Historical Notes from OHSU

Upcoming exhibit of HC&A rare books

2013-06-19T10:04:00.002-07:00

A few months ago, Karen approached me with an idea for a light and refreshing summer exhibit of selections from our rare book collections. I thought this would be a great opportunity to show off some recent acquisitions, including gifts from our many wonderful donors.

We're still finalizing selections, but are expecting to include many of the fascinating books I've blogged about in the past, such as our 16th-century alchemy text and Pinel's Traité médico-philosophique sur l'aliénation mentale, ou la manie.

The exhibit will open in mid-July. In the meantime, you can visit our current exhibit Inside these Walls: 125 Years of Healing, Teaching, and Discovery (and don't forget about OHSU's 125th anniversary exhibit at Oregon Historical Society).

Oregon Health Sciences Libraries Association meeting July 18-19

2013-06-14T10:22:00.002-07:00

The Oregon Health Sciences Libraries Association Annual Meeting and Continuing Education will take place July 18-19 in Silverton. I'm excited to be co-teaching the continuing education session on health care reform on the 19th. From 8:30-9:45 I'll lead a session on the history of health reform in Oregon in the morning. In the afternoon, Liz Baxter, Executive Director of We Can Do Better will take over for her session on current state and federal health reform. Hope to see you there!

New images in the Digital Resources Library

2013-06-12T11:58:00.001-07:00

Our latest additions to the DRL include two photographs of Herbert C. Miller, D.D.S., M.D., F.A.C.D., the founder of North Pacific Dental College, predecessor of the OHSU School of Dentistry.

Images of the striking (and sadly gone) North Pacific Dental College building at NW 15th and Couch are a very common request from researchers. Earlier this year we digitized this print, which was annotated long ago by an unknown hand. The notes identify facilities and locations, and warn, "I am not in this picture so don't look for me."

Child Growth Study Collection finds new home

2013-06-07T10:44:00.001-07:00

Remember the Child Growth Study Collection? The one that looked like this:

And this:

Well, yesterday it was relocated to its new home in the Old Library, and now it looks like this:

Moving the collection from the School of Dentistry to our newly outfitted stacks space was an all-day affair. Thanks to expert coordination between Karen, SOD staff, and OHSU Logistics, everything went without a hitch! Because of ongoing research demand for this collection, we have committed to organiziing the collection quickly so that use can continue.

Dean Brooks, M.D.

2013-06-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Dean Brooks, M.D. on June 30, 2013. Dr. Brooks served as superintendent of the Oregon State Hospital from 1955-1981, and was considered an innovator in mental health care. He became widely known to the public for allowing the Milos Forman film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to be shot at the hospital, and for playing a small role in the film.

His contributions to mental health care and its representation in popular culture are recognized in obituaries in the Salem Statesman Journal and the New York Times. A memorial on the Website of the Oregon State Hospital Museum features photographs and ephemera from his time as superintendent.

OHSU History of Medicine Society lectures 2013/2014 - early warnings!

2013-05-31T14:54:00.001-07:00

2013/2014 will be an exciting year for the OHSU History of Medicine Society lecture series. In addition to the four lectures we usually hold each year, additional donations will make it possible to schedule between one and three more lectures!

Two lectures confirmed already are:

October 18, 2013

Kimberly Jensen, Ph.D.

Western Oregon University

November 15, 2013

Donald Blanchard, M.D.

OHSU

Look for a complete schedule in early fall!

Reminder: OHSU 125th anniversary exhibit at Oregon Historical Society

2013-05-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

There's still plenty of time to visit Oregon Historical Society to view the exhibit "OHSU: 125 Years of Teaching, Healing, and Discovery."

"This exhibit begins to examine the complex history of Oregon Health & Science University. What began as a small medical school in Northwest Portland has evolved into a multi-faceted institution: an academic health center, a nationally prominent research center and a resource for Oregonians’ health.

Through historic photographs and artifacts, the exhibit explores the histories of the schools, programs, hospitals, and centers that comprise OHSU. Visitors will also discover many of the inventions and innovations that have emerged from OHSU faculty, alumni, and staff that have shaped health care delivery in Oregon and beyond."

The exhibit runs through July 8. Admission is free to Multnomah County residents.

Oral history transcripts in the DRL!

2013-05-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to volunteer Kathleen Feduccia, HC&A has launched a brand new collection in the Digital Resources Library. The OHSU Oral History Collection will provide online access to transcripts from our program. For each interview, Kathleen collates, merges and edits multiple legacy documents into a clean PDF. She then creates metadata so that the interviews are discoverable through online searches.

