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Reeves (John T.) Papers
MSS 0695
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Table of contents
Languages:
English
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: John T. Reeves Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0695
Physical Description:
6.8 Linear feet
(17 archives boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1949-2004
Abstract: The papers of John T. Reeves, M.D., professor emeritus of medicine, pediatrics and surgery in the School of Medicine at Colorado
University. The papers document his medical and scientific contribution to high altitude, neonatal, and molecular and cellular
pulmonary circulation research from 1969-2004.
John "Jack" T. Reeves was born on November 17, 1928 in Hazard, Kentucky. Reeves attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
graduating with a B.S. in biology in 1950. He continued with his education at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,
receiving his M.D. in 1954. He spent some time as a resident at Cincinnati General Hospital before relocating to the University
of Colorado Medical Center from 1957-1961. During his residency at the Center, he developed a working relationship with Robert
Grover, a physician and high altitude physiologist at the cardiac catheterization laboratory. He spent eleven years at the
University of Kentucky (1961-1972), including one year with Geoffrey Dawes, prominent respiratory physiologist at Oxford's
Nuffield Institute for Medical Research. By 1970, he was named professor of medicine. During his years at Kentucky, he studied
fetal lung circulation in animals, specifically newborn cattle. In 1972, Reeves moved to Denver at the University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center where he remained for almost thirty-two years as professor of medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine
with involvements in surgery/emergency medicine. He was granted emeritus status in 1994, upon retirement from both the pediatrics
and medicine departments and received teaching awards for his second year medical school pathophysiology courses, 1982-1994.
Considered by many of his colleagues to be an interdisciplinary scientist, Reeves' research not only involved high altitude
studies, but neonatal medicine, anesthesiology, and biology. Some of his first high altitude studies, he conducted with Peter
Hackett, answered questions about ventilatory acclimatization using mountaineers in Nepal. He later continued ventilation
testing in Pike's Peak, Colorado, in a series of high altitude tests from 1982-1985. From 1999-2001, he was also involved
in a study about altitude acclimatization in women, a subject that had not been explored fully in scientific analysis.
From 1985-1987, Reeves participated in the Operation Everest II research project in a simulated altitude chamber in Natick,
Massachusetts. He was responsible for performing cardiac catheterizations to better understand circulatory function at high
altitude. The accumulated data would result in numerous published articles and awards including the American Thoracic Society
Research Achievement Award in 1996.
His research from over thirty-five years resulted in approximately 400 peer reviewed journal articles and several chapters
in eleven published books. The topical distribution of his articles covers over fourteen disclipines, including pulmonary
hypertension, altitude illness, cardiac output, metabolism, and circulatory control. One of his notable efforts is the history
book
Attitudes on Altitude: Pioneers of Medical Research in Colorado's High Mountains (2001), a narrative compilation of pioneers of high altitude medicine, edited with Robert Grover. He also wrote a non-scientific
book titled
Literary Gems: A Reading List of Great Short Books (1998).
Reeves was a member of the Cardiovascular Pulmonary Laboratory at the Colorado University School of Medicine, where he played
a signficant role in the establishment of the Colorado Center for Altitude Medicine and Physiology. He also served as the
research director of the former Colorado Altitude Research Institute in 1992, an association developed for public awareness
education of high altitude safety.
John Reeves died on September 15, 2004, in Denver, Colorado.
References:
Hopkins, Susan and Peter D. Wagner. "New Directions in Exercise Physiology: John T. Reeves",
Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology, Volume 151, Issues 2-3, April 28, 2006.
Scope and Content of Collection
The papers of John T. Reeves, professor emeritus of pediatrics and surgery and high altitude physiologist, document his scientific
and exploratory research in the areas of high-altitude adaptation and pulmonary circulation. The materials include correspondence,
high altitude medicine research and studies, professional associations, conferences, and biographical materials. The bulk
of the collection consists of published and unpublished writings including drafts, correspondence, and research information.
The files also contain a portion of administrative files from the Colorado Altitude Research Institute (CARI) in 1992.
