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 Auchincloss Florence Nightingale Collection  Freud Library Columbia University Medical Center Archives Hyman Collection in the History of Anesthesiology Personal Papers and Manuscripts
Personal Papers and Manuscripts HATTIE ELIZABETH ALEXANDER, 1901-1968. Papers, 1939-1981. 2.2 cubic feet (6 document boxes and 1 card file box) Download box & folder list:  
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Hattie Alexander was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 5, 1901. She attended Goucher College in Baltimore (A.B., 1923), worked as a bacteriologist for the United States and Maryland Public Health Services for three years, and then attended Johns Hopkins Medical School (M.D., 1930). After interning at the Harriet Lane Home of the Johns Hopkins Hospital for a year, Alexander continued her internship at Babies Hospital at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in 1931. She remained there for the rest of her career, and rose through a succession of academic appointments at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons (Holt Fellowship in Diseases of Children, 1932-34; Assistant in Diseases of Children, 1933-35; Instructor in Diseases of Children, 1935-36; Associate in Pediatrics, 1936-43; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, 1943-48; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, 1948-58; Professor of Pediatrics, 1958-66; Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, 1966-68) and clinical appointments at Babies Hospital and Vanderbilt Clinic (Assistant Attending Physician, 1933-39; Assistant Attending Pediatrician, 1939-42; Associate Attending Pediatrician, 1942-51; Attending Pediatrician, 1951-66; Consultant, 1966-68). At Babies Hospital, Alexander headed the microbiological laboratory and became a leading authority on bacterial infections. In 1939, she gained international recognition by developing a rabbit anti-serum that was the first effective treatment of influenzal meningitis in infants, a previously fatal disease. She also conducted research on the mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and was an early researcher in microbiological genetics. In both her research and teaching, Alexander was known for her vigorous scholarly skepticism. She belonged to many professional organizations, and in 1964 she became the first woman President of the American Pediatric Society. She was also a consultant to the Secretary of War's Influenza Commission from 1941 to 1945. She received numerous awards, including the E. Mead Johnson Award for Research in Pediatrics (1942), the Stevens Triennial Prize of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (1954), the Elizabeth Blackwell Award for Women in Medicine (1956), the Oscar B. Hunter Memorial Award of the American Therapeutic Society (1961), the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center Distinguished Service medal (1963), the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia medal (1965), the Heart Award of the Variety Club of Philadelphia (1966), and an honorary doctorate from Wheaton College (1967). With Dr. Elizabeth Ufford, Alexander lived in Port Washington, New York, and enjoyed cultivating orchids, listening to music, and riding in her speedboat. Alexander died from cancer on June 24, 1968. ORGANIZATION: Organized in six series: I. Personal and Professional Papers; II. Grants; III. Lectures; IV. Publications; V. Awards and Honors; VI. Glass Plate Negatives. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE: The Alexander papers document Hattie Alexander's professional career. This collection consists of four separate accessions received by the Archives over several years. The first series, Personal and Professional Papers, mainly consists of materials documenting Alexander's career, including bibliographies and curricula vitae, correspondence and grant applications, printed matter and clippings, and a small number of reprints. These materials were in the possession of Dr. Edward Curnen, a friend of Alexander's and the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, 1960-1970. Much of the correspondence is administrative in nature, and may have been kept by the office of the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. This series also contains obituaries of Alexander, correspondence between Curnen and others after Alexander's death, and remarks Curnen wrote in tribute to her. Lastly, this series contains photographs, including portraits and a series taken by Elizabeth Wilcox, the longtime photographer of the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, whose photographic collection is also held by Archives and Special Collections. Download box & folder list:
The second series, Grants, consists of correspondence and grant applications between Alexander and three granting organizations, and is arranged alphabetically by name of organization. Download box & folder list:
The third series, Lectures, documents some of Alexander's many lectures both in the United States and around the world. This series includes drafts and typescripts of speeches, programs and ephemera, and correspondence, and is arranged chronologically. Most of the lectures reflect Alexander's research interests in antibiotics and bacterial infections. Some lectures were co-authored by Alexander's research associates Katherine Sprunt and Grace Leidy, among others. Download box & folder list:
The fourth series, Publications, consists of correspondence, drafts, and miscellaneous materials related to articles and book chapters written by Alexander. This series is not comprehensive; a bibliography of Alexander's writings through 1966 may be found in Series I. This series also includes correspondence and reprints related to the 1960 commemorative volume The McIntosh Era at Babies Hospital, 1931-60, which Alexander co-edited. This book honored Dr. Rustin McIntosh's long chairmanship of the Department of Pediatrics. The McIntosh papers are also held by Archives and Special Collections. Download box & folder list:
The fifth series, Awards and Honors, consists of plaques, medals, certificates, documents, and photographs of awards and award presentations. This series is arranged chronologically, and concludes with records related to the founding of the Hattie Alexander Lectureship at Babies Hospital in the 1970s. Download box & folder list:
The sixth series, Glass plate negatives, consists of 82 glass plate lantern slides of patients with celiac disease, dated 1932 to 1938, and arranged alphabetically by patient name. Unlike her colleague Dorothy Andersen, Alexander was not an expert on celiac disease. However, the box containing the glass-plate negatives was addressed from J.W. Winter of Beth Israel Hospital to Alexander. This series is subject to the department's policy for Access to Records Containing Protected Health Information. Download box & folder list:
PROVENANCE: Series I (Acc. 2004.06.01) was donated by the McCune Curnen family. Series II through IV (Acc. 2004.06.30) were received through the office of Dr. John Truman of Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Series V and VI (respectively, Acc. 1999.11.09 and 2002.01.17) were received from the office of Dr. John Driscoll, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics of the College of Physicians and Surgeons. RESTRICTIONS: Series VI is subject to the department's policy for Access to Records Containing Protected Health Information. SUBJECTS: Alexander, Hattie. McIntosh, Rustin. Babies Hospital (New York, N.Y.) . Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Columbia University. College of Physicians and Surgeons. Cystic fibrosis. Haemophilus influenzae. Meningitis. Women physicians. Women in medicine. Physicians, women. Papers processed and finding aid written by Bob Vietrogoski, February 2005. BACK TO TOP OF PAGE |
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