VCU Health Sciences Library
Dr. Rufus Livius Raiford papers
98.Dec.8
/repositories/3/resources/369
2.16 Linear Feet
1891-1963,
1988
English
1
2
3
4
5
6
2 (N-Z) oversize
Medium Images and Docs 4
Access Restrictions
The collection is without restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Box/folder, Papers of Rufus Livius Raiford, 98/Dec/8, Special Collections and Archives, Health Sciences Library, Virginia Commonwealth University
Acquisition Information
Collection acquired by Katherine Smith, granddaughter of Rufus Livius Raiford and donated to Tompkins-McCaw Library.
Biographical/Historical Information
Rufus Livius Raiford was born in the Corinth community of Southampton Coutny, Virginia on November 17, 1880, and passed away on June 26, 1948. His early schooling was received at Corinth Academy, a privates school operated by the Society of Friends. Later he attended Westtown Boarding School in Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1901. He then entered the University College of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. He received his degree of Doctor of Medicine from that institution in 1906, and shortly thereafter passed the state examinations which licensed him to parctice his profession.
On November 27, 1906, he married Lora K. Burgess. From this marriage were born two sons, Drs. Fletcher Raiford and Morgan Raiford. From 1906 to 1908, Raiford practiced medicine in his home community. Quickly Dr. Raiford was forced to work around many handicaps that faced rural doctors of the time. Things such as muddy roads, lack of modern conveniences, and lack of reliable transportation to name a few. In 1908 he built a home in the village of Sedley, about seven miles south of his old home. It was here that he began a modest clinic housed in his dwelling. This clinic was one of the first attempts by any physician to establish a clinic in a rural area.
In 1925 he opened a hosptial in Franklin, Virginia that was known as the Raiford Memorial Hospital. The ever-growing needs for hospital service in Franklin and the surrounding community made necessary almost continuous expansion. This was made possible by substantial grants and other federal funds. It was at the Sedley Clinic and the Raiford Memorial Hospital that the began preaching and practicing the doctrine of preventive medicine and raising the health standards of people of both races in these areas. It was these efforts to provide equal medical care to all no matter their financial status or race that made him a pioneer and brought him national recognition.
Scope and Content Information
The Rufus Livius Raiford Collection contains nearly 700 items. The collection is divided into six series: Personal Correspondence, Professional Papers, School Years, Genealogy and Local History, Photographs and Publications. The papers date from 1891-1963 with one biographical sketch of a family member, in the genealogy and local history series, dating from 1988. Included with the collection are handwritten notes written by Raiford's granddaughter, the donor of the collection. These notes provide a good insight into certain aspects of the collection.
The largest series in this collection is the personal corespondence. It is arranged chronologically. The series consists primarily of letters written by Raiford and his wife to their son Fletcher while he was away at the Westtown School, the University of Richmond and the Medical College of Virginia between 1932 and 1937. These letters serve as weekly accounts of things going on at the Raiford Memorial Hospital, life in Franklin, and life during the Depression. They also illustrate many of the difficulties that were faced by Raiford in his attempt to establish a stong hospital and provide quality medical care in a rural area.
The professional papers include corresondence, patient accounts, physician visiting litsts, information on the Raiford Memorial Hospital, and information on various conferences. This series contains letters from other professionals in the medical field, information on hospital business, and information on conferences. This series reflects many of the areas of concern and interest Raiford had for the hospital and his profession. It also shows the types of business he conducted over the years.
The school years series consists of matriculation cards of Rufus Raiford whileat the University College of Medicine, YMCA booklets, commencement invitations and a small set of correspondence. Lastly the collection has three smaller series: genealogy and local history, photographs, and publications. The photographs are personal family images and shots of Raiford Memorial Hospital. Publications include articles written by Raiford and articles about Raiford and the hospital.
Arrangement
Materials are arranged in six series and chronologial therein.
