 1989

    Medical Image Processing Group Report No. MIPG60
    UPI 493.5
    1981, 1988

Physicians Papers

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

William Martin Papers, 1757 – 1796

  • UPT 50 M379, 24 Items

    William Martin graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and established a practice in Georgetown, Virginia. Three years later he returned to Chester, Pennsylvania, where he continued his medical career. The William Martin Papers consist of miscellaneous manuscripts that were bound by his grandson, John Hill Martin, around 1865. The documents include legal cases, medical observations, correspondence, speeches, and literary extracts in Martin’s handwriting.

NINETEENTH CENTURY

William Edmonds Horner Papers, 1821 – 1969

  • UPT 50 H816, 18 Items

    William Edmonds Horner was dean of the Medical School of Pennsylvania (1822-1852), Professor of Anatomy (1831-1853), and wrote the first pathology textbook published in the United States (Treatise on Pathological Anatomy, 1829). In 1816 Horner began his career at the University of Pennsylvania when he was offered the position of dissector by Caspar Wistar, eventually rising to the position of Dean of the Medical School, and professor of anatomy. He traveled to Europe in 1821, where in France he was impressed by their advances in pathology, which influenced him to write a textbook on the subject and introduce the topic to American medical schools. The Journals detail William Edmonds Horner’s travels from the United States to Europe in 1821. Horner visited many of the usual sites of interest; he also visited many of the hospitals, physicians, and instrument makers – making notes on medical practices, anatomical collections, and other observations. He was particularly taken by the Hunterian Collection in London, and describes the method for making wax anatomical preparations which he learned from the curator.

Crawford Williamson Long Collection, 1842 – 1878

  • UPT 50 L848, 1 Item

    Crawford Williamson Long was a member of the Medical Class of 1839, and was the first surgeon in American to use ether as an anesthetic in a surgical operation in 1842. Long’s rural location and busy practice delayed his reporting of his findings until 1849. The Crawford Williamson Long Collection contains photographs of documents attesting to his use of ether as an anesthetic. The source of the letters is not indicated.

Nathan Francis Mossell Papers, 1873 – 1983

  • UPT 50 M913, 1.75 Cu Ft.

    Dr. Nathan Francis Mossell serves as a pioneer among African American medical professionals in the late nineteenth century, paving an educational as well as professional path for both black men and women in Philadelphia as physicians and nurses. In 1879, Mossell became one of the first African Americans enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1882, Mossell was the first African American to receive a diploma from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. Roughly a decade late, in 1895, Dr. Mossell established the first private black hospital in the city and the second in the United States, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and Nurse Training School at 1512 Lombard Street. The Nathan Mossell Papers document his medical career and social leadership from the 1890s to 1940s and they include professional and public writings by Dr. Mossell, specifically on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and socio-political issues facing African Americans in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

Philadelphia Physicians Album, 1876

  • UPP 9504 P 544, 1 Cu Ft.

    This album consists of “photographical portraits” taken at the time of the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Some University of Pennsylvania faculty members are included among the prominent Philadelphians featured. Note that not all of the approximately 390 images are fully identified.

TWENTIETH CENTURY

Virginia Margaret Alexander Record Group, 1920 – 1975

  • UPT 50 A374V, 2 Cu Ft.

    Virginia Margaret Alexander was the younger sister of Raymond Pace Alexander. After attending the University of Pennsylvania, she attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed an internship at Kansas City General Hospital. She returned to Philadelphia in 1923 to practice medicine, and in 1935 was instrumental in bringing Dr. Helen O. Dickens to Philadelphia. The collection contains biographical material, correspondence, and records for the Dr. Virginia M. Alexander Scholarship Foundation.

James Morton Boice Scrapbook, 1893 – 1915

  • UPT 50 B678, 1 Volume

    James Morton Boice received his of Bachelor of Arts degree in 1899 from the University of Pennsylvania. After studying abroad, Boice returned to Philadelphia and resumed his medical research, receiving an M.D. from the Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia in 1904. Following graduation, he practiced medicine, specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, and assisted at many hospitals in Philadelphia. The James Morton Boice Scrapbook documents the social life of Boice and his involvement in a wide range of academic, professional, and social organizations. The scrapbook also contains items relating to Boice’s post-graduate travels abroad, his work at the Medico-Chirurgical College in Philadelphia, his involvement in local hospitals, and his active social life in Philadelphia.