So far, we have transcripts for 6 interviews available in the DRL. Interview subjects include Rodney Beals, Miles J. Edwards, Peter Goodwin, Herbert E. Griswold, Mark Hatfield, and Isabel McDonald. Look for more in June!

Further development of the library's digital program will allow us to provide online access to audio and video recordings in the future. Transcripts and recordings of interviews are also available for checkout from the Main Library.

History of Medicine in Oregon Project updates

2013-05-21T11:00:00.000-07:00

The History of Medicine in Oregon Project just completed a site redesign that emphasizes its core content: Oral history interviews with health practitioners who shaped medical history in the state.

Video is now front and center on the home page. The site also includes a video index with links to interview highlights.

These video clips represent just a fraction of the content generated by this project. Transcripts and videos of interviews are preserved in OHSU Historical Collections & Archives, and the project's steering committee is now developing fundraising strategies for online access to more video content.

Behind the scenes

2013-05-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy morning in HC&A - we have not one but two facilities projects underway in our stacks areas. Coordinating with project managers and contractors definitely falls under the category of "things they don't teach you in library school." However, it's necessary to ensure that both collections and people stay safe during facilities projects.

The good news is that one of the projects will put the finishing touches on a year-long project to renovate a room in the Old Library that was once notoriously dark and damp. It's becoming a bright, secure, and environmentally stable stacks space.suitable for housing archival collections, which are sorely overcrowded in our current stacks.

Dorothea Dix book launch at the Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health

2013-05-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Our colleagues at the Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health will be hosting a book launch for One Glorious Ambition, Jane Kirkpatrick's historical novel about Dorothea Dix.

OHSU Oral History Program update

2013-05-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Between fall 2012 and spring 2013, we recorded three new interviews for the OHSU Oral History Program:

Donald E. Girard, M.D. is Associate Dean for Graduate and Continuing Medical Education at the School of Medicine. He was interviewed by David Nardone, M.D. on his work in patient care, teaching, academic administration, and service to the medical profession.

Dolores Judkins, M.L.S., is Associate University Librarian and Head, Information & Research Services at OHSU Library. Interviewed by Judith Norton, M.L.I.S., she discussed changes in technology, services, and administration in her over 30 years of service as a librarian at OHSU.

David A. Nardone, M.D. is Professor Emeritus in the School of Medicine. He was interviewed by Donald E. Girard, M.D. on his service in the Vietnam War, administrative work in the VA Hospital, teaching experiences and public service.

All three interviews are now in the post-production stage. Since 1997, the OHSU Oral History Program has produced over 100 interviews with individuals who have shaped the history of the uinversity. Completed transcripts and recordings of interviews are available for checkout from the Main Library. Transcripts are also available by request from HC&A.

Marion Krippaehne photographs

2013-05-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

I posted last week about Marion Krippaehne, M.D.'s passing on April 15. Our Historical Images Collection includes many images of Dr. Krippaehne during her long career at OHSU:

Above: At work in the hospital, circa 1970s-1980s

Above: Portrait, circa 1960s

Above: Another portrait, probably an outtake circa 1950s, reveals lots of personality!

Higher-resolution scans of these photographs will be available soon in the Digital Resources Library, which contains two other photos of Dr. Krippaehne.

Behind the scenes

2013-04-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

Karen and Jeff have been hard at work shifting collections and cleaning up stacks space to help accommodate new materials from the School of Dentistry and university administrative offices. Last week they took on the small, cramped room where most of our museum collection is stored. Karen snapped a nice "behind the scenes" photo of the newly tidied space:

Large artifacts sit on open shelving, while small and fragile items are stored in archival boxes. All are indiividually tagged with an accession number that uniquely identifies each item.

Selections from our artifacts collection are included in rotating exhibits in the Main Library, but we hope someday to have a permanent museum display.

Marion Krippaehne

2013-04-25T11:20:00.001-07:00

We recently got word that Marion Krippaehne, M.D. passed away on April 15, 2013.

Dr. Krippaehne was an alumna of University of Oregon Medical School and a role model for many women students who came after her. She is shown in the mid-1940s photograph below in the center of a group of medical students.

Dr. Krippaehne built her career at the medical school's outpatient clinic. She and her husband, William Krippaehne, M.D. were integral to medical education and hospital practice at the school for many decades. She was the mother of seven children, and active in a wide variety of community service organizations.

Dr. Krippaehne participated in the OHSU Oral History Program in 1999. A transcript and recording of her interview are available from the Main Library, or by request from HC&A.

