>> I'M KIM PELIS,
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
NIH HISTORY AND STETTEN MUSEUM
SEE. FOR THOSE REPOETLY YOU MAY
SUBMIT QUESTIONS ANYTIME USING
THE SEND FEEDBACK BUTTON WE'LL
BE ASSEMBLING THE QUESTIONS AND
DELIVERING THEM THE OUR SPEAKER
AT THE END ALONG WITH OUR LIVE
QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE HERE AT
THE HALL. AND WITH THAT, IT IS
MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL
TO THIS FIRST OFFICIAL EVENT OF
ONHM'S NEW SEMINAR SERIES
HISTORY AND CONTEXT THIS SERIES
BUILDS UPON A LECTURE SERIES IN
BIOMEDICAL HISTORY ORIGINATED BY
TWO FORMER ACTING DIRECTORS
CHRISTOPHER AND DR. ALAN S. I
DON'T SEE ALAN HERE YET BUT HE
WILL BE. CHRIS IS AT MY LEFT.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO EACH OF THEM
FOR FAR MORE THAN SIMPLY
STARTING A WONDERFUL LECTURE
SERIES. I'M ESPECIALLY
DELIGHTED TO KICK OFF OUR NEW
SERIES WITH WHAT WILL BE AN
ANNUAL LECTURE NAMED IN HONOR OF
OUR OFFICES' FOUNDING DIRECTOR,
DR. VICTORIA A. HARDEN AND I'M
HONORED BEYOND WORDS THAT SHE
HAS AGREED TO DELIVER OUR FIRST
HARDEN LECTURE. I COULD GO ON
USING MANY WORDS TO TALK ABOUT
HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BUT THAT
WOULD TAKE TIME AWAY FROM THE
LECTURE WHICH PROMISES TO MAKE A
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO NIH
HISTORY SO INSTEAD I WILL
SOMEWHERE MENTION A FEW KEY
POINTS. VICTORIA HARDEN
SPECIALIZED IN HISTORY. WHERE
SHE EARNED HER BA AND PH.D. SHE
CONDUCTED MUCH OF HER
DISSERTATION RESEARCH AS A
FELLOW AT THE SMITHSONIAN'S
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN
HISTORY BEFORE TAKING A POSTDOC
SUPPORTED BY LNM AT THE HOPKINS
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. HER FIRST
BOOK INVENTING THE NIH WAS THE
IMMENSELY USEFUL PRODUCT OF THAT
RESEARCH. SHE CAME TO NIH IN
1984 WHERE SHE WORKED AT NIAID
ON HER FOLLOW-UP BOOK ON ROCKY
MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER. THIS
PLACED HER IN BETHESDA JUST AS
THE LEADERSHIP WAS THINKING
ABOUT HOW TO BEST CELEBRATE
NIH'S FAST APPROACHING
CENTENNIAL. SPECIFICALLY, A
SCIENTIST AND ADMINISTRATOR
SOUGHT TO HONOR AND PRESERVE NIH
HISTORY BY FOUNDING A MUSEUM.
HE APPOINTED DR. HARDEN IT'S
FOUNDING DIRECTOR AND SHE
REMAINED DIRECTOR FOR 20 YEARS
RETIRING IN 2006. DR. HARDEN A
PUBLIC HISTORIAN AT HEART
UNDERSTOOD HER CHALLENGE TO GET
FORWARD LOOKING SCIENTISTS AND
THE OFTEN HISTORY AC -- AGNOSTIC
PUBLIC ALIKE TO BE A PART OF
THIS. SHE USED ALL THE TOOLS
AVAILABLE TO HISTORIANS,S
CONFERENCES, PHYSICAL EXHIBITS,
I WILL PUBLICATIONS. AND ALSO
GAVE CENTRAL PLACE TO CAPTURING
LIVING HISTORY
THROUGH ORAL HISTORY WITH KEY
RESEARCHERS AND CONTINUE TO
CONDUCT THESE TO THIS DAY AS A
SPECIAL VOLUNTEER FOR OHNM.
HERS ARE THE GOLD STANDARD OF
INTERVIEWING EXCELLENCE.
DR. HARDEN ALSO HELPED CREATE
THE NEXT GENERATION OF NIH SAVVY
MEDICAL HISTORIANS WHOM SHE
PERSONALLY MENTORED AND TRAINED
THROUGH THE HISTORY OFFICES
STETTEN FELLOWS PROGRAM. NOW, I
PROMISE TO LIMIT MY INTRODUCTION
TO THE ESSENTIALS AND TRUST ME,
THIS IS ONLY PART OF HER STORY.
