Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia
Finding aid prepared by Special Collections & Archives
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
858-534-2533
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Copyright 2013
Descriptive Summary
Title: Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0755
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, California, 92093-0175
Languages:
English
Physical Description:
2.8 Linear feet
(3 archives boxes, 1 records carton, 1 card file, 3 oversize folders and 1 art bin item)
Date (inclusive): 1937 - 2010 (bulk 1941-1945)
Abstract: Personal papers and memorabilia of Harvey Itano, American biochemist and pioneer in the study of sickle cell anemia hematology.
During World War II, Itano, along with his parents and siblings were sent to an internment camp; of particular interest in
the collection are letters written to and from Itano during his internment.
Creator:
Itano, Harvey A.
Publication Rights
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Preferred Citation
Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia, MSS 755. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquisition Information
Acquired 2013.
Biography
Harvey Akio Itano was born on November 3, 1920, in Sacramento, California, the eldest son of Masao and Sumako (Nakahara) Itano.
Itano attended University of California, Berkeley, and graduated in 1942 with highest honors in chemistry. Due to President
Roosevelt's anti-Japanese campaign following Pearl Harbor, Itano with his family was sent to the desolate Tule Lake camp.
While in the camp, Itano kept applying to medical schools throughout the country. With assistance from the National Japanese
American Student Relocation Council, Itano was released from the camp to attend St. Louis School of Medicine. In 1945, Itano
received his M.D. and continued Ph.D. studies at the California Institute of Technology in biochemistry where he studied and
worked with Linus Pauling.
Itano is known for his pioneering work with sickle cell anemia disease, the topic assigned to him as a Ph.D. thesis topic
by Linus Pauling. Sickle cell anemia disease is a hereditary disease commonly found among people of African descent. Itano
tried several different physical and chemical methods to distinguish normal hemoglobin from sickle cell hemoglobin and finally
he was able to demonstrate the difference by using electrophoresis. At that time, electrophoresis was a new technique that
allowed researchers to separate molecules according to their electrical charge and Itano found a slight difference in electrophoretic
mobility between normal and sickle cell hemoglobins. That led to understanding that patients with sickle cell anemia have
a different type of hemoglobin than healthy individuals and thus a cause of a disease was traced to a molecule. Later, this
inspired Vernon Ingram's seminal discovery of a single amino acid difference between normal and sickle cell hemoglobin and
allowed him to explain a hemoglobin abnormality by an alteration in genes. After completing the project, Itano continued to
work in the field of molecular medicine and published extensively about genetic and molecular basis of other blood pathologies
and hereditary diseases.
Itano was awarded Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry (1954) and Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Achievement Award (1972)
for his pioneering work on sickle cell anemia disease. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1979), American
Academy of Arts and Sciences (1998), American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry Society (London),
Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Alpha Omega Alpha.
Itano passed away in La Jolla, California in 2010.
Scope and Content of Collection
Personal papers and memorabilia of Harvey Itano, American biochemist and pioneer in the study of sickle cell anemia hematology.
During World War II, Itano, along with his parents and siblings were sent to an internment camp; of particular interest in
the collection are letters written to and from Itano during his internment.
Arranged in three series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) MEMORABILIA, and 3) REALIA.
Related Materials
Harvey Itano Papers, MSS 226. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Itano, Harvey A. -- Archives
Itano, Harvey A. -- Correspondence
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945
Tule Lake Relocation Center
World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration camps -- California
CORRESPONDENCE
Scope and Content of Series
SERIES 1) CORRESPONDENCE. Arranged in two subseries: A) Family Correspondence and B) General Correspondence. The Family Correspondence
contains letters from Itano's father, mother, sister Edith and younger brother Masashi. The bulk of the letters were written
while the family resided in an internment camp and describe daily life, as well as offer advice and encouragement to Itano.
The General Correspondence contains letters from professors, classmates and friends. Several letters detail attempts to have
Itano return to school.
Box 1, Folder 1
Itano, Edith (sister)
1942 - 1943
Box 1, Folder 2
Itano, Masao (father)
1939 - 1979 & undated
Box 1, Folder 3
Itano, Masashi (brother)
1942 - 1943
Box 1, Folder 4
Itano, Sumako (mother)
ca. 1942 - 1944
Box 1, Folder 10
Letters congratulating Itano on his election to the National Academy of Science
1979 - 1980
Box 1, Folder 13
Clippings about Itano
1954 - 2010
Box 1, Folder 14
Awards & appointments
1940 - 1987
Oversize FB-520, Folder 9
Box 2, Folder 1
Educational materials - Diplomas, graduation programs, grades & internship information
1935 - 1946
Oversize FB-520, Folder 10
Oversize educational materials
Box 3, Folder 1
Varsity letter, Lincoln Jr. High
Box 2, Folder 2
War relocation & internment camps
1943 - 1944 & undated
Box 2, Folder 3
Miscellaneous personal ephemera
1940 - 1963 & undated
Oversize FB-520, Folder 11
Box 2, Folder 4
Family history, written by Masao Itano
1971, 1978-1979
Box 2, Folder 5
First Annual Sickle Cell Anemia Race for Life Awards Banquet
1972
Box 4, Folder 1-8
Medals - Includes eight medals of honor or award
1942 - 1983 & undated
Box 5, Folder 6
Japanese American of the Biennium, 1978-1980
Box 5, Folder 7
Alumni Merit Award of Saint Louis University
1970
Oversize AB-4E
Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Achievement Award
1972
Box 2, Folder 6
Selective Service forms
1943 - 1944
Box 3, Folder 2-3
Sacramento Senior High
1937, 1938
Box 3, Folder 4-5
University of California, Berkeley
1941, 1942
Box 5, Folder 1
U.S. Public Health Service cap
Box 5, Folder 2-3
Two unidentified military berets
Box 5, Folder 5
Lei made of paper cranes for commencement ceremony, UC Berkeley
2009
Box 4, Folder 10
House marker from Japan
ca. 1961