Series I: Personal Correspondence/repositories/3/archival_objects/63211891-1908/repositories/3/archival_objects/632711906-1909/repositories/3/archival_objects/632811910-1917/repositories/3/archival_objects/632911919-1922/repositories/3/archival_objects/633011921-1922/repositories/3/archival_objects/63311September-November 1932/repositories/3/archival_objects/63321November-December 1932/repositories/3/archival_objects/63331January 1933/repositories/3/archival_objects/63341Frebruary-March 1933/repositories/3/archival_objects/63351April-May 1933/repositories/3/archival_objects/63361September-October 1933/repositories/3/archival_objects/63372November-December 1933/repositories/3/archival_objects/63382January-February 1934/repositories/3/archival_objects/63392March-April 1934/repositories/3/archival_objects/63402May-September 1934/repositories/3/archival_objects/63412October-December 1934/repositories/3/archival_objects/63422January-February 1935/repositories/3/archival_objects/63432March-April 1935/repositories/3/archival_objects/63442May-June 1935/repositories/3/archival_objects/63453July-September 1935/repositories/3/archival_objects/63463January-February 1936/repositories/3/archival_objects/63473March-April 1936/repositories/3/archival_objects/63483May 1936/repositories/3/archival_objects/63493June-August 1937/repositories/3/archival_objects/635031939/repositories/3/archival_objects/635131945-1963/repositories/3/archival_objects/63523Undated/repositories/3/archival_objects/63533Series II: Professional Papers/repositories/3/archival_objects/6322Correspondence 1907-1909, 1923/repositories/3/archival_objects/63544Correspondence 1944-47/repositories/3/archival_objects/63554Correspondence 1948/repositories/3/archival_objects/63564Raiford Memorial Hospital/repositories/3/archival_objects/63574Patient Accounts/repositories/3/archival_objects/63584Patient Accounts/repositories/3/archival_objects/63594Physicians Visiting Lists/repositories/3/archival_objects/63604Physicians Visiting Lists/repositories/3/archival_objects/63614Notes and Journal/repositories/3/archival_objects/63625Medical Society of Virginia/repositories/3/archival_objects/63635Seaboard Medical Society/repositories/3/archival_objects/63645Southern Rural Health Conference/repositories/3/archival_objects/63655Bank Notes/repositories/3/archival_objects/63665Medical Stamps/repositories/3/archival_objects/63675Series III: School Years/repositories/3/archival_objects/63231901-1906Correspondence 1902-1905/repositories/3/archival_objects/63685Westtown Literary Union/repositories/3/archival_objects/63695Young Men's Christian Association booklets/repositories/3/archival_objects/63705Matriculation Cards/repositories/3/archival_objects/63715Sketch Book/repositories/3/archival_objects/63725Commencement Invitation/repositories/3/archival_objects/63735State Board of Medical Examiners/repositories/3/archival_objects/63745Series IV: Genealogy and Local History/repositories/3/archival_objects/6324Sedley/repositories/3/archival_objects/63755Corinth Acadmey/repositories/3/archival_objects/63765Black Creek Friends Meeting/repositories/3/archival_objects/63775Biographical Sketch-Daniel Morgan Burgess/repositories/3/archival_objects/63785Series V: Photographs/repositories/3/archival_objects/6325Richmond 1900-1906/repositories/3/archival_objects/63795Westtown School, Class of 1901/repositories/3/archival_objects/63801901Medium Images and Docs 4R. L. Raiford graduation 1906/repositories/3/archival_objects/63815Lora K. Burgess 1906/repositories/3/archival_objects/63825Family Photos 1908-1926/repositories/3/archival_objects/63835Raiford Memorial Hospital/repositories/3/archival_objects/63845Personal Photos (Undated)/repositories/3/archival_objects/63855Series VI: Publications/repositories/3/archival_objects/6326Virginia Medical Monthly, 1908-1946/repositories/3/archival_objects/63866Hospital Management, April 1946/repositories/3/archival_objects/63876Coronet, March 1948/repositories/3/archival_objects/63886Hospitals, July 1948/repositories/3/archival_objects/63896Sun Article, March 1988 and Leggett 1976/repositories/3/archival_objects/63906Newspaper Clippings/repositories/3/archival_objects/63916Newspaper Clippings/repositories/3/archival_objects/63926