Archives
The Office of Medical History and Archives collects and preserves materials that document the history of UMass Chan Medical School. It also supports historical research, teaching, and other activities that highlight the history of UMass Chan and the history of American medicine and health care. We invite you to visit the Archives.
Finding aids are available for these collections:
Graduate School of Nursing Papers, 1982-2009
This collection is composed of materials that document the establishment and development of the Graduate School of Nursing at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1982 through 2009. The collection consists of correspondence, reports, planning documents, publications, news clippings, and photographs that chronicle the activities of the Graduate School of Nursing community.
H. Brownell Wheeler, M.D. Papers, 1961-2009
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.
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.
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.
The Memorial Hospital Collection, 1873-1990
The Memorial Hospital Collection comprises annual reports and other material by or about The Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts.
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.
Samuel Thompson Papers, 1974-1982
This collection contains correspondence, reports, architectural drawings, publications, policies, notes, forms, budget materials, financial reports, and other material related to Samuel Thompson’s career as Associate Vice Chancellor for Community Relations, Planning, and Development and Associate Dean for Administration and Finance at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
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.
Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research (WFBR) Papers, 1944–1997 (formerly Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology (WFEB))
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.
Robin I. Davidson Papers
This collection documents Dr. Robin I. Davidson’s professional career at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and consists of materials related to his multiple faculty and clinical roles in the field of neurosurgery. This collection largely consists of correspondence and also includes both black and white and color photographs, publications, news clippings, meeting minutes, and audio-visual material.
A. Robert Schell Papers
The A. Robert Schell Papers document Dr. Schell’s time as a student in the first class of UMMS and consists mainly of documents relating to UMMS admission, campus life, and school schedules, tests, and papers. There are also photographs, drawings, publications, and news clippings.
Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems (MaPS) Papers, 2010 - present (formerly Department of Physiology, 1968 – 2009)
The Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems (MaPS) Papers document the establishment of the Department of Physiology and chronicles its early history, development, and merger with the Department of Microbiology to form the Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems (MaPS). The bulk of this collection contains annual and scientific reports, correspondence, financial reports, grant applications, scientific publications (loose and bound volumes), and numerous photographs created by or about the Department of Physiology.
Richard Aghababian Papers
This collection contains material relating to Dr. Aghababian’s education and career at the University of Massachusetts Medical School from 1970 through 2006. The bulk of the collection is Dr. Aghababian’s collection of University of Massachusetts publications. Also included are records from his time as a medical student, publications by Dr. Aghababian, correspondence, photographs, and audio-visual material.
Samuel B. Woodward Papers, 1806-1848
Samuel Bayard Woodward, M.D., (1787-1850), physician, educator, and publicist, was the first superintendent (1832-1846) of the State Lunatic Hospital (later the Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital) and the co-founder and first president (1844-1848) of the Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions for the Insane (later the American Psychiatric Association). This collection contains digitized versions of essays, addresses, obituaries, letters, and verses created by Woodward from 1806 to 1848 and cover various medical, social, financial, educational, and personal topics.
Union Medical Association Papers
The Union Medical Association was officially established at Blackstone Village, Mendon, Massachusetts, on May 12, 1834 by local doctors Hiram Allen, Abel Wilder, Metcalf Marsh, Ariel Ballou and Moses D. Southwick. The goal of the Union Medical Association was to maintain and advance the medical knowledge of its members. This collection includes digitized reports and transcripts of lectures on interesting medical cases, new remedies, medical ethics, and statistics created from 1834 to 1858 by the Association’s members. Also included in this collection are digitized autograph letters of different French, English, and American physicians dated 1758 - 1836. Currently, the papers of the Union Medical Association are the part of the Worcester District Medical Society collection housed at the Worcester Historical Museum.
Oral History Collection
This collection contains transcripts of interviews conducted from 2006 to 2015 by Ellen S. More, Ph.D., founding director of the Office of Medical History and Archives (OMHA) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS). The interviews were conducted as part of Dr. More’s research into the history of UMMS, which is chronicled in her book, Beating the Odds: The University of Massachusetts Medical School, A History, 1962–2012, (2017). Interviewees include former and current members of the administration, faculty, staff, students, politicians, and community members. Additional interview transcripts will be added to the collection periodically.