Collection Guide
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Southern California Society for the History of Medicine Records
mssSCSHM
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Southern California Society for the History of Medicine records
Identifier/Call Number: mssSCSHM
Physical Description:
1.25 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1977-2020
Abstract: This collection contains the records of the Southern California Society for the History of Medicine and its two predecessor
organizations, the Friends of the LACMA Library (founded in 1978) and the George Dock Society for the History of Medicine
(1997-2019). Also included are some files from the Los Angeles Medical Library, an unaffiliated organization that shared several
of the same officers.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more
information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Southern California Society for the History of Medicine records, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Southern California Society for the History of Medicine, June 2021.
The Society was founded in 1978 as the Friends of the LACMA Library. Its primary purpose was "to promote, support and assist
in the development of the library of the Los Angeles County Medical Association". The Friends held various fundraising campaigns
and events – including a collaboration with the Barlow Society for the History of Medicine to present two annual lectures:
the George Dock Lecture held in the spring, and the Walter Jarvis Barlow lecture held in the autumn.
In October 1988, the Los Angeles County Medical Association made the decision to close its library facility and disperse the
collections, prompting the Friends to explore options to save the library collections. Some of the members and officers joined
with other Los Angeles physicians to form a non-profit corporation, The Los Angeles Medical Library, "for the purpose of finding
a way to save the fine medical library of The Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA)". After considering proposals
from different organizations, the LACMA reached an agreement with the Huntington Library to house the LACMA Library's rare
books and history of medicine collections. Those materials were transferred to the Huntington in November 1992. After this
move, the focus of the Friends shifted to supporting the LACMA collections at the Huntington, as well as promoting interest
in the history of medicine. In 1997, the Friends of the LACMA Library amended the Bylaws to reflect this change in focus and
changed its name to The George Dock Society for the History of Medicine. In 2019, the Society changed its name to the Southern
California Society for the History of Medicine and updated the Bylaws to reflect current operational practices.
This collection contains the records of the Southern California Society for the History of Medicine and its two predecessor
organizations, the Friends of the LACMA Library and the George Dock Society for the History of Medicine. Also included are
some files from the Los Angeles Medical Library, an unaffiliated organization that shared several of the same officers.
Processed by Lisa Mix for the Southern California Society for the History of Medicine in 2021. Upon transfer to the Huntington,
Maggie Hughes and Kelly Kress updated the finding aid in September 2021.
In November 2022, 0.42 linear feet (1 box) of financial material was deaccessioned and returned to SCSHM at the request of
the donor. The remaining boxes in the collection were renumbered after its removal.
Organized in the following series:
1. Administrative (contains 4 sub-series: 1. The Friends of the LACMA Library, 2. Transition to The George Dock Society for
the History of Medicine, 3. The George Dock Society for the History of Medicine, 4. The Southern California Society for the
History of Medicine)
2. Events
3. The Los Angeles Medical Library
Arrangement within series is mostly chronological, following the original order of the materials when known.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Medicine -- California -- Societies, etc.
Medicine -- History
Barlow Society for the History of Medicine
Friends of the LACMA Library
George Dock Society for the History of Medicine
Los Angeles County Medical Association
Los Angeles County Medical Association. Library
Los Angeles Medical Library
Brust, James S.
Bullock, Lewis T., 1906-1983
Crahan, Elizabeth S.
Harnagel, Edward E., 1917-2002
Hart, Rinard Z.
Kanter, Stephen
Lo, Melissa
Mauer, Edgar F. (Edgar Frank), 1908-
Murphy, Franklin D., 1916-1994
Nation, Earl F., 1910-2008
Pulec, Jack L. (Jack Lee), 1932-
Wheat, Frank, 1921-