Helen Octavia Dickens Papers, 1934 – 2001

  • UPT 50 D548, 27 Cu Ft.

    Helen Octavia Dickens was a 1934 graduate of the University of Illinois School of Medicine, the only African American woman in her graduating class. Later in her career she sought further training in obstetrics and gynecology, spending a year at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Medicine. Dickens passed the board examinations in 1945, becoming the first female African American board-certified OB/GYN in Philadelphia. That year, Dr. Dickens became Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mercy Douglass Hospital in Philadelphia. In 1951, Dr. Dickens joined the courtesy staff of Women’s Hospital and would later be named chief of obstetrics and gynecology. When the University of Pennsylvania took over the Women’s Hospital in 1956, Dr. Dickens became a member of the staff and faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the School of Medicine, becoming the first black woman to serve in this position. In addition to her medical practice, she was professor of obstetrics and gynecology. The Helen O. Dickens Papers document the latter half of Dickens’ career in the field of medicine, medical education and public health. The collection contains correspondence, articles, reprints, grant proposals and some notes regarding Dickens’ work in teenage pregnancy during the 1960s and 1970s which can be found in the Medical and Correspondence series.

Samuel Bernard Hadden Papers, 1918 – 1988

  • UPT 50 H126, 4 Cu Ft.

    Samuel Bernard Hadden attended the University of Pennsylvania and received an A.B., 1922 and M.D., 1924. He served his internship and residency with the Philadelphia General Hospital. Dr. Hadden served in several teaching capacities from 1926 to 1941 at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Neurology. In 1941 he was appointed Associate Professor, 1941-1947. Early in his career Samuel Hadden’s main interest was neurology. Gradually he became more interested in the neuro-psychology. By 1953 his professional attention turned almost exclusively to mental health. Hadden is best known as a pioneer in group psychotherapy. The Samuel Bernard Hadden Papers, 1918-1988, mainly document the professional contributions of Dr. Hadden in the field of Psychiatry, and in particular group psychotherapy.

T. Grier Miller Papers, 1946 – 1981

  • UPT 50 M651, 0.4 Cu Ft.

    T. Grier Miller was a medical educator, researcher and practitioner who earned his M.D.at the University of Pennsylvania in 1911. He was a member the faculty of the School of Medicine from 1913-1953 and is credited with instituting psychiatric services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition Miller invented the Miller-Abbott Tube in 1934 with W. Osler Abbott which revolutionized gastrointestinal diagnosis, treatment and surgery. The collection includes correspondence with colleagues pertaining to the mechanics of providing psychiatric services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; autobiographical recollections by Miller of those events which precipitated the establishment of the Psychiatric Clinic; and personal correspondence with family members.

Harold Glendon Scheie Papers, 1918 – 1990

  • UPT 50 S318, 41 Cu Ft.

    Harold Scheie attended the University of Minnesota and received a B.S., 1931, and M.D., 1936. He completed his Internship, 1935-1937, and Residency, 1938-1940, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1940, he received a D.Sc., from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Scheie secured a position as Instructor and then Associate Professor of Ophthalmology in the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania, 1940-1942. During World War II, he served, with the other staff members of the Medical School, at the 31st Hospital Unit of the Army Medical Corps, located on the Ledo Road in the China, Burma, India Theatre. Scheie treated many patients while serving in the Army; his most memorable patient, however, was Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burma. After the war, he returned to the Department of Ophthalmology in the Medical School, University of Pennsylvania. He remained connected the University for the remainder of his professional life. The Harold Glendon Scheie Papers mainly document the professional contributions and achievements of Dr. Scheie in the field of Ophthalmology. There is a small group of personal papers, but these papers, in large part, still reflect in some way upon his devotion to his profession.