Finding Aid for the Orville Harry Brown Papers Biomed.0188
Finding aid prepared by Pat L. Walter, 2007.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2007.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
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Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Orville Harry Brown papers
Creator:
Brown, Orville Harry
Identifier/Call Number: Biomed.0188
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear Feet
(1 document box)
Date (inclusive): 1886-1940
Abstract: Orville Harry Brown was born in Kansas July 18, 1875 and died in So. California on July 25, 1943. In 1905 he received both
a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and an M.D. from St. Louis University. At various times Dr. Brown taught at the university
level, served as Physician-in-Chief and then Superintendent of the Missouri State Sanatorium for the Treatment of Pulmonary
Tuberculosis, and as Arizona State Superintendent of Public Health and Secretary of the State Board of Health. He was the
editor of "Southwestern Medicine" for many years, and authored two books. These papers deal exclusively with Dr. Brown's professional
life, consisting mainly of reprints and a few formal reports. They also contain many (crumbling) newspaper clippings on the
Spanish American War, President McKinley, and considerable material on the Committee of One Hundred for National Health (an
offshoot of the American Association for the Advancement of Science) and the Committee's supporting group, the American Health
League.
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Language of Material: Materials are in English.
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Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Orville Harry Brown Papers (Collection 188). Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History and Special
Collections for the Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
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Acquisition Information
Gift of the Los Angeles Country Medical Association (LACMA) to the UCLA Biomedical Library.
Biography
Orville Harry Brown was born in Sabetha, Kansas, on July 18, 1875 and died in Arcadia, California on July 25, 1943. He attended
Ottawa (KS) University, received an AB degree from the University of Kansas in 1901, and in 1905 a Ph.D. from the University
of Chicago and the M.D. degree from St. Louis University. He did graduate work at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods
Hole during two summers, and post-graduate studies in Vienna and London during 1906.
At various times Dr. Brown taught physiology, pharmacology, and medicine at the University of Kansas, the University of Chicago,
and St. Louis University. From 1907 to 1909 Dr. Brown served as Physician-in-Chief and then Superintendent of the Missouri
State Sanatorium for the Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Mount Vernon, MO. In 1918 he was State Superintendent of Public
Health in Arizona, and Secretary of its State Board of Health. For many years Dr. Brown was the editor of "Southwestern Medicine".
In addition to numerous articles he wrote two books, "Laboratory Physiology" (1905), and "Asthma" (1916).
Dr. Brown was a Fellow of the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Royal Society of Medicine,
London, and he held memberships in the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Association of Biological Chemists.
He was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He was married, and had one daughter.
Scope and Content
The papers deal exclusively with Dr. Brown's professional life, but cover that in only very partial fashion. There are reprints
of articles and a very few of the administrative reports he submitted to Missouri and Arizona institutions. There is nothing
about his academic life nor, apart from published case reports, about his activities as a clinical physician. There is no
correspondence or other documentation of his interactions with colleagues.
The mass of newspaper clippings reveal Dr. Brown's interest in the Spanish American War, especially focused on the policies
of President McKinley. There is also considerable material dealing with the Committee of One Hundred for National Health,
an offshoot of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Committee's supporting group, the American
Health League. It is not clear what relationship Dr. Brown held with these groups, but he was possibly a member of the American
Health League and was interested in its goals.
The collection is organized into the following series:
- Series 1. Writings by OHB, 1904-1940. 3 folders
- Series 2. Miscellaneous Materials, 1886-1908. 16 folders
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Physicians -- United States -- Archival resources.
American Health League
Brown, Orville Harry
American Association for the Advancement of Science. Committee of One Hundred on National Health
Writings by OHB Series 1.
1904-1940
Physical Description: 3 folders
Scope and Contents note
journal reprints and cut pages, reports, pamphlets
box 1, folder 1
Journal reprints and cut pages.
1904-1907
Scope and Contents note
18 items from "American Journal of Physiology", "Journal of the American Medical Association", and other physiological and
clinical titles
box 1, folder 2
Journal reprints and cut pages.