WHICH IS ALSO AN NIH STORY.
FITTINGLY SHE WILL TALK TO US
TODAY ABOUT NIH STORIES, TELLING
NIH HISTORY, STORY BY STORY.
PLEASE WELCOME OUR FIRST ANNUAL
HARDEN LECTURE, DR. VICTORIA
HARDEN.
>> AUDIENCE: (APPLAUSE).
>> VICTORIA: I THANK YOU, KIM,
FOR THAT VERY KIND INTRODUCTION.
IT IS SO GOOD TODAY TO SEE SO
MANY FORMER COLLEAGUES AND LONG
TIME FRIENDS AND I WELCOME
EVERYONE WHO IS PARTICIPATING
VIRTUALLY, REMOTELY AS WELL. I
WANT TO BEGIN BY THANKING
EVERYONE FOR THIS HONOR. AS I
TOLD KIM WHEN SHE FIRST E-MAILED
ME, ABOUT THE LECTURE THAT I WAS
STUNNED. I THOUGHT YOU HAD TO
BE DEAD BEFORE SOMETHING WAS
NAMED FOR YOU AND I AM NOT DEAD
YET. SHE EXPLAINED THAT THIS
RULE HAD BEEN LIFTED WHEN THE
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE IN
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER HAD BEEN
CREATED FOR PHIL CHEN WHO MANY
OF YOU KNOW. I WAS
EXCEPTIONALLY PLEASED TO BE IN
PHIL'S COMPANY. BECAUSE WHEN
THE HISTORY OFFICE AND THE
STETTEN MUSEUM WAS FOUNDED, I
WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL PEOPLE IF
YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, GO SEE PHIL
CHEN, HE MAY BE ABLE TO HELP. I
HAVE TRIED TO GET ALL THE NAMES
OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN
GETTING ME APPROVED INCLUDING
KIM HERSELF AND HER ASSOCIATE
DIRECTOR MICHELLE LYONS, HER
SENIOR ADVISOR CHRIS, CHRIS, AND
JEFF RESNICK WERE ALSO INVOLVED.
RICHARD WYATT ENDORSED THE IDEA
AND FINALLY NINA SHORE SIGNED
OFF ON AND GAVE FINAL APPROVE.
MANY, MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU
FOR THIS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK
THE CURRENT STAFF OF THE OFFICE
OF NIH HISTORY AND STETTEN
MUSEUM FOR RESPONDING TO ALL MY
REQUESTS FOR HELP. ESPECIALLY
FOR THIS LECTURE. MOST OF ALL,
I MUST THANK DR. DEWITT STET TEN
JR. FOR HIS CONFIDENCE IN
SELECTING ME TO BE THE FOUNDING
DIRECTOR OF THIS -- OF HIS
MUSEUM AND HISTORY OFFICE. WHEN
HANS WE ARE SUEDE D -- PERSUAD
THE NIH AS PART OF THE
CENTENNIAL OBSERVANTS HE
ASSEMBLED AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
OF SCIENTISTS, ELLIOT, ROBERT
BOWMAN, ALAN SHEKTER AND TED
BECKER. ADMINISTRATORS JOHN
DECKER WERE ALSO ON THIS
COMMITTEE. AS WERE LOIS
KOCHANSKI, THE CHIEF DIRECTOR
OFFICER OF THE NES, EDUCATION IN
THE SCIENCES, AND STORM WHALEY
IN WHOSE OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATIONS THE OFFICE WAS
PLACED. AS YOU MAY REALIZE, OF
THIS GROUP, ONLY TED BECKER,
ALAN SHEKTER AND I ARE STILL
LIVING. AND I WILL TAKE JUST A
MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE ALAN'S
CONTINUOUS SUPPORT FOR THIS
OFFICE INCLUDING SERVING AS
ACTING HISTORIAN FOR TWO YEARS
AFTER I RETIRED AND FOR
PROVIDING FUNDING FROM HIS OWN
LAB RESOURCES. I BELIEVE IF YOU
LOOK CAREFULLY AT THIS PHOTO OF
THE OPENING CEREMONY WHEN ALAN
PRESENTED A BRASS PLAQUE TO
DR. STETTEN COMMEMORATING THE
CREATION OF THE NIH MUSEUM OF
MEDICAL RESEARCH THIS LATER THE
