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Newell (Robert Reid) collection
MS112
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Contributing Institution:
Medical History Center
Title: Robert Reid Newell collection
source:
Newell, Paul A. (Paul Allen)
Identifier/Call Number: MS112
Physical Description:
1.4 Linear Feet
1 flip-top archives box and 1 flat box
.
5W x 15 1/2L x 10 1/4"H (flip-top box), 11 3/4W x 15 3/4L x 3"H (flat box)
Date (inclusive): circa 1922-1993, bulk 1950-1960
Abstract: The collection consists of photographs, retirement appreciation letters, and photocopies of typescript transcriptions of oral
history interviews. Photographic materials make up the bulk of the collection.
Language of Material:
English
.
The collection of Dr. Robert Reid Newell, MD includes a variety of photographic prints, appreciation letters sent to Dr. Newell
upon his retirement from the Naval Radiological Defence Laboratory with an accompanying guest book of signatures, and transcripts
of oral history interviews with Dr. Robert Newell's son, Dr. Allen Newell, conducted by Fred Glover and the Stanford Oral
History Project in the 1980s. The collection also includes an album of photos taken during Dr. Newell's work as a consulting
radiologist for the 1951 Medical Education Team for Japan.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Robert Reid Newell collection was donated to the Stanford Medical History Center by Paul Allen Newell, the grandson of
Robert Reid Newell.
Dr. Robert Reid Newell, MD (1892-1965) was born in Stockton, California. He received his medical degree from the University
of California in 1916. From 1920 to 1957, he held the positions of instructor, assistant professor, professor of radiology,
and professor of biophysics at Stanford University School of Medicine and was head of the radiology department from 1937 to
1947.
As a physicist and physician specializing in radiobiology who researched radiation therapy and the protracted effects of radiation
exposure, Dr. Newell entered the nuclear medicine and radiology field as it was emerging during the early 20th century. Throughout
his professional career, he authored over 90 scientific papers. Dr. Newell resigned as head of the radiology department at
Stanford in 1947 when the first clinical isotope laboratory was developed and was appointed to the then newly created chair
of biophysics.
In 1957, Dr. Newell retired from Stanford and went on to work as a consulting scientist for the U.S. Naval Radiological Defence
Laboratory (NRDL) at Hunter's Point in San Francisco, CA, where naval ships used in Operation Crossroads underwent decontamination.
Dr. Newell was among those who witnessed Operation Crossroads and the nuclear weapons testing conducted at Bikini Atoll in
1946 as part of a radiation safety team tasked with measuring radiation exposure.
Dr. Newell had roles in numerous societies and organizations. He was a Fellow of the American College of Radiology (ACR) and
was ACR president in 1939. Dr. Newell was also a member of the Radiological Society of North America, the American Roentgen
Ray Society, the Optical Society, the Association of Physics Teachers, the Academy of Medicine, the Public Health League,
the American Association for the United Nations, and the Planned Parenthood Association. He was also the director of the Medical
Friends of Wine. In 1957, Dr. Newell was awarded the American College of Radiology gold medal.
Photographs: Among the photographic prints in this series are a photo of Dr. Newell at the Society of Medical Friends of Wine
Dinner at the Bohemian Club on January 27, 1954; a photographic print of Dr. Robert Newell with the panel on "Biological Aspects
of Nuclear Propulsion" at the 1961 Spring Meeting at San Francisco of Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers; 5
"official U.S. Navy photographs" of Dr. Newell at the U.S. Naval Radiological Defence Laboratory in San Francisco, California;
a photograph of Dr. Robert Newell receiving a gold medal award at the 1957 Annual Meeting of the American College of Radiology;
3 photos of Dr. Newell as a baby and at the age of 2 and a photograph of Dr. Robert Newell taken sometime around 1922; 5 portrait
photographs of Dr. Robert Newell, a photo of a commissioned portrait painting of Dr. Robert Newell by artist Mark Wickham;
and 7 photographs of Dr. Robert Newell engaged in leisurely activities and with family.
