Stanford Physicians for Social Responsibility records, 1981-2005

Printable guide [HTML]

Summary

Title:
Stanford Physicians for Social Responsibility records
Dates:
1981-2005
Creators:
Physicians for Social Responsibility (U.S.). Mid-Peninsula & Stanford Chapter. and Physicians for Social Responsibility (U.S.). Mid-Peninsula & Stanford Chapter.
Abstract:
These records reflect the activities of the Stanford chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) from its inception in 1981. The bulk of the records focuses on the organization's efforts during the 1980s and early 1990s to advocate for nuclear test bans, the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons, and fostering positive relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Additionally, the organization actively addressed environmental toxic health concerns and campaigned for policies and practices to reduce environmental pollutants and their impact on public health.
Extent:
7.2 Linear Feet
Language:
English .

Background

Scope and content:

These records reflect the activities of the Stanford chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) from its inception in 1981. The bulk of the records focuses on the organization's efforts during the 1980s and early 1990s to advocate for nuclear test bans, the reduction and elimination of nuclear weapons, and fostering positive relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Additionally, the organization actively addressed environmental toxic health concerns and campaigned for policies and practices to reduce environmental pollutants and their impact on public health.

The majority of the materials consist of subject files that reflect the organizational activities of the Stanford chapter of PSR. Many of the documents pertain to events and symposia hosted and organized by Stanford PSR. The series titles reflect the main documentary categories of the records. There is particular emphasis on materials pertaining to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in files titled "Hiroshima Day." Many of the records also pertain to the Ronald Reagan Administration's anti-ballistic missile program, the "Strategic Defense Initiative" (SDI). Other noteworthy subject areas include:

Stanford PSR's coordination with the Esalen Institute's Soviet-American Exchange Program and Abel Aganbegyan's 1988 tour of the United States and his visit to Silicon Valley

Pre and post-screening discussion groups and 1-800 hotlines for the ABC broadcast film "The Day After" (1983) and the television miniseries "Amerika" (1987)

A tribute event to Ukrainian-American political activist Harold Willens

A program draft for "Choices for Women in the Nuclear Age," a symposium on national security

Promotional material for Apple Computer's Community Grants program

Resource files on the Gulf War in the Middle East between the United States and Iraq

Stanford PSR's involvement in a medical equipment reclamation program to the Soviet Union

A proposed nuclear waste site in Ward Valley, California

Stanford PSR activism pertaining to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Stanford PSR's coordination work for the national PSR meeting in 1989 held in Palo Alto, California

The collection includes promotional and outreach materials, event programs, informational materials on nuclear weapons and environmental health issues, letters and correspondence (particularly letters to US senators concerning legislation), correspondence between the national and chapter bodies of the PSR, national and chapter newsletters, meeting minutes, event planning records, press kits, newspaper clippings, articles, educational materials, committee reports, registration forms, member lists, handwritten notes, questionnaires and surveys, photos, VHS recordings of symposia and television productions, and cassette tapes of conference panel speakers.

There are financial records, including receipts and invoices, member fee records, event budget records, tax forms pertaining to the organization's non-profit status, and fundraising records. Also included are study guides and educational materials used for college courses, informational posters on the social and health effects of radiation after the nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and photos depicting events hosted and organized by the Stanford chapter, primarily photographs of individual speakers and group photos.

Biographical / historical:

The Stanford chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) was established in 1981 as a regional extension of the national organization, which was founded in 1961. The national body of PSR is a physician-led organization that advocates for policies aimed at preventing nuclear war, addressing climate change, and promoting public health and environmental sustainability. The Stanford chapter was composed of faculty and medical professionals affiliated with Stanford University. Radiologist Herbert Leroy Abrams, MD, professor emeritus of radiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, who co-founded the Nobel Prize-winning organization International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, was involved with Physicians for Social Responsibility and its Stanford chapter for much of his career.

Stanford PSR organized numerous events, including lectures, panel discussions, and symposiums, and hosted domestic and international speakers. The Stanford chapter facilitated collaborations with other local and national organizations on matters pertaining to public health issues, US-Soviet relations, and nuclear disarmament.

Acquisition information:
Donated to the Medical History Center by Patrice and Bob Sutton in 2023.
Processing information:

The collection was processed by Riain Ross-Hager in July 2024.

The original alphabetical order of the files in Series I was retained, and the original folder titles were transcribed from the originals. Files in Series II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII were separated from the aggregate of files in Series I and had no discernible order, with some folders containing no titles or folder labels. Based on the alphabetical order of the files in Series I, the processing archivist imposed an alphabetical order on the subsequent series in the collection and devised titles for folders missing titles. Devised titles created by the processing archivist appear in brackets. Brackets are also used to provide added clarification to original titles and to decipher or disambiguate acronyms and abbreviations.