NEXT YEAR NAMED FOR DR. STETTEN
YOU'LL SEE ED, SURGEON GENERAL
C. EVERETT AND OTHER PEOPLE YOU
MAY RECOGNIZE ALSO. SO TO BEGIN
TELLING THE STORIES OF NIH
HISTORY I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT
THERE WILL NEVER BE SUCH A THING
AS ONE SINGLE EXHAUSTIVE HISTORY
OF NIH. SHOULD ANYONE TRY TO
SQUEEZE ALL THE GOVERNMENT
POLICY, ALL THE LABORATORY AND
CLINICAL RESEARCH, ALL THE
TRAINING OF YOUNG SCIENTISTS,
AND ALL THE STAFF CONTRIBUTIONS
INTO ONE NARRATIVE, IT WOULD
SIMPLY BE SO LARGE AND DETAILED
AS TO BE UNREADABLE. I BELIEVE
THAT THE STORY OF NIH IS LIKE A
MARBLED CAKE. ONE CAN CUT
THROUGH IT IN MANY DIFFERENT
WAYS TO TELL IN DETAIL SPECIFIC
PARTS OF THE STORY WHILE NOT
LOSING SIGHT OF THE LARGER
CONTEXT THAT IS TO SAY THE CAKE
AS A WHOLE. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE
THAT THE WRITERS OF HISTORIES
HAVE PERSONAL INTERESTS AND
BIASES THAT MAY LEAD THEM TO
EMPHASIZE OR IGNORE PARTICULAR
ASPECTS OF THE STORY. JUST
CHOOSING WHICH FACTS TO INCLUDE
IN A HISTORY MEANS LEAVING OUT
OTHERS. SO THE NOTION OF SOME
ALL-ENCOMPASSING DEFINITIVE TRUE
HISTORY IS UNREALISTIC.
HISTORIANS OF THE FUTURE WILL
BEGIN WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT
ACCOUNTS AND OTHER EVIDENCE THAT
WE LEAVE BEHIND. AND THIS FACT
IS OF KEY IMPORTANCE IN MAKING
SURE THAT NIH HISTORY CONTINUES
TO BE WRITTEN. SO TODAY, I WANT
TO ADDRESS FOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT
BUILDING AN EDIFICE OF STORIES
THAT TELL NIH HISTORY. FIRST,
WE MUST ASK WHY THE UNDERTAKING
MATTERS AT ALL? SECOND, WHO
SHOULD TELL THESE STORIES?
THIRD, WHAT RESOURCES DO WE HAVE
TO WRITE ABOUT NIH HISTORY? AND
FOURTH, HOW BEST SHOULD THESE
STORIES BE TOLD? THE FIRST
QUESTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT,
WHY DO THE STORIES OF NIH
HISTORY MATTER AND TO WHOM? MY
ARGUMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT
THE STORIES OF WHAT NIH HAS
ACCOMPLISHED SHOULD BE TOLD TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHOSE TAX
MONEY HAS PAID FOR THE RESEARCH.
I BELIEVE THAT THE RETURN ON
INVESTMENT IS AMONG THE HIGHEST
RECEIVED FOR THE FEDERAL
RESOURCES INVESTED. AND IT
SHOULDN'T HURT NIH TO BRAG A
LITTLE. NIH SCIENTISTS AND
GRANTEES HAVE PRODUCED NOBEL
PRIZE WINNING RESEARCH, A CURE
FOR ONE FORM OF CHILDHOOD
CANCER, THE HUMAN GENOME
PROJECT, MULTIPLE VACCINES, MOST
RECENTLY FOR COVID-19 AND SO
MUCH MORE. THAT SAID, THERE ARE
A FEW NEGATIVE STORIES IN THE
LARGER HISTORY. AND THOSE
SHOULD NOT BE SWEPT UNDER ANY
GRAY LYNN MOLE YUM TIRE TILE ONE
EXAMPLE YOU MAY RECALL IS THE
1993 CLINICAL TRIAL OF THE DRUG
WHICH LED TO THE DEATHS OF FIVE
PATIENTS AND PROMPTED A FORMAL
REVIEW OF THE CLINICAL TRIALS
PROCESS. BY WHAT WAS THEN
CALLED THE INSTITUTE FOR
MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES. SO ADOPTING A
WARTS AND ALL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT
NIH HISTORY IS ESSENTIAL I
BELIEVE.