OHSU 125th anniversary images on Flickr

2013-04-22T15:08:00.003-07:00

OHSU's 125th anniversary exhibit at Oregon Historical Society, as well as John Benson's lecture on the history of the medical school are leading many researchers to HC&A, many on the trail of the same images for their own publications and presentations. Most of the images from the exhibit and lecture are found in the Digital Resources Library. However, we decided we could make it even easier to find celebration-worthy images by creating a 125th anniversary photo set on Flickr.

The photo descriptions in the Flickr set point users back to the DRL, where they can find more detailed descriptions and metadata. Amy Frazier, intrepid HC&A Student Assistant, will keep adding to this set as images are added to the DRL.

2013-04-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Streaming video of John Benson's presentation "OHSU Medical Milestones: 125 Years of Healing, Teaching, and Discovery" is available on our Website. This was the final lecture in our 2012/2013 season.

Please refer to our Website for a full list of HOM Society lectures, which include videos for lectures given from 2005 to the present.

New exhibit: Inside These Walls: 125 Years of Teaching, Healing and Discovery

2013-04-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce the exhibit Inside these Walls: 125 Years of Teaching, Healing and Discovery. Complementing OHSU's 125th anniversary exhibit at Oregon Historical Society, this exhibit uses archival photographs to document the development of the OHSU campus. The poster and the Web page for the exhibit feature graphics based on historical images.

The exhibit is on view from March-June 2013 and is open to the public. It is located on the OHSU campus, BICC building 3rd floor, Main Library lobby

OHSU History of Medicine Society lecture - this Friday!

2013-04-09T10:26:00.001-07:00

Please join us this Friday for the final lecture of our 2012/2013 season!

“OHSU Medical Milestones: 125 Years of Healing, Teaching, and Discovery”

John A. Benson, Jr., M.D.

Oregon Health & Science University

Friday, April 12, 2013

Public lecture: 12:15pm

Refreshments served at noon

Location: OHSU Old Library Auditorium

An educator and clinician, Dr. Benson became a faculty member at the School of Medicine in 1959. While at OHSU, Dr. Benson was instrumental to the development of the Division of Gastroenterology, served on the OHSU Center for Ethics in Health Care, and was interim dean of the School of Medicine from 1991-1993. After retiring, he continued working as a volunteer faculty member, serving OHSU for a total of 28 years. The annual Benson/Kendall Visiting Professorship lecture is named in his honor, along with John Kendall, Jr., M.D., for outstanding years served at the OHSU School of Medicine.

For this special lecture, the OHSU History of Medicine Society joins the OHSU School of Medicine in marking the school’s 125th anniversary. The lecture is free and open to the public. If you have a disability and need an accommodation to attend or participate in this event please contact Maija Anderson (503-418-2287) at least five business days prior to the event.

New images in the Digital Resources Library

2013-04-05T13:56:00.003-07:00

Our latest additions to the Digital Resources Library include photographs of nursing students and instructors in the 1950s-1960s

Above: Classroom scene

Students in the women's residence hall

Above: Lola Thompson, R.N. demonstrating newborn care

Last week (and then some) at the School of Dentistry

2013-04-02T14:27:00.002-07:00

On March 25^th, HC&A began the process of boxing up the records of Oregon Child Growth Study and the papers of Dr. Bhim Sen Savara, which had been stored in the basement of the School of Dentistry, between the generators and the bomb shelter.

The materials in the Child Growth Study Collection document part of a study that was conducted from the 50’s through the 80’s. The records are part of a very limited, very unique, yet incredibly in-depth and extensive study on early development. The unique nature of these materials mean that access to the collection is a strong priority, with continuing high use anticipated. The study was so well-documented that there is a monograph discussing the process and results, which HC&A now has copies of.

The Crew

The group tasked with boxing up the collections and preparing them for transfer to HC&A was headed by Karen Peterson, Archivist:

Assisting was Max Johnson, HC&A Student Assistant:

Jeff Colby, HC&A Assistant helped out in the afternoons:

Maija Anderson, Head of Historical Collections & Archives and HC&A Student Assistant Amy Frazier pitched in. HC&A also received amazing help from current dental students, Vinny and Seth:

The Materials

Preparing the records of the Oregon Child Growth Study was the primary goal of the team. The records consist of circa 350 plaster casts of jaws, circa 400 binders of patient data, no less than 60 linear feet of negatives and prints, and a variety of instruments, human remains and articles related to the study. In addition, we appraised, retrieved and boxed all of Dr. Savara’s files which include three 4’ high file cabinets of materials.

All of the materials were covered in a thick layer of dust which became airborne upon physical contact. We used document-sensitive wipes and a vacuum to remove the major levels of dust prior to boxing and packing.