Files titled with personal names were inconsistently ordered; some were sorted by last name and others by first name. To standardize the order according to NISO standards, files with personal name titles were arranged alphabetically by last name, consistent with the original alphabetical order system of the series.

Arrangement:

The records are arranged in eight series:

Resource Files (Original Order)

Resource Files (Devised Order)

Meetings and Events

Educational and Study Materials

Newsletters

Administrative Files

Media and Press Kits

Audiovisual Materials

Both the "Resource Files (Original Order)" series and the "Resource Files (Devised Order)" series reflect Stanford PSR's involvement in various educational, advocacy, and community outreach activities focused on raising awareness about the health impacts of nuclear weapons, environmental toxins, and promoting social change, with particular emphasis on the role of the physician and the health professional in influencing government policy. These series include documents such as correspondence, meeting minutes, meeting agendas, memos, reports, registration forms, mailing lists, volunteer records, event-planning correspondence, continuing medical education forms, committee records, press clippings, magazine articles, and event programs. The sub-series "Environment" revolves around materials specially focused on environmental issues, with a set of materials pertaining to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

The "Meetings and Events" series contains conference programs, conference planning documents, volunteer records, and talks pertaining to symposia and events organized and hosted by Stanford PSR. The sub-series "Physicians for Social Responsibility 1989 National Meeting" contains planning documents, evaluation forms, and outreach materials for the National PSR meeting in 1989 held in Palo Alto, California.

The "Educational and Study Materials" series contains order forms for copies of the television film production "The Edge of History," letters, correspondence, memos, notes, pamphlets, articles, study guides, handouts, and syllabi for university courses and training seminars on nuclear disarmament and arms control.

The "Newsletters" series is comprised of Stanford PSR chapter newsletters and other regional chapter newsletters.

The "Administrative Files" series contains financial records such as fax copies of university expenditures and transfers, billing statements, budget reports, fundraising records, tax reports, committee meeting minutes, memos, and letters, particularly a file pertaining to nuclear education legislation and John Bernard Vasconcellos, former California State Senator and Silicon Valley representative in the California State Assembly.

The "Media and Press Kits" series contains letters, memos, a photocopy of a scrapbook of Stanford PSR-related press coverage, and press kits and packets on nuclear disarmament.

The "Audiovisual Materials" series is subdivided into three sub-series:

VHS Tapes: This sub-series contains four VHS tape recordings of panel speakers from the Physicians for Social Responsibility symposium in 1983; one VHS tape recording labeled "Monterey Bay Chapter Physicians for Social Responsibility - Don King, M.D."; a VHS tape copy of the 1984 film production "The Edge of History" on the 1983 Stanford Symposium on the Prevention of Nuclear War; one VHS tape recording titled "Portraits of Peacemakers, Part II: The Women"; and one VHS tape recording labeled with the title heading "Network" and the corresponding titles: "Children of War," "Victory in Centimeters," "In the Nuclear Shadow," "What the Soviet Children Say," and "There's a Nuclear War Going on Inside Me."

Cassette Tapes: This sub-series is comprised of two plastic binders containing two 16-cassette tape sets of conference panel speakers. One of the sets is missing two cassette tapes.

Photos:

The "Audiovisual Materials" series has not been digitized.

Physical description:
6 full-size cartons, 2 archives boxes, and 1 half-size archives box; 12 3/4W x 15 3/4L x 10 1/2"H (full-size carton), 5W x 12 1/2L x 10 1/2"H (archives box), 2 1/2W x 12 3/4L x 10 1/2"H (half-size archives box) Foamcore posters: 20 color prints (28 1/2W x 40 1/2"H); 10 black and white prints (22 W x 33 3/4"H)
Material specific details:
Content warning: Materials in box 1, folder 8 may contain language, images, or content that are offensive or harmful. The Stanford Medical History Center collects and makes these materials available to facilitate scholarly research and education, and does not endorse the viewpoints within.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Riain Ross-Hager
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-07-10 19:29:08 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

A number of files are restricted due to personally identifiable information (PII). Files with restricted PII material are indicated in the scope and content notes for that folder.

Terms of access:

Property rights are held by the Stanford Medical History Center. Publication or use of collection materials outside the scope of the public domain and fair use is the sole responsibility of the researcher.

Location of this collection:
Lane Medical Library & Knowledge Management Center
300 Pasteur Drive, Room L109
Stanford, CA 94305-5123, US
Contact:
(650) 725-8045
Website
Email