Hand Written Note by Dr. Newell to His Wife, Jeannette née LeValley: This series includes a short note by Dr. Newell dated
October 30, 1962, that says: "To my patient wife to help her put up with me – for a long time, I hope."
Fred Glover and the Stanford Oral History Project on Dr. Robert Newell: This series includes typescript and handwritten correspondence;
photocopy transcriptions of an oral history interview with Dr. Allen Newell (Son of Dr. Robert Newell) and Noel Marie Newell
on Dr. Robert Newell; Stanford Oral History Project release forms; photocopies of photographs of Dr. Robert Newell, some of
which can be found as photographic prints in the photographs series; a photocopy of a book chapter on Dr. Robert Newell from
Gunther Nagel's book "A Stanford Heritage" with marginalia; materials used to create the Robert Reid Newell Memorial Award
which includes photocopies of Dr. Robert Newell's "Letters to the Editor" published in the San Francisco Chronicle between
1953 and 1964, photocopies of handwritten anecdotes about Dr. Newell, a photocopy of a list of aphorisms pertaining to radiology
written by Dr. Robert Newell; photocopies of the journal articles "The Psychology of Radiation Injury" and "Teaching Physics
to Medical Students" by Dr. Robert Newell; and a photocopy of a Robert Reid Newell Memorial Award presented to Dr. J. Robert
Stewart.
Naval Radiological Defence Laboratory Retirement Letters of Appreciation to Dr. Robert Newell: This series includes an album
of letters of appreciation sent to Dr. Robert Newell upon his retirement from the Naval Radiological Defence Laboratory (NRDL)
in 1964. Among the appreciation letters are documents sent to Dr. Newell from former California Governor Edmund Gerald Brown,
former U.S. House of Representative Chet Holifield, senior staff at NRDL, and various Naval and government agency officials.
Interspersed among the appreciation letters are photos of Dr. Robert Newell giving lectures at NRDL, a photo of Dr. Newell
at his desk, photos of Dr. Newell in staff meetings, a photograph of Dr. Newell at his farewell party, and a photograph of
Dr. Newell receiving a Secretary of the Navy Award for Distinguished Achievement in Science. The album also contains around
400 guestbook signatures.
1951 Medical Education Team for Japan Photo Album: This series contains a photo album of the 1951 Unitarian Service Committee
(USC) Medical Education Team mission to Japan. Co-organized by the Public Health and Welfare Section (PHW) of the Supreme
Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) and the Unitarian Service Committee, this team of physicians from the US was the second
mission to Japan after an initial visit in 1950. The 1951 Medical Education Team for Japan comprised four groups of three
physicians who traveled to Japan between May 14th and July 1st, 1951, aiming to enhance the Japanese medical school system
with the latest developments in American medical pedagogy and clinical practice. After World War II, medical schools in Japan
became part of the Japanese university system. The Public Health and Welfare Section Committee in Japan believed that the
Japanese public health and medical system in Japan required reform and thus assembled a team to provide support to medical
education in Japan.
Dr. Newell was one of the twelve physicians on the mission representing Stanford University School of Medicine as professor
of biophysics and as a specialist in the field of radiobiology.
The team visited twelve Japanese university medical schools, among which were Keio University, Tokyo University, Jikei University,
Chiba University, Tohoku University, Niigata University, Kanazawa University, Hokkaido University, Kyoto University, Osaka
University, Kobe University, and Kyushu University. Dr. Newell was part of multiple conferences where he gave lectures on
various cancers, tuberculosis, clinical radiology, and pulmonary shadows. Dr. Newell also visited X-ray departments to assess
equipment and provide counsel on the latest developments in radiology and cancer treatment. The team interacted with an estimated
7,000 teachers and students.
The album contains photos of only some Japanese universities the team visited. Among the locations photographed in the album
are Tokyo, Kobe, Niigata, Sado Island, and Mikimoto Pearl Island.
The bulk of the photos in the album are of the three-person team that consisted of Dr. Newell, Dr. Malcolm H. Soule, and Dr.
Charles S. Davidson and their trip to Niigata University Medical School. Among the Niigata photographs are a photo of Dr.
