Finding aid of the Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office Records
Trista Raezer
Santa Clara County Archives
1875 Senter Road
San Jose, CA 95112-2527
Phone: (408) 755-7895
Fax: (408) 755-7897
URL: http://archives.sccgov.org
Email: Archives@ceo.sccgov.org
© 2009
Santa Clara County. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Medical Examiner-Coroner's office records
Collection number: 2008-013
Santa Clara County Archives
San Jose, California
- Processed by:
- Trista Raezer
- Date Completed:
- 2009
- Encoded by:
- Trista Raezer
© 2009 Santa Clara County. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Medical Examiner-Coroner's office records
Inclusive Dates: 1891-1963
Collection number: 2008-013
Creator:
Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office
Collection Size:
15 cubic feet
Repository:
Santa Clara County Archives.
Abstract: The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office Records consist of coroner inquests and testimonies, coroner's official
registers, records of coroner investigations, hospital death records, and lantern slides of human cells and tissue samples
taken from the deceased. These records range from 1891 to 1963.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Archives staff.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
The Archives can claim physical ownership only for some collections. Users are responsible for securing permission of the
copyright holder for publication or quotation.
Preferred Citation
Medical Examiner-Coroner's office records, 2008-013, Santa Clara County Archives.
Acquisition Information
These records were transferred by the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office in 2008.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Trista Raezer working under NHPRC grant NAR07-10047-07, the Santa Clara County Archives Project.
For more information about the project, please see the Archives website.
Administrative History
"The elective office of coroner was established in 1850. In 1876, the coroner was made the exofficio public administrator.
The coroner's duties include holding inquests over deaths of unknown cause. Under county charter, the coroner was appointed
by the county executive. In 1963, the coroner was separated from the pubic administrator, and each coroner thereafter was
required to have a medical degree."
Reference:
Laffee, Glory Anne and Detlefs, Robert G. "County Leadership: Santa Clara County Government History." The County of Santa
Clara Historical Heritage Commission: San Jose, 1995. Page 140.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office Records consist of coroner inquests and testimonies, coroner's official
registers, records of coroner investigations, hospital death records, and lantern slides of cells and tissue samples taken
from the deceased.
The inquest records range from 1948 to 1958. These records contain testimony and evidence for investigation of suspicious
deaths or suicides.
The coroner's official registers and records of coroner investigations document investigations into cause of death. These
records contain the name of the deceased, birth and death date, place of birth, names of parents, occupation, place of death,
and cause of death. The hospital death records record the names of those who died in hospital with no extra information about
the deceased.
The lantern slides were most likely used for teaching purposes, and contain photographs of cells and tissue samples relating
to pathology. Some of these samples came from deceased Santa Clara County residents, while others were manufactured slides
for lectures and teaching purposes. These slides range from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Arrangement
These records are arranged into three series: Coroner's Inquests and Testimony, Coroner's Record Books, and Lantern Slides.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Coroners and medical examiners
Death records
Deaths
Inquests, Coroner's
Lantern slides--1920-1940
Pathology--Slides (Photography)
Santa Clara County (Calif.)
Box: 1
Series: I
Coroner's Inquests and Testimony,
1943-1963
Physical Description: 1 box
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of inquests and testimonies regarding causes of death. These records are arranged in chronological order.
Box/folder: 1/1
Coroner's Inquest Tony Stojanovich,
1931
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/2
Inquests,
1943
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/3
Coroner's Inquest of Keenan and Lomelli,
1954
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/4
Coroner's Inquests,
1956
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/5
Coroner's Inquest of Keenan and Vaught,
1956
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/6
Coroner's Inquest of Keenan, Vaught, Vollmer, and Wright,
1956
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/7
Coroner's Inquest of Vollmer and Wright,
1956
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/8
Coroner's Inquest of Pederson,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/9
Coroner Coroner's Inquests of Okamoto and Pederson,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/10
Coroner's Inquest of White and Morris,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/11
Coroner's Inquest of Jerrel W. Morris,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/12
Coroner's Inquest of Arthur S. White,
1957
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/13-1/14
Coroner's Inquest of Wanda Rhea and Kenneth Hilty,
1957
Physical Description: 2 folders
Box/folder: 1/15-1/16
Coroner's Inquest of Harold T. Duke,
December 28, 1957
Physical Description: 2 folders
Box/folder: 1/17
Coroner's Inquest of Jaegeling and Amaro,
1958
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/18
Coroner's Inquest of Samuel Amaro,
1958
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/19-1/20
Coroner's Inquest of Pamela Taylor,
May 29, 1958
Physical Description: 2 folders
Box/folder: 1/21
Inquests,
1960
Physical Description: 1 folder
Box/folder: 1/22-1/23
Investigator's Written Reports,
1963
Physical Description: 2 folders
Series II
Coroner's Record Books,
1891-1946
Physical Description: 9 boxes
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of fourteen volumes of the Coroner's Official Registers which range from 1891 to 1945, fourteen volumes
of the Report of Coroner's Investigations ranging from 1932 to 1946, and two volumes of Hospital Death Records, ranging from
1925 to 1939. These volumes and records are arranged chronologically.
Box: 1-4
Coroner's Official Registers,
1891-1946
Physical Description: 14 volumes
Box: 5-8
Record of Coroner's Investigation,
1932-1946
Physical Description: 14 volumes
Box: 8
Hospital Death Records,
1925-1940
Physical Description: 2 volumes
Box: 8
Coroner's Inquests, Index,
1851-1958
Physical Description: 1 volume
Series III
Lantern Slides,
circa 1930s-1950s
Physical Description: 11 boxes
Series Scope and Content
This series consists of lantern slides, photographs and negatives. The bulk of the materials are lantern slides. These slides
where most likely used for educational purposes and show images of cells and tissue samples. Some images are of cells and
tissue samples taken from individuals who died in Santa Clara County, and are thus identified. These slides were most likely
created from the 1930s to the 1950s.
Boxes: 1-8
Labeled Lantern Slides,
circa 1930s-1950s
Physical Description: 8 boxes
Boxes: 9-10
Unlabeled Lantern Slides,
circa 1930s-1950s
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Box: 11
Negatives and Photographs,
circa 1930s-1950s
Physical Description: 1 box
