Finding Aid for the Willard Goodwin Collection of William Osler Correspondence Biomed.0295

Finding aid prepared by UCLA Biomedical Library staff, 2009.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2009.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu


Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Willard Goodwin collection of William Osler correspondence
Creator: Willard E. Goodwin 1915-1998
Identifier/Call Number: Biomed.0295
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet (1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1893-1947
Abstract: The collection is built around two sets of letters: 1. Twenty original letters from William Osler, M.D. to Howard Atwood Kelly, M.D., dated 1897-1917, plus the notes and materials Dr. Goodwin used to write an article for the "Bulletin of the History of Medicine" (20(5): 611-652, Dec. 1946) on the relationship between Osler and Kelly and correspondence pertaining to that article before and after its publication. 2. Transcriptions of many letters from Osler to Henry Barton Jacobs, M.D., dated 1893-1919, and extensive notes made by Dr. Goodwin who probably intended to publish an article based upon this correspondence.
Physical Location: Held at UCLA Library Special Collections. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.

Access

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

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], Willard Goodwin collection of William Osler correspondence (Collection 295). Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History and Special Collections for the Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles.

UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 9963156263606533 

Acquisition Information

Donated to the UCLA Biomedical Library by the family of Willard Goodwin, M.D. in 1999.

Biography

Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet (1849–1919) has been called the Father of Modern Medicine and his influence on medical education and practice is still huge. He was a person of great charm, energy, and wide intellectual interests, who excelled as physician, teacher, bibliophile, and author. Canadian born, he received an M.D. from McGill University, Montreal, and taught there for 10 years. His career continued as Chair of Clinical Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, then first Chief of Staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and finally Regius Chair of Medicine at Oxford University. Throughout his life Osler was known to write a large number of notes and letters to his wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
The distinguished American gynecologist Howard Atwood Kelly (1858–1943) received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also taught for a number of years and came to know William Osler. The two were rejoined when Kelly was appointed professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University. They made up half of "The Four Doctors" who founded Johns Hopkins Hospital and are depicted in a famous group portrait by John Singer Sargent. The pair also shared an interest in medical history and a strong love of book collecting. Kelly's interest also extended to natural history; he was a herpetologist of some renown.
Henry Barton Jacobs (1858-1939) received his A.B. and M.D. degrees from Harvard University. Within a year of his medical school graduation he moved to Baltimore to become the private physician for Robert Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In 1889 he joined the dispensary service of the newly-opened Johns Hopkins Hospital, under physician-in-chief William Osler. Later he also taught classes in physical diagnosis and therapeutics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Jacobs was especially interested in combating tuberculosis and he took an active role in anti-TB campaigns; for many years he served as secretary of the National Tuberculosis Association. Jacobs was not only a physician serving under Osler's guidance; the two became friends through their shared interest in medical history and collecting of books, and they were close physical neighbors on Franklin Street in Baltimore.

Scope and Content

The collection is organized into the following series:
  • Series 1. William Osler letters to Howard A. Kelly, 1897-1947. 10 folders
  • Series 2. William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs, 1893-1949. 2 folders

Related Material

UCLA BIOMEDICAL LIBRARY HISTORY AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS FOR THE SCIENCES Manuscript Colletion #181: "Sir William Osler Portrait by Seymour Thomas, and other Osler-Related Papers". Documents about the original portrait and the acquisition and presentation of the replica hung at UCLA, which was obtained through Dr. Elmer Belt's initiative and support. Includes one folder of Osleriana assembled by Elmer Belt and letters to and from him and Willard Goodwin.

Processing Information

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Collection processed by UCLA Biomedical Library staff.
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Subjects and Indexing Terms

Physicians -- |Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Jacobs, Henry Barton
Kelly, Howard A. (Howard Atwood)
Osler, William, Sir
Goodwin, Willard E. -- Archives

 

William Osler letters to Howard A. Kelly Series 1. 1897-1947

Physical Description: 10 folders

Scope and Contents note

Original letters; research materials and notes for Goodwin article; documents regarding publication of the article, and correspondence commenting on it
box 1, folder 1

Letters from Dr. William Osler to Dr. Howard A. Kelly 1897-1917

Scope and Contents note

Twenty short letters or notes, mostly handwritten, a few typed, addressed to "Dear Kelly" or "Dear Howard A."

General note

the group of letters was a gift to Dr. Goodwin from his uncle, Dr. Elmer Belt
box 1, folder 2

"William Osler and Howard A. Kelly, 'Physicians, Medical Historians, Friends,' as revealed by nineteen letters from Osler to Kelly", by Willard E. Goodwin. In: "Bulletin of the History of Medicine", 20(no. 5): 611-652, Dec. 1946 1946

Scope and Contents note

One whole journal issue, two reprints; list of people receiving reprints from Dr. Goodwin
box 1, folder 3

Draft of article text undated

Scope and Contents note

Original copy with author's corrections; carbon copy with some corrections and annotations by W. W. Francis
box 1, folder 4

Dr. Goodwin's working notes undated

Scope and Contents note

Photocopies of original letters with typed transcriptions of hand-written ones; Dr. Goodwin's notes and annotations
box 1, folder 5

Letters to Goodwin re. his Osler-Kelly article 1946-1965

Scope and Contents note

Comments and appreciations for the article, all including some Osler/Kelly anecdotes or reminiscences; also a note from Seymour Thomas commenting on his painting of the Osler portrait
box 1, folder 6

Additional letters re. the Osler-Kelly article 1947

Scope and Contents note

Notes of appreciation for reprints of the article, or requests for a copy
box 1, folder 7

Correspondence re. publication of the Osler-Kelly article 1946-1947

Scope and Contents note

Letters from Elmer Belt, W. W. Francis, and the publisher
box 1, folder 8

William Osler's "chloroform" speech 1946-1965

Scope and Contents note

Letters and reprints concerning remarks made by Osler in his farewell address at Johns Hopkins University
box 1, folder 8

William Osler's "chloroform" speech 1946-1965

Scope and Contents note

Letters and reprints concerning remarks made by Osler in his farewell address at Johns Hopkins University
box 1, folder 9

Reprints of articles on Osler 1925-1949

Scope and Contents note

Includes many reprints from the Osler centenary issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine", v. 84, July 1949
box 1, folder 10

Photographs of Osler undated

Scope and Contents note

Snapshots at various ages in various locations; photograph of a cartoon referring to the "chloroform" speech
 

William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs Series 2. 1893-1949

Physical Description: 2 folders

Scope and Contents note

Transcriptions and excerpts from the letters; notes by Dr. Goodwin; introduction to a speech by Dr. Goodwin based on the content of the letters
box 1, folder 11

William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs 1893-1910

General Physical Description note: folder 1 or 2

Scope and Contents note

Typed transcriptions of ca. forty letters from Osler to Jacobs, addressed to "Dear Jacobs". Notes by Goodwin on content and context of many of the letters

General note

there are two partial sets of notes and transcriptions, typed on different paper and typewriters
box 1, folder 12

William Osler letters to Henry Barton Jacobs 1911-1919

General Physical Description note: folder 2 of 2

Scope and Contents note

Ca. forty more letters with Goodwin notes