Rare Book Room

The Rare Book Room houses the collection of the Worcester Medical Library (established 1798) of the Worcester District Medical Society, as well as volumes purchased or donated since the founding of UMMS. It contains books and journals dating from the sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. Many of the books in this collection have been digitized and are available online through Internet Archive.
Use of Books from the Rare Book Room

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History of Medicine and Health Care Collection

This collection of work by modern historians documents the history of medicine and health care from ancient times to the present. The collection was founded in 2006 to support the historical mission of the Office of Medical History and Archives at UMMS. The volumes held by the collection will be augmented each year to keep up with the newest trends in historical research. The collection also contains biographies and autobiographies of men and women health care professionals.

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Women in Medicine Collection

This collection was founded in 2006 at the suggestion of the UMMS Women Faculty Committee in support of the professional development of women in medicine and health care. Its creation coincided with the opening at the Lamar Soutter Library of a traveling exhibition titled "Changing the Face of Medicine: Celebrating America's Women Physicians," co-sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and American Library Association.

Browse the Women in Medicine Collection on QUIN

H. Brownell Wheeler, M.D. Papers, 1962-2007

Founding Chair of the Department of Surgery, H. Brownell (Brownie) Wheeler, M.D., F.A.C.S., was a central figure in the founding and solidifying of UMMS throughout its first three decades. As the earliest appointed faculty member, chosen directly by Lamar Soutter, founding dean, Dr. Wheeler has amassed a collection rich in documentary significance for the history of UMMS. A secondary subject area of importance in the Wheeler papers is the development of end-of-life, palliative care, and medical humanities activities in Massachusetts and at UMMS. Finally, as a leading vascular surgeon, Dr. Wheeler's papers document many aspects of the development of this area of critical interest for the history of surgery. Also of interest is an oral history interview.
Finding Aid (, 455 KB)

University of Massachusetts Medical School Publications Collection, 1976 - ongoing

The bulk of this collection consists of publications created by and for faculty and staff of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, UMass Memorial Health Care, and UMass Memorial Foundation. Some publications are also for audiences outside the institution. Most of the publications were created internally by staff of the institution or its affiliates; however there are also publications that were created externally by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The publications include annual reports, newsletters and magazines, school and department catalogs, brochures, and pamphlets. Some of the publications in this collection are ongoing. New issues of ongoing publications will be added to the collection periodically.
Finding Aid (, 145 KB)

John F. Stockwell Papers, 1966-2006

This collection is composed primarily of materials related to John F. Stockwell's work as the first director of University Hospital, first Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs, and Associate Professor of Hospital Administration at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Budget materials, financial reports, and correspondence comprise a large portion of the collection. There are also materials that document the early planning and construction of the medical school and hospital, collectively known as the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.
Finding Aid (, 40 KB)

James P. Loughlin Papers, 1965-1979

This collection documents James P. Loughlin's career as a labor union leader in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and his association with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In his position as Secretary-Treasurer of the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL-CIO Loughlin played an influential role in locating the UMass Medical School in Worcester. This is chronicled in the news clippings, correspondence, printed material, and other documents that comprise the bulk of the collection. Also included in the collection are printed versions of photographs and other material acquired and retained in digital form.
Finding Aid (, 36 KB)

Robert E. Tranquada, M.D. Papers, 1979-2009

This collection is composed of materials that document Robert E. Tranquada, M.D.'s career as Chancellor and Dean of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) from 1979 to 1986. While Chancellor and Dean of UMMS, Dr. Tranquada instituted the tradition of Fall Convocation and established fundraising initiatives by appointing the first Director of Development. Also during his tenure at UMMS, the MD/PhD program and the Graduate School of Nursing began. Speeches, administrative documents, and press clippings comprise the bulk of the collection. It also contains materials relating to the establishment of the Massachusetts Medical Society's Corporation for Medical Information Development as well as transcripts of an oral history interview with Dr. Tranquada.
Finding Aid (, 164 KB)

Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research

The Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research, formerly the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, was founded in 1944. Established initially as an independent research institute by Clark University neurophysiologist Dr. Hudson Hoagland and reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Gregory Goodwin Pincus, the nonprofit institute became best known for its work in discovering and developing "the Pill"-the world's first oral contraceptive. Building upon that work, birth control pill co-discoverer Dr. Min-Chueh Chang completed pioneering research on in vitro fertilization techniques at the Worcester Foundation.

The Foundation merged with the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1997. The Office of Medical History and Archives is pleased to hold in its collections a substantial body of materials generously donated by former WFBR staff and by the UMass Memorial Foundation/Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research. These items include scientific reports, annual reports, annual collections of scientists' publications, glass lecture slides, lecture notes, oral history interviews, and photographs. Other items, particularly of Gregory Pincus, are held by the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC., and by Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
This collection is not yet processed; however, a box list reflecting the contents of the collection is available. (, 301 KB)