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John Shaw Billings Letters,

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2013-071

Scope and Content

The collection includes letters written by Dr. John Shaw Billings to Dr. Willis G. Tucker of Albany, NY. The three letters all date to October 1880. In the letters Billings acknowledges the receipt of several medical pamphlets Tucker donated to the Library of the Surgeon General's Office of which Billings was the Director. Billings thanks Tucker for the donation and also notes that he, "would be very glad to...receive odd numbers of medical journals and especially catalogues and announcements of medical colleges, files of which I am endeavoring to complete."

Dates

  • 1880 - 1880

Creator

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from John Shaw Billings letters must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Biographical Note

John Shaw Billings, MD, was born in Indiana in 1838. He graduated from Miami University in 1857 and then attended the Medical College of Ohio and obtained his degree in 1860. Billings enlisted in the Union Army on April 16, 1862. He was commission an officer in the Regular Army Medical Staff Infantry Regiment. By the end of the Civil War, Billings had been promoted to Brevet Lt. Colonel.

In 1865, Billings was appointed Director of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office. In the thirty years he spent in that position, he was instrumental in expanding their collection of medical resources and compiling an index for the collection to aid in research.

Sources: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/pdf/john.pdf

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

These are three letters dating October 1st, 8th, and 9th, from Dr. John Shaw Billings in Washington, D.C., to Dr. Willis G. Tucker in Albany, NY. In the letters, Dr. Billings thanks Dr. Shaw for his contribution of medical pamphlets for the Library of the Surgeon General's Office.

Acquisition Information

The John Shaw Billings letters were acquired by Special Collections prior to 2009.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the John Shaw Billings letters was completed in September 2013.

Title
John Shaw Billings Letters, 1880
Status
Completed
Author
Betsy Reed, Student Assistant and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
Date
© 2013 Virginia Tech. All rights reserved.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308