Series III. Walter Reed

Containers:
Box 16-33
Extent:
17 boxes
Scope and content:

Series III. Walter Reed consists of materials that document the life of Walter Reed as well as the work and legacy of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission. Items in the series date from 1806 to around 1955 with the bulk of the items dating from 1874 to 1936. The series is particularly rich in materials that document the professional and personal life of Walter Reed from 1874 to his death in 1902. These materials include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. correspondence between Walter Reed and members of his immediate family that cover a wide range of topics including Reed's courtship of Emilie Lawrence Reed, family life, Walter Reed's work in the Western United States, and Walter Reed's work in Cuba;
  2. military records relating to Walter Reed including military orders for Reed, Reed's performance reviews, and reports of Reed's work for army officials;
  3. Walter Reed's correspondence with professional colleagues including members of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission, military doctors, and medical researchers interested in the study of yellow fever;
  4. medical records (e.g. fever charts of experiment participants), military orders, administrative records, reports, and publications documenting the results of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission's experiments in Cuba;
  5. articles announcing the death of Walter Reed;
  6. and the shoulder boards from Walter Reed's U.S. Army uniform.

In addition to the above items, Series III. contains materials that document campaigns, spanning from 1902 to 1937, to publicly honor members of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission and those who participated in the commission's experiments. These materials include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. articles and editorials relating to efforts to memorialize and provide pensions for members of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission and those who participated in the commission's experiments;
  2. biographical sketches of members of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission and experiment participants;
  3. records relating to the Walter Reed Memorial Association (e.g. correspondence, donor lists);
  4. copies of Congressional bills and resolutions to honor members of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission and experiment participants;
  5. and letters, reviews, and other materials relating to the production of Sidney Coe Howard's play,Yellow Jack.

Finally, Series III. also consists of materials that document the history of yellow fever during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. These materials include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. items (e.g. correspondence, reports, reviews, and articles) relating to U.S. efforts to eradicate yellow fever in the Panama Canal Zone;
  2. materials (e.g. correspondence, reports, and articles) documenting early twentieth century efforts to eradicate yellow fever in Peru;
  3. scientific reports and publications related to the study and eradication of yellow fever and malaria;
  4. and newspaper articles describing various outbreaks of yellow fever epidemics.

Materials in Series III. are largely arranged in chronological order according to their date of creation.

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Parent restrictions:
There are no restrictions on user access to any of the materials in the collection except where noted in the container list.
Parent terms of access:
Copyright restrictions may apply for some materials in the collection.

Contents