October is American Archives Month. This year at the UT Southwestern Archives, we have been busy acquiring new collections related to the institution’s history. We continue to actively collect and preserve materials that highlight the contributions of faculty, staff, students, administrators, and organizations to the social and academic life of the university. New collections always reveal unknown or obscure facts about the campus’ history, its people, and its culture. Some of our new collections include:

The Donald W. Seldin Papers:

The Donald Seldin papers document the life and career of UT Southwestern professor and physician Dr. Donald W. Seldin. The collection consists of 18 linear feet of correspondence, photographs, collected writings, speeches, and scholarly works produced by Seldin during his lifetime. His papers provide insight into the evolution of the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, his impact in the field of nephrology, his interest in medical ethics, and his professional relationships with colleagues nationally and internationally. Dr. Seldin’s career at UT Southwestern started in 1951 when he was recruited from Yale University, where he graduated from medical school in 1943. In 1952, he became Professor and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine. He led the department for 36 years where he recruited distinguished physicians and researchers and guided the development of his students into Southwestern Medical School faculty.

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The Jo Ann Carson Papers:

The Jo Ann Carson papers document the career of UT Southwestern professor and dietitian Dr. Jo Ann Carson. The collection consists of 4 linear feet of correspondence, photographs, writings, notes, reports, ephemera, minutes, and research created and collected by Carson as an educator of Clinical Nutrition in the School of Health Professions for 45 years. Carson’s papers display the growth of the Department of Clinical Nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, her scholarship on nutrition, her studies on cardiovascular risk and obesity, and her work with organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Carson began her career at UT Southwestern in 1974 as an Instructor in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics (now named the Department of Clinical Nutrition) and served as its Chairman from 1985-1986. She received her Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.  

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The Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School Records:

The Archives is currently embarking on processing the presidential records of UT Southwestern’s first president Charles S. Sprague (1972-1986). When the project began, it was assumed that the records were only related to the administration of Sprague. However, records created during the administration of previous Deans of UT Southwestern were found hidden within the Sprague records. Records from the tenures of Tinsley R. Harrison (1944-1946) and Atticus J. Gill (1954-1967), both Deans of the Medical School before the Office of the President was created, were discovered. A few of the highlights that have been uncovered so far include documents related to the university’s early relationship with the military; UT Southwestern’s relationship with the Dallas medical community and Southwestern Medical Foundation; and the growth and development of the medical school.

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The Faculty Women’s Club Records:

The records of the Faculty Women’s Club (formerly the Faculty Wives Club) document the history of the organization and its affiliation with UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. The organization was founded in 1943 by wives of full-time faculty at UT Southwestern. The purpose of the group was to welcome newcomers to UT Southwestern and to promote fellowship among the campus community through events and programs. The collection largely consists of 5 linear feet of scrapbooks, photographs, newspaper clippings, newsletters, meeting minutes, and directories created by the organization during its 76 years of existence. The records display the activities of the Faculty Women’s Club which included providing scholarship money for UT Southwestern students, hosting events for patients at Parkland Hospital, and planning social gatherings for the UT Southwestern’s faculty and students.

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The UT Southwestern Archives is open to the UT Southwestern community and external researchers. We are available, by appointment only, Monday – Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Please email archives@utsouthwestern.edu for questions or to make an appointment to view any of our collections.

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