1908-1940
Scope and Contents note
47 items from various clinical titles, especially, in the later years, from "Southwestern Medicine"
box 1, folder 3
Pamphlets.
1909-1918
Scope and Contents note
1) "Missouri State Sanatorium: Some information for persons desiring admission to the Missouri State Sanatorium for the treatment
of pulmonary tuberculosis, by Dr. O.H. Brown, Physician-in-Chief. Mount Vernon, Missouri"; 2) "The Missouri State Sanatorium
(first biennial report). Mount Vernon, MO, Jan. 1909"; 3) Bulletin of the Arizona State Board of Health", 6(8), Oct. 1918;
4) "Some facts about the climate of Phoenix and the Salt River Valley of Arizona; a collection of papers ... read before the
Maricopa County Medical Society...."
Miscellaneous Materials Series 2.
1886-1908
Physical Description: 16 folders
Scope and Contents note
This series contains materials by and about the Committee of One Hundred on National Health and the American Health League,
newspaper clippings from the 1880s and 1890, and various other clippings and reprints.
box 1, folder 4
Journal reprint.
1906
Scope and Contents note
"The economic advisability of inaugurating a national organization of health," by J. Pease Norton, "Journal of the American
Medical Association", Sep. 29, 1906; read before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Ithaca, N.Y., June
30, 1906
box 1, folder 5
Publications of the Committee of One Hundred on National Health, organized under the auspices of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science and The American Health League
1907-1908
Scope and Contents note
publication nos. 10-16, 18-20, and five other pamphlets
General note
for publication no. 16, see [Box 1 : 6]
box 1, folder 6
"To the grewsome [sic] record of convictions set forth in this pamphlet your attention is respectfully invited".
General note
published by the Public Health Defense League, N.Y.
box 1, folder 7
Pages and articles from "The Literary Digest".
1891-1900
Scope and Contents note
subjects covered: human physiology, exercise, sleep; science and invention; eminent men; miscellany
box 1, folder 8
Articles about Charles Dickens.
Scope and Contents note
1) "The homes and haunts of Dickens," by Anna Leach, in "Munsey's Magazine", pp. 240-250, no date or volume no.; 2) two pages
(13-14) of "In the footsteps of Dickens," no identification
box 1, folder 9
Pages from medical journals.
1891-1897
Scope and Contents note
1) "Proceedings of Societies" in "New York Medical Journal", Sep. 26, 1891: 353-354; 2) "Six-day bicycle races" in "The Medical
News", Dec. 18, 1897: 801-802
box 1, folder 10
Pages from Harper's Weekly.
1886-1898
box 1, folder 11
Two unidentified columns.
Scope and Contents note
1) "The dog in India," reprinted from "Revue Scientifique", Paris, June 11, 1892; 2) "Is it a crime to be rich?" (no identification)
box 1, folder 12
"The cost of war," by George B. Waldron.
Scope and Contents note
p. 169-171, no other identification
box 1, folder 13
Newspaper clippings.
1880s
Scope and Contents note
from: "New York Herald" and its "Sunday Supplement", "Brooklyn Sunday Press", and "New York World"
box 1, folder 14
Newspaper clippings.
1890s
Scope and Contents note
from: "The Morning Press", Santa Barbara, Calif.; "New York Herald" and its "Sunday Supplement"; "Harper's Weekly"; "The Daily
Telegraph", [London]; "The Argonaut", San Francisco
box 1, folder 15
Newspaper clippings.
1900s
Scope and Contents note
from Pueblo [Colorado?]
box 1, folder 16
Miscellaneous newspaper clippings.
box 1, folder 17
"Some old visiting-cards".
Scope and Contents note
from: "The Strand Magazine", p. 401-406 (no date or volume)
box 1, folder 18
Poem, "Morituri salutamus," by Henry W. Longfellow.
Scope and Contents note
from: "Harper's Magazine", p. 442-[446], no date or volume
General note
poem for the fiftieth anniversary of the Class of 1825 of Bowdoin College
box 1, folder 19
Poem, "Grey kitty's fortune," by L. W. K.
Scope and Contents note
no other identification; handwritten copy