Finding Aid for the Willard Goodwin Collection of William Osler Correspondence Biomed.0295
Finding aid prepared by UCLA Biomedical Library staff, 2009.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2009.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Willard Goodwin collection of William Osler correspondence
Creator:
Willard E. Goodwin 1915-1998
Identifier/Call Number: Biomed.0295
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1893-1947
Abstract: The collection is built around two sets of letters: 1. Twenty original letters from William Osler, M.D. to Howard Atwood Kelly,
M.D., dated 1897-1917, plus the notes and materials Dr. Goodwin used to write an article for the "Bulletin of the History
of Medicine" (20(5): 611-652, Dec. 1946) on the relationship between Osler and Kelly and correspondence pertaining to that
article before and after its publication. 2. Transcriptions of many letters from Osler to Henry Barton Jacobs, M.D., dated
1893-1919, and extensive notes made by Dr. Goodwin who probably intended to publish an article based upon this correspondence.
Physical Location: Held at UCLA Library Special Collections. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. All requests to access
special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Willard Goodwin collection of William Osler correspondence (Collection 295). Louise M. Darling Biomedical
Library History and Special Collections for the Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Acquisition Information
Donated to the UCLA Biomedical Library by the family of Willard Goodwin, M.D. in 1999.
Biography
Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet (1849–1919) has been called the Father of Modern Medicine and his influence on medical education
and practice is still huge. He was a person of great charm, energy, and wide intellectual interests, who excelled as physician,
teacher, bibliophile, and author. Canadian born, he received an M.D. from McGill University, Montreal, and taught there for
10 years. His career continued as Chair of Clinical Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, then first Chief
of Staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and finally Regius
Chair of Medicine at Oxford University. Throughout his life Osler was known to write a large number of notes and letters to
his wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
The distinguished American gynecologist Howard Atwood Kelly (1858–1943) received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania,
where he also taught for a number of years and came to know William Osler. The two were rejoined when Kelly was appointed
professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University. They made up half of "The Four Doctors" who founded Johns
Hopkins Hospital and are depicted in a famous group portrait by John Singer Sargent. The pair also shared an interest in medical
history and a strong love of book collecting. Kelly's interest also extended to natural history; he was a herpetologist of
some renown.
Henry Barton Jacobs (1858-1939) received his A.B. and M.D. degrees from Harvard University. Within a year of his medical school
graduation he moved to Baltimore to become the private physician for Robert Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
In 1889 he joined the dispensary service of the newly-opened Johns Hopkins Hospital, under physician-in-chief William Osler.
Later he also taught classes in physical diagnosis and therapeutics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr.
Jacobs was especially interested in combating tuberculosis and he took an active role in anti-TB campaigns; for many years
he served as secretary of the National Tuberculosis Association. Jacobs was not only a physician serving under Osler's guidance;
the two became friends through their shared interest in medical history and collecting of books, and they were close physical
neighbors on Franklin Street in Baltimore.
Scope and Content
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1. William Osler letters to Howard A. Kelly, 1897-1947. 10 folders
- Series 2. William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs, 1893-1949. 2 folders
Related Material
UCLA BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY HISTORY AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FOR THE SCIENCES Manuscript Colletion #181: "Sir William Osler Portrait
by Seymour Thomas, and other Osler-Related Papers". Documents about the original portrait and the acquisition and presentation
of the replica hung at UCLA, which was obtained through Dr. Elmer Belt's initiative and support. Includes one folder of Osleriana
assembled by Elmer Belt and letters to and from him and Willard Goodwin.
Processing Information
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processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
Collection processed by UCLA Biomedical Library staff.
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Subjects and Indexing Terms
Physicians -- |Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Jacobs, Henry Barton
Kelly, Howard A. (Howard Atwood)
Osler, William, Sir
Goodwin, Willard E. -- Archives
William Osler letters to Howard A. Kelly Series 1.
1897-1947
Physical Description: 10 folders
Scope and Contents note
Original letters; research materials and notes for Goodwin article; documents regarding publication of the article, and correspondence
commenting on it
box 1, folder 1
Letters from Dr. William Osler to Dr. Howard A. Kelly
1897-1917
Scope and Contents note
Twenty short letters or notes, mostly handwritten, a few typed, addressed to "Dear Kelly" or "Dear Howard A."
General note
the group of letters was a gift to Dr. Goodwin from his uncle, Dr. Elmer Belt
box 1, folder 2
"William Osler and Howard A. Kelly, 'Physicians, Medical Historians, Friends,' as revealed by nineteen letters from Osler
to Kelly", by Willard E. Goodwin. In: "Bulletin of the History of Medicine", 20(no. 5): 611-652, Dec. 1946
1946
Scope and Contents note
One whole journal issue, two reprints; list of people receiving reprints from Dr. Goodwin
box 1, folder 3
Draft of article text
undated
Scope and Contents note
Original copy with author's corrections; carbon copy with some corrections and annotations by W. W. Francis
box 1, folder 4
Dr. Goodwin's working notes
undated
Scope and Contents note
Photocopies of original letters with typed transcriptions of hand-written ones; Dr. Goodwin's notes and annotations
box 1, folder 5
Letters to Goodwin re. his Osler-Kelly article
1946-1965
Scope and Contents note
Comments and appreciations for the article, all including some Osler/Kelly anecdotes or reminiscences; also a note from Seymour
Thomas commenting on his painting of the Osler portrait
box 1, folder 6
Additional letters re. the Osler-Kelly article
1947
Scope and Contents note
Notes of appreciation for reprints of the article, or requests for a copy
box 1, folder 7
Correspondence re. publication of the Osler-Kelly article
1946-1947
Scope and Contents note
Letters from Elmer Belt, W. W. Francis, and the publisher
box 1, folder 8
William Osler's "chloroform" speech
1946-1965
Scope and Contents note
Letters and reprints concerning remarks made by Osler in his farewell address at Johns Hopkins University
box 1, folder 8
William Osler's "chloroform" speech
1946-1965
Scope and Contents note
Letters and reprints concerning remarks made by Osler in his farewell address at Johns Hopkins University
box 1, folder 9
Reprints of articles on Osler
1925-1949
Scope and Contents note
Includes many reprints from the Osler centenary issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine", v. 84, July 1949
box 1, folder 10
Photographs of Osler
undated
Scope and Contents note
Snapshots at various ages in various locations; photograph of a cartoon referring to the "chloroform" speech
William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs Series 2.
1893-1949
Physical Description: 2 folders
Scope and Contents note
Transcriptions and excerpts from the letters; notes by Dr. Goodwin; introduction to a speech by Dr. Goodwin based on the content
of the letters
box 1, folder 11
William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs
1893-1910
General Physical Description note: folder 1 or 2
Scope and Contents note
Typed transcriptions of ca. forty letters from Osler to Jacobs, addressed to "Dear Jacobs". Notes by Goodwin on content and
context of many of the letters
General note
there are two partial sets of notes and transcriptions, typed on different paper and typewriters
box 1, folder 12
William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs
1911-1919
General Physical Description note: folder 2 of 2
Scope and Contents note
Ca. forty more letters with Goodwin notes