Arranged in seven series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) WRITINGS BY JOHN REEVES, 3) RESEARCH PROJECTS AND GRANTS, 4) COLORADO ALTITUDE
RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CARI), 5) CONFERENCES, 6) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS, and 7) AUDIORECORDINGS.
SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE
The CORRESPONDENCE series, arranged chronologically, contains letters written to and from John Reeves to colleagues and friends.
Correspondents include Thomas Hornbein, Robert Grover, and Robert Schoene. The dates range from 1949-2004.
SERIES 2: WRITINGS BY JOHN REEVES
The WRITINGS BY JOHN REEVES series contains both published articles and book chapters written individually by Reeves and with
collaborators. The series is arranged in two subseries: A) Books and B) Articles.
A) The Books subseries consists of correspondence between author and publisher and between collaborators; typescript drafts;
and research materials. The files include the publication materials for the history of altitude research book,
Attitudes on Altitude: Pioneers of Medical Research in Colorado's High Mountains (2001) - edited by John Reeves and Robert Grover. The folders are arranged chronologically by publication date.
B) The Articles, organized chronologically, represent published and unpublished reprints and articles authored by Reeves and
others between 1967-2005. The files contain correspondence related to publication, typescripts, and copies of original articles.
SERIES 3: RESEARCH PROJECTS AND GRANTS
The materials in the RESEARCH PROJECTS AND GRANTS are multi-participants studies to individual scientific subject based analysis.
The files document Reeves' involvement with medical expeditions to Pike's Peak, Operation Everest II, and Nepal. The series
is arranged in three subseries: A) Pike's Peak Expedition, B)Operation Everest II, and C) Other Research.
A) The research conducted for a Pike's Peak (Colorado) expedition in 1982 tested high altitude factors affecting ventilation
and acclimatization. The materials include drafts of scientific papers composed from the results of the testing, grant proposals,
and miscellaneous recorded data. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
B) John Reeves participated as a principal investigator in Operation Everest II, a second study simulation of high altitude
ascension involving test subjects in a controlled decompression environment from 1985-1986 at the United States Army Research
Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Massachusetts. The materials include heart rate, hemodynamics, and oxygen uptake
data; slides; and miscellaneous data charts. The subseries is arranged chronologically.
C) The Other Miscellaneous Research subseries includes data collected from altitude sickness research in Nepal, exercise tests
on horses and cattle, and pulmonary hypertension. The material is arranged alphabetically.
SERIES 4: COLORADO ALTITUDE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CARI)
The Colorado Altitude Research Institute (CARI), founded 1988, was established to educate the public and state health, tourism,
and ski officials on high altitude awareness and safety. Reeves succeeded Robert Schoene as director in 1992. The materials
include administrative files during the tenure of Reeves, comprising correspondence, committee meeting minutes, newsletters,
and organizational reports. The collection also includes surveys and studies observed by committee members with subsequent
published material.
SERIES 5: CONFERENCES
The CONFERENCES series, arranged alphabetically by title of conference, documents Reeves' travel to conferences and seminars.
The series contains correspondence, brochures, and notes.
SERIES 6: MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS
The MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS represent two subseries of biographical materials and subject files. The materials include photographs,
articles about Reeves, newsletters for NADIYA, and a program plan for the Colorado Center for Altitude Medicine and Physiology.
SERIES 7: AUDIORECORDINGS
The Audiorecordings includes audiocassette tapes with recorded interviews by John Reeves of high altitude medicine colleague
Huang Shao-Yung.
The sound recording located in Box 17, Folder 14 is restricted. Researchers must request a listening copy to be produced.
John T. Reeves Papers, MSS 695. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Acclimatization
Altitude, Influence of
Altitude sickness
Anoxemia
Mountain sickness -- Research -- Colorado -- History
Schoene, Robert B., 1946- -- Correspondence
Grover, Robert F., 1924- -- Correspondence
Hornbein, Thomas F., 1930- -- Correspondence
Reeves, John T. -- Archives