The bulk of the collection pertains to Dr. Bonica's professional activities in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Early materials in the collection include notes from medical school, circa 1938-1940, and correspondence continues until immediately prior to Bonica's death. Additional post-mortem correspondence by his secretary follows. The collection contains manuscript notes, data, and correspondence; slides from presentations; original publication illustrations; audio and video tape reels; scrapbook items;and some personal and conference photographs. Major subjects covered in the collection include pain and its management, pain clinics, clinical and academic anesthesiology, and obstetric analgesia and anesthesia. Bonica's experience with the foundation of the International Association for the Study of Pain and the American Pain Society, close involvement with the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists, directorship of the University of Washington's Department of Anesthesiology and Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic, and work as Chief of Anesthesia at Tacoma General Hospital are also reflected in the collection. Frequent correspondents include Thomas Hornbein, John S. McDonald, Patrick D. Wall, and John D. Loeser.

John J. Bonica (1917-1994), called "pain relief's founding father" by Time magazine (11 June 1984), was an academic and clinical anesthesiologist, educator, and founder of the International Association for the Study of Pain.

137 Linear Feet (137 cubic-foot cartons, ten oversize flat boxes, six 3"x5"x12" boxes, one 4"x6"x12" box, seven letter-size document boxes, and one legal-size document box.)

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