Newell with an X-ray of gangrene of the lung; a photo of Dr. Katsura (given name unidentified) at Niigata University giving
a lecture on the chemical compound Hinokitol; a photo of the dean presiding over a conference on medical education; Dr. Nozaki's
(given name unidentified) radiographic room and darkroom with an assistant developing film; a photo of a patient receiving
what appears to be radiotherapy treatment (the back of this photo includes text describing the thickness of the concrete walls
in the room); and a photograph of the X-ray department library. There are four photos of a trip to Sado Island. Twenty-one
of the Niigata photographs were taken by Katsuichi Matsuda, M.D., Professor of Pharmacology at Niigata University; Dr. Matsuda's
meishi (名刺) (Eng: business card) is mounted among his prints in the album. Among Dr. Matsuda's prints are photos of an event
with the mayor of Shibata city and a trip to the garden of Shimizu-en. Also among the Niigata prints is a group photo of Dr.
Newell, Dr. Charles S. Davidson, and Dr. Malcolm H. Soule posed in front of the Niigata Medical School building with thirty
of the medical school faculty.
Some of the photos indicate that they were taken by Dr. Paul Beeson, among which are photos of gatherings in Kobe. Also among
the Kobe photos are images of Dr. Narabayashi's (given name not indicated) radiology department and equipment.
There are multiple photos at Jikei University Medical School in Tokyo with Dr. Newell and Jikei Professor of Radiology Dr.
Sukehiro Higuchi. Other noteworthy Jikei University photographic prints include photos of a party at the School of Medicine,
a group photo of members of the Nippon Radiological Society, a photo of the Meeting of the Japanese Committee on X-ray injuries
with Dr. Newell seated next to his interpreter Dr. Nakahara (given name unidentified), and a photo of Dr. Newell with three
female radiologists from Tokyo Women's Medical College: listed on the back of the photo as Dr Takahashi, Dr. Shimazu, and
Dr. Fukai (given names unidentified).
Among the Tokyo prints are three photos of Dr. Newell's interpreter Dr. Katou (unidentified given name) at his residence in
Tokyo standing in his garden. Dr. Katou was a radiologist at Keio University Medical School in Tokyo.
Nine of the photos in the album were taken at Mikimoto Pearl Island with snapshots of Koichi Mikimoto's residence "Shinju-kaku."
Also in the album is a group photo of 23 Japanese physicians with Dr. Newell. The back side of the print indicates that the
photo was taken at the "Fuji Co. plant." On the back of the photo are what appear to be the English signatures of some of
the Japanese physicians in the picture.
There are also four prints of photographs of the US Counter Intelligence Corps (CIS) billet in Niigata.
Medical Education Team members shown in the photos include Executive Officer Dorothy Snavely, Chairman Dr. Paul Beeson, Dr.
Malcolm H. Soule, Dr. Phillip B. Price, Dr. Daniel C. Darrow, Dr. Charles G. Johnston, Dr. Charles S. Davidson, Dr. Lauren
V. Ackerman, Dr. Perry P. Volpitto, Dr. Salvatore P, Lucia, and Dr. Philip Handler.
Remarkably, the majority of the prints contain detailed information about persons, places, and functions captured in the photos.
The majority of people in the photos are described by last name only, e.g. Dr. Katou, Dr. Davidson, etc.
Processed by Riain Ross-Hager, September 2023.
Property rights are held by the Stanford Medical History Center. Legal publication or use of collection materials outside
the scope of the public domain and fair use is the sole responsibility of the researcher.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Stanford University. School of Medicine
Stanford University. Biophysics Program
Stanford University. Biophysics Laboratory
Radiologists--United States
Nuclear medicine
Biophysicists
Japan--History--Allied occupation, 1945-1952
Medical education--Japan
Newell, Paul A. (Paul Allen)
American College of Radiology
Society of Medical Friends of Wine
U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory (1946-1969)
Medical Education Team for Japan (1951)
Unitarian Service Committee
Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Public Health and Welfare Division
Newell, Allen.
United States. Army. Counter Intelligence Corps