Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Richard O. Myers papers
- Dates:
- 1927-1980
- Creators:
- Myers, Richard
- Abstract:
- This collection contains professional and a few personal papers of Dr. Richard O. Myers, a forensic pathologist whose career included seven years as autopsy surgeon for the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, many years teaching forensic medicine at the University of Southern California, the University of California, Los Angeles, and at several local hospital residency programs, as well as a thriving practice as a hospital and consultant pathologist. A large part of the papers consists of notes and lectures on forensic pathology and a collection of important journal articles and clippings covering a broad spectrum of medico-legal topics. Another collection portion consists of glass lantern slide portraits of a wide array of noted scientists and physicians from ancient to 20th century times. Dr. Myers also compiled an extensive library of books on forensic and legal medicine, with special emphasis on toxicology, and ca. 150 of these volumes were added to the UCLA Biomedical Library collection. A few case studies included in this collection, plus related materials listed in the Related Materials Note, contain named patient records and are accessible only under restricted conditions.
- Extent:
- 6 Linear Feet (4 cartons)
- Language:
- Materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Richard O. Myers papers (Biomed 422). Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History and Special Collections for the Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection contains an autobiographical letter to the mystery writer Earl Stanley Gardner, and a few other personal letters. There are a number of handwritten notes and typed schedules and contents for lectures on general and specific topics in forensic medicine, as well as some complete texts for presentation. The subject files contain mainly reprints and pages from articles in medical and public health journals, plus magazines, drug company directives, and newspaper clippings. The topics cover a wide array of forensics and medical jurisprudence, plus some basic physiology and anatomy. The next part of the collection consists of circa 150 lantern slides of eminent scientists and physicians, almost all single portraits, plus a few group shots, cartoons, and objects; there is no guide to how Dr. Myers chose his subjects. The collection's final section on legal cases, which may be the most interesting is unfortunately also the smallest, but It does provide a few examples of the reports that Dr. Myers supplied to his clients.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Richard O. Myers, M.D., (1920-1995) was a pathologist with special enthusiasm for forensic pathology. He was so active and renowned in this specialty that a major author of mystery books, Earl Stanley Gardner, dedicated one of his books to him (The case of the spurious spinster, 1961). Dr. Myers felt very strongly that coroners and those performing postmortem procedures should be well trained specialists, that the forensic pathologist is "not an advocate but an unbiased scientific friend of the court", and that medical education needed not only to train more medical-legal experts, but also to teach all physicians their basic duties in relation to potential legal questions.
Dr. Myers received his M.D. from the University of Southern California in 1944, and held a rotating internship and residency in pathology at the Los Angeles County Hospital. He was Board certified in pathologic anatomy and forensic pathology. From 1946 to 1948 he served in the U.S. Army as Chief and Commanding Officer of laboratories in Puerto Rico. After his release he joined the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office for seven years as an autopsy surgeon, and also rejoined the USC Pathology Department faculty, advancing over the years from Assistant in Pathology to Associate Clinical Professor. In 1949 he helped to create a teaching program in forensic medicine at the USC Medical School, a program which he later headed; he also lectured at the University of California, Los Angeles and the College of Medical Evangelists. Dr. Myers served as Director of Laboratories and Pathologist in several hospitals in the Los Angeles area and instructed residents in forensic medicine.
In the mid 1950's, in parallel with his hospital and teaching duties, Dr. Myers started a practice in private consultation work and autopsies. At all times he continued his crusade for improving the status of forensic pathology and the education of its practitioners. He joined local, regional, and national societies of pathology and expended time and energy on committee assignments. He also fed his interest in the history of pathology and forensic medicine, and his special interest in toxicology, by amassing a large collection of books, articles, portraits and other illustrations on forensic medicine and true crime.
- Acquisition information:
- This collection was purchased as part of "Collection of forensic and legal medicine: including toxicology, trials, pathology and obstetrics" from B L Rootenberg Fine and Rare Books, 1992.
- Processing information:
-
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
Processed by Pat L. Walter, date unknown.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is organized into four series:
- Series 1: Personal and Academic Career Papers (7 folders)
- Series 2: Subject Files (200 folders)
- Series 3. Lantern Slides (188 slides)
- Series 4: Legal Case Reviews by Dr. Myers (7 folders)
- Physical location:
- Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2020-11-17 16:56:17 -0800 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Series 1-3 are open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Series 4 restricted pending review by campus counsel. Inquire at History and Special Collections for the Sciences, UCLA Library Special Collections, UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library (speccoll-medsci@library.ucla.edu, or 310-825-6940).
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Richard O. Myers papers (Biomed 422). Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History and Special Collections for the Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
- Location of this collection:
-
Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library12-077 Center for Health Sciences, Box 951798Los Angeles, CA 90095-1798, US
- Contact:
- (310) 825-6940