Harary (Isaac) Papers, 1950-1987

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Summary

Title:
Isaac Harary Papers,
Dates:
1950-1987
Creators:
Harary, Isaac
Abstract:
Isaac Harary (1923- ) was born in New York City, New York. He was an assistant clinical professor of physiological chemistry (1955-1961), associate professor of physiological chemistry and nuclear medicine (1961-65) and professor of biological chemistry (1965-87) in the UCLA School of Medicine. He pioneered the use of cultured (in vitro) mammalian heart cells as a model system after demonstrating that they retain cardiac functions in the single, isolated cell. The collection consists of autobiographical and biographical material, teaching material, correspondence, contracts and grants, data files, laboratory notebooks, publications, manuscripts, awards, and a videotape.
Extent:
9 cartons (9 linear ft.)
Language:
English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Isaac Harary Papers (Collection 372). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of autobiographical and biographical material, teaching material, correspondence, contracts and grants, data files, laboratory notebooks, publications, manuscripts, awards, and a videotape. Includes Harary's curriculum vitae, Ph.D. thesis, a nearly complete set of offprints and reprints of publications, programs from professional societies, and a videotape copy of Beating heart calls, a documentary on Harary's in vitro studies of single beating heart cells.

Expanded Scope and Content

The papers of Isaac Harary span the years 1950-1991; the bulk of the material covers the period he spent at UCLA, from 1955-1987.

Autobiographical and biographical material include curriculum vitae, biobibliographies, and a scrapbook of news and media reports on Harary and his research. the only representative of his own schooling is a copy of Harary's Ph.D. thesis; likewise, there is a small number of class notes and syllabi from courses taught at UCLA. Correspondence with colleagues and students and extensive personnel files on laboratory staff, students, and postdoctoral candidates include letters, notes, and memoranda, but no photographs. Funded and unfunded contract and grant files contain applications, site visit notes, revisions, and referee reports. Data files include protocols, laboratory notebooks, and correspondence; these comprise by volume the largest set of material in the collection. Much of the surviving data, including the work of Charles Swanson, are associated with unpublished manuscripts. a nearly complete set of offprints and reprints of publications is complemented by published and unpublished manuscripts, lectures, speeches, programs from professional societies and sabbatical trips abroad, and two awards. a highlight of the collection is a video-tape copy of Beating Heart Calls, a documentary on Harary's in vitro studies of single beating heart cells.

Biographical / historical:

Harary was born on March 15, 1923 in New York City, New York; BA, Brooklyn College, 1945; Ph.D. in biochemistry, New York University, 1952; postdoctoral fellowship with the American Cancer Society (1952-55); assistant clinical professor of physiological chemistry (1955-1961); associate professor of physiological chemistry and nuclear medicine (1961-65); and professor of biological chemistry (1965-87), UCLA School of Medicine; pioneered the use of cultured (in vitro) mammalian heart cells as a model system, demonstrating that they retain cardiac functions in the single, isolated cell; his research included investigations of internal and external environmental conditions which predispose the heart cell to maintain its function, the control of myosin synthesis by metabolic and hormonal factors, the fusion of cultured skeletal cells, and the rate of calcium and cyclic AMP in cellular synthesis.

Biographical Narrative

Isaac Harary, a developmental biochemist, was born March 15, 1923 in New York, New York. He received a B.A. degree from Brooklyn College (1941-1945) and a doctorate in biochemistry from New York University (1948-1952), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the American Cancer Society (1952-1955). Harary was appointed to the faculty at UCLA in 1955 and spent the remainder of his career there, ascending through the ranks as Assistant Clinical Professor (Physiological Chemistry, 1955-1961), Associate Professor (Physiological Chemistry and Nuclear Medicine, 1961-1963; Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, and Biological Chem-istry, 1963-1965), and Professor (Biological Chemistry, 1965-1987).

Harary studied the mechanisms involved in the control of metabolism in differentiated cells, in particular the specialized function and structure of the mammalian heart. He pioneered the use of cultured (in vitro) mammalian heart cells as a model system, demonstrating that they retain cardiac functions in the single, isolated cell. His research in the Laboratory of Nuclear Med-icine and Radiation Biology at UCLA included investigations of internal and external environ-mental conditions which predispose the heart cell to maintain its function, the control of myosin synthesis by metabolic and hormonal factors, the fusion of cultured skeletal cells, and the role of calcium and cyclic AMP in cellular synthesis.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Isaac Harary, 1996.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Autobiographical material.
  2. Biographical material.
  3. Education.
  4. Teaching.
  5. Correspondence.
  6. Personnel and students.
  7. Contracts and grants.
  8. Data files.
  9. Publications.
  10. Published manuscripts.
  11. Unpublished manuscripts.
  12. Lectures, speeches, and conferences.
  13. Audiovisual material.
  14. Awards.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by Russell A. Johnson; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé
Date Prepared:
© 1999
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from encoding original wordprocessor file, 1997 . Frontmatter gathered from MARC record. Supplementary encoding and revision supplied by Caroline Cubé.

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Portions of this collection are restricted. Consult finding aid for further information.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary 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], Isaac Harary Papers (Collection 372). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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