TO ANCHOR THE LARGER EFFORT IN
SOLID EVIDENCE, THE KIND OF DATA
THAT NIH CHERISHES. IN ADDITION
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, BROADLY
SPEAKING, NIH HISTORY SHOULD BE
AT THE FINGERTIPS OF SENIOR
ADMINISTRATORS AS NEEDED WHEN
THEY IDENTIFY, I'M SORRY, WHEN
THEY TESTIFY TO ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE
THAT IS TO SAY THE U.S. CONGRESS
AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE BUDGET
PROCESS. HAVING AN EVER
EXPANDING ARCHIVE OF STORIES
AVAILABLE ABOUT PAST NIH EFFORTS
WILL ENABLE ALL THE OFFICES THAT
SUPPORT SENIOR STAFF TO CITE
APPROPRIATE REFERENCES TO
CURRENT ISSUES. FOR YOUNG AND
ASPIRING SCIENTISTS, STORIES OF
MEDICAL RESEARCH WILL HELP THEM
PUSH THROUGH WHAT ONE INTRAMURAL
SCIENTIST CALLED THE BAD MONTHS.
TO GET TO THOSE GOOD DAYS WHEN
PERSEVERANCE IS REWARDED WITH
NEW KNOWLEDGE FORGED FROM
EXPERIMENTS DESIGNED IN A
RESEARCHER'S OWN BRAIN AND
FINALLY OF COURSE, NIH HISTORY
FOSTERS AN ES THREE DECOR FOR
THE ENTIRE INSTITUTION. SO WHO
SHOULD BE WRITING NIH HISTORY?
OUR OFFICE HAS TAKE AN BROAD
VIEW OF CANDIDATE AUTHORS.
LET'S BEGIN WITH PROFESSIONALLY
TRAINED HISTORIANS AND FOR THE
PURPOSE OF THIS TALK, I WILL
START WITH MY OWN FIRST BOOK
INVENTING THE NIH BIOMEDICAL
POLICY. NOW FROM THIS TITLE,
YOU CAN TELL THAT I FOCUSED ON
POLICY. AS WELL AS THE FACT OF
COURSE THAT THE TIME PERIOD
COVERS THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF NIH
HISTORY AS OUR RESEARCH
MATERIALS FOR THIS BOOK, I
INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT, HM, I
MIGHT COVER THE SCIENCES WELL.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MODERN
MEDICINE WAS JUST EMERGING
DURING THIS TIME. AND THERE
WEREN'T MANY OTHER BOOKS OR
ARTICLES I COULD FIND DISCUSSING
THE RESEARCH OF THE LABORATORY.
TO MY SURPRISE OF COURSE I CAME
ACROSS ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION
ABOUT IMPORTANT EARLY RESEARCH
FROM A STUDY OF TYPHOID FEVER IN
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT SCIENCE
PRESENTED TO CONGRESS EXPLAINING
WHY MILK NEEDED TO BE
PASTURIZED. THEN AS I WORKED ON
A HISTORY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN
SPOTTED FEVER AND GOT HOOKED ON
THE INTELLECTUAL HISTORY OF HOW
SCIENTISTS PUZZLE OUT THE
MYSTERIES OF DISEASE, I CAME TO
REALIZE JUST HOW HUGE THE
OPPORTUNITY WAS FOR HISTORIANS
OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE TO
ADDRESS NIH HISTORY. EITHER
DIRECTLY OR AS A PART OF THEIR
BROADER WORK. MICHELLE LYONS,
ANOTHER TRAINED HISTORIAN WHO IS
NOW DIRECTOR AND CURATOR OF THE
STETTEN MUSEUM RESEARCHED AND
WROTE THIS DIGITAL BOOK ABOUT
THE MOVE TO BETHESDA WHICH WAS
NOT PREVIOUSLY CAREFULLY
DOCUMENTED. NOT ALL HISTORIANS
NEED TO BE STAFF IN OUR OFFICE.
PROFESSOR ALAN KROUT FROM
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY WHOSE WORK
COMPRISES IMMIGRANT HISTORY,
JEWISH HISTORY, AND MEDICAL
HISTORY COMBINED ALL THREE
INTERESTS IN HIS BIOGRAPHY OF
DR. JOSEPH GOLDBERGER. THE
HYGIENIC LABORATORY SCIENTIST
WHOSE BRILLIANT EPIDEMIOLOGICAL
WORK IN 1914 DEFINED PILL LAG
RAH AS A NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
DISEASE. AND WORKING ON THIS
OFFICE, WORK -- WORKING ON THIS
BOOK AND ON THIS WEBSITE THAT
YOU SEE HERE.