The Process

Starting with the dental casts, Vinny and Seth removed the dust layers from each of the boxes, placed them archival document boxes, then stuffed them with tissue for transfer. Once the casts were complete, we moved on to the binders. Initially we believed the binders would fit in the document boxes, however the binders were too big - we ended up removing them completely and foldering the contents in situ to protect them.

Jeff and Max brought down more materials to help deal with the massive amount of photos and negatives. Max boxed up the negatives and Jeff worked on rebindering parts of the study.

On the second day, we continued to box up the bindered materials, Max learned how to pop a lock using a screw driver to access some negatives, Maija appraised and packed books from departmental libraries, and we boxed up and inventoried the infant study.

The remainder of the first week entailed finishing up the binders and beginning the process of boxing up and inventorying Dr. Savara’s files. Almost the entirety of the collections were prepared by Friday afternoon.

We finished up the last few details on Monday, including inventorying and boxing the last of the file cabinets, cleaning the space (campsite rule), bringing leftover preservation materials back up to the library and finalizing the master inventory.

The process went incredibly smoothly – a huge thanks goes out to our colleagues at the School of Dentistry for their support!

-- Max Johnson, HC&A Student Assistant

OHSU History of Medicine Society lecture: "OHSU Medical Milestones: 125 Years of Healing, Teaching, and Discovery"

2013-03-29T13:29:00.002-07:00

“OHSU Medical Milestones: 125 Years of Healing, Teaching, and Discovery”

John A. Benson, Jr., M.D.

Oregon Health & Science University

Friday, April 12, 2013

Public lecture: 12:15pm

Refreshments served at noon

Location: OHSU Old Library Auditorium

School of Dentistry collections incoming!

2013-03-28T14:40:00.002-07:00

It's been "all hands on deck" in HC&A this week as our staff begin preparing for XXL-size transfers of archival and book collections from the School of Dentistry. The school will move to fabulous new facilities in 2014, which means that its staff and faculty are cleaning house in the current building. To ensure that no historical materials accidentally land in a dumpster, Karen and I began reaching out to SOD administrators in 2012.

All week, HC&A staff and SOD students have been packing archival collections, the largest of which consists of hundreds of boxes of records from the Oregon Child Study Clinic, an NIH-funded longitudinal growth study that ran circa 1940s-1980s. Because of current concerns about radiation exposure, the study could never be replicated today. Due to their uniqueness and completeness, the records are still actively used as a resource. SOD students are also digitizing samples of the collection for a national project funded by the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation. HC&A will coordinate with SOD so that the project can be completed when the records are in our care.

We also prepared a remarkable collection of around 110 books on endodontics, collected by SOD alumnus Frank Everett. In addition to several rare19th century works, there are many international titles that are not held in other U.S. libraries. A second book collection consisting of rare and historic 19th and early 20th century orthodontics titles is on the way, too.

We look forward to making these collections available for research in HC&A.

New rare book acquisitions

2013-03-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

It's been some time since I've posted about new acquisitions for our rare book collections, and I'm not sure why - it's certainly not because we've lacked news to share in this area. Here are some recent highlights:

Delabarre, C. F. Traité de la partie mécanique de l'art du chirurgien-dentiste. Paris: Delabarre, 1820.
An important early book on dental prosthetics, by a key figure in the development of the field of orthodontics.

Richter, Adolph Leopold. Theoretisch-praktisches Handbuch der Lehre von den Brüchen und Verrenkungen der Knochen. Berlin: Enslin, 1828.
A two-volume work on fractures, with a wealth of fascinating plates showing apparatuses and bandaging techniques used for treating injuries.

Sömmerring, Samuel Thomas von. Samuelis Thomae Soemmering icones embryonum humanorum. Francofurti ad Moenum: Varrentrap et Wenner, 1799.
A large folio atlas showing the early stages of pregnancy. Soemmering intended this book to complement William Hunter's 1774 atlas of the gravid uterus, which is represented in HC&A by an 1851 reprinting.

All of the above will be cataloged for our rare book collections and available for research in HC&A.

New images in the Digital Resources Library

2013-03-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Our latest additions to the Digital Resources Library include many early- to mid-twentieth century photographs of Doernbecher Children's Hospital and its staff and patients.

Above: Doernbecher Hospital, circa 1926

Above: Hospital staff and patients, circa 1926-1930s

Above: Hospital entrance facade, undated

Above: Nurse feeding a patient, circa 1950s

Doernbecher Hospital opened in 1926 as the first full-service children's hospital. Today it is recognized as one of the best children's hospitals in the U.S.