Papers of James L and Dorothy Knowles Thomson 1943 - 1987

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Commonwealth University, Health Sciences Library
Health Sciences Library
Virginia Commonwealth University
P.O. Box 980582
509 North 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298-0582
Contact for questions and access:
POC: SCA Staff
Phone: (804) 828-9898
Fax: (804) 828-6089

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the personal papers, war memorabilia, photographs, and general information concerning the 45th General Hospital Group dating from 1936-1985, the bulk of the collection dating from 1939- 1963. The collection is divided with one half being Dr. Thomson's World War II memorabilia and photographs along with paperwork with the Excelsior Club, as group of surgeons brought together by the war. The other half of the collection is papers of his wife, Dorothy Knowles Thomson, who was an instructor of operating room nursing at the Medical College of Virginia, and includes notebooks, course manuals, certifications as well as personal effects.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. James L. Thomson was a nationally known neurosurgeon. At the time of his death, he was Chief of Neurosurgery at Norfolk General and DePaul Hospitals, a diplomat of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Thomson graduated from the Medical College of the University of Cincinnati in 1934. After his residency, he taught neurological surgery at the Medical College of Virginia from 1938-1941. He served in World War Two as a member of the Medical Corps, assigned as a neurosurgeon to the 45th General Hospital. This hospital was active in Morocco and Italy. He was one of seven officers in the unit awarded the Bronze Star.

After the War, Thomson returned and set up a practice in Norfolk, where he was the first neurosurgeon in the Tidewater area. Due to this fact from 1945 to 1950, he was called upon to do all the neurosurgery for the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, and the Marine Public Health Hospitals in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, and Suffolk Virginia.

Building upon the relationships forged in war, Thomson was a charter member of the Excelsior Surgical Society, a group of 80 medical officers who met for the first time in 1945 at the Excelsior Hotel, Rome, Italy. Thomson also helped organize the Neurosurgical Society of the Virginias and was its first president.

In 1959, Thomson was cited by the President's Committee for the Physically Handicapped for his efforts to employ those with physical handicaps while a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Thomson married the former Dorothy Mae Knowles on 15 May, 1940. He had two children, Martha and James Jr.

Dorothy Mae Knowles Thomson; B: 1913, D: -- Dorothy Mae Knowles grew up in Woodard, NC and was accepted into the Medical College of Virginia's nursing program in 1931. She graduated in 1934 with a degree in nursing and started right away to work at the Hospital. From 1937-1940, Knowles was an Instructor and Supervisor of Operating Room Technique at MCV.

She married Dr. James Levi Thomson on 15 May, 1940 and soon both were caught up in world events. Dr. Thomson was called into active service with the 45th General Hospital and sent to Italy.

After his return the couple moved to Norfolk, Virginia. With her husband, Thomson was a charter member of the Excelsior Surgical Society. She continued this association even after her husband's death in 1973.

Thomson is an active MCV alumni and member of the MCV Foundation. In 1995 she established the James L. Thomson, MD and Dorothy Knowles Thomson, RN Fund for the School of Nursing. This fund was created to heighten awareness of the many forms of alternative and complementary therapies available. Uses of the fund include the purchase of printed and audiovisual materials, research, conferences and stipend for lecturers.

Acquisition information:
Donated by the Thomson family.
Arrangement:

Records are listed in chronological order.

Physical description:
.8 linear feet