FINALLY, THE WORK OF OUR STETTEN
POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWS HAS
HIGHLIGHTED MANY DIFFERENT AREAS
OF NIH RESEARCH EVEN THOSE IN
WHICH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EVIDENCE
OF BIO STATISTICIANS MAY
DISAGREE WITH LABORATORY SCIENCE
ABOUT IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH
ISSUES, SPECIFICALLY IN THIS
CASE, THE LINK BETWEEN SMOKING
AND CANCER. THAT TOPIC IS WHAT
MARK PARA SCAN DO LA ADDRESSED
AND PUBLISHED IN THE JOURM OF
HEALTH. NEXT LET'S LOOK AT
PHYSICIANS AND ADMINISTRATORS AS
THE ARTICLES AND BOOKS ABOUT NIH
HISTORY.
AND I NOTE UNABASHEDLY THAT I AM
SPEAKING TO PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM
TODAY ENCOURAGING YOU TO RECORD
AND PUBLISH BAOOKS OR WEBSITES,
YOUR OWN RESEARCH OR HOW YOU
ADMINISTER VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF
THE NIH. AS HE WAS DEALING WITH
HIS BLINDNESS, HANS STETTEN
WROTE HIS MEMOIR, HOW MY LIFE IS
SPENT PROVIDING US WITH HIS
PERSPECTIVE ON HIS LIFE, HIS
RESEARCH, THE POLITICS OF HIS
APPOINTMENTS, HIS PARTICIPANTS,
PARTICIPATION AND FOUNDING FAES
AND HIS HOPE FOR EDUCATING YOUNG
SCIENTISTS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
THE SIGN -- THEIR SCIENTIFIC
FORE BEARS AND THE LABORATORY
INSTRUMENTS ON WHICH THE CAREERS
OF TODAY WERE BUILT.
HE ALSO EDITED A BACK NIH AND
ACCOUNTED RESEARCH AND ITS
LABORATORIES AND CLINICS THAT
FEATURED CHAPTERS BY KEY
INTRAMURAL INVESTIGATORS WHO
WERE ACTIVELY HANS WAS THE NIH
DIRECTOR OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH.
THE BIOGRAPHIES OF TWO HISTORIC
VIROLOGISTS CHARLES ARMSTRONG
AND ROBERT HUMAN BEING NEVER
WERE WRITTEN BY EDWARD BEE MAN
WHO WAS A CLINICAL POSTDOC IN
THE LAB IN THE 1940S AND ED
WANTED TO MEMORIALIZE HIS MENTOR
AND DR. ARMSTRONG AS WELL. HE
WORKED AS A VOLUNTEER IN THIS
OFFICE TO PRODUCE BOTH OF THESE
BIOGRAPHIES. WHEN HE RETIRED AS
THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE
NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE HE CAME
TO THE OFFICE FOR GUIDANCE AND
ASSISTANCE FOR WRITING HIS
HISTORY OF HIS INSTITUTE. IT
CAN BE OVERWELCOMING FOR
PHYSICIANS AND SCIENTIST WHO IS
ARE ACCUSTOMED TO FOCUSING ON
SPECIFIC DATASETS AND PUBLISHING
DISCREET PAPERS IN SCIENTIFIC
JOURNALS TO BE CONFRONTED WITH
THE MASS OF EVIDENCE THAT
REFLECTS AT 20 OR 30 YEAR OR
LONGER CAREER. THIS IS WHAT
HISTORIANS DO ROUTINELY. WE
HELP DR. KUPFFER HIRE A
HISTORIAN AS A CONSULTANT AND
HIS COMPLETED HISTORY LIKE THE
OTHERS I HAVE MENTIONED, ARE
AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. A
MORE RECENT EXAMPLE IS THE
MEMOIR WRITTEN BY BOB. HIS
RESEARCH DEMONSTRATING THE
EXISTENCE OF PATHOGENIC HUMAN
RETROE VIRUSES AND THE
PATHOGENIC VIRUS WE KNOW AS HIV
THE CAUSE OF AIDS, MY FINAL
EXAMPLE WILL BE THE WORK OF
DAVID MORE RINZ, WHO WAS THE
SENIOR AUTHOR ON A HISