Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Roberta F. Fenlon papers
- Dates:
- 1939-1986, bulk 1968-1972
- Creators:
- Fenlon, Roberta, 1911-1987
- Abstract:
- The Roberta Fenlon papers, 1939-1986, include records and correspondence relating to her professional activity in various medical and healthcare organizations, most notably her presidency of the California Medical Association (1970-1971), her presidency of the San Francisco Medical Society, and her tenure at University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine.
- Extent:
- 4 cartons, 2 oversize boxes 6 linear feet
- Language:
- Collection materials are in English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Roberta F. Fenlon Papers, BANC MSS 89/149 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Roberta F. Fenlon papers document her professional career as a prominent San Francisco physician and the first female president of the California Medical Association (CMA). The collection includes records and correspondence relating to her professional activity at the CMA, the San Francisco Medical Society (SFMS), UCSF and other medical and healthcare organizations. It also contains notes and transcripts of her speeches, especially during her tenure as CMA president. Some of Fenlon's writings and notes on various medical conditions are also included in the collection. Personal correspondence for 1965-1985, letters of congratulations, and news clippings and press releases of her achievements are also present. While the collection spans 1939 to 1985, the majority of the material is from the 1960s-1970s with much of it concentrated on the period of her CMA presidency.
The collection has been divided into three series: Series 1. Professional Activities including subseries for CMA, UCSF and all other organizations and subject files; Series 2. Writings and Addresses; and Series 3. Personalia. Though arranged into these series, original folder titles and arrangement of items inside each folder has been maintained.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Roberta F. Fenlon was born in Clinton, Iowa on June 13, 1911. A prominent local San Francisco physician, she was active in many state and national medical associations and organizations. In the 1940s Fenlon began her residency at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center (known after 1970 as UCSF School of Medicine), where she continued teaching as a professor of clinical medicine until the early 1980s, while serving on numerous faculty committees. Fenlon was the first woman elected as president of the San Francisco Medical Society (SFMS) in 1960. In 1970 she became the first woman elected president to the California Medical Association (CMA). During her time as president and after, Fenlon contributed to the CMA's response to state and federal legislation regarding the expansion of public services for health care and compensation for medical services. She died on August 31, 1987 in San Francisco.
- Acquisition information:
- The Roberta F. Fenlon Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Richard Carlson on January 30, 1989.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Christina Mune in 2010.
- Accruals:
-
No additions are expected.
- Physical location:
- Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- © 2010
- Date Encoded:
- Machine-readable finding aid generated by GenX; markup validated by The Bancroft Library using CDL validation tools; Date of source: February 2011
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Roberta F. Fenlon Papers, BANC MSS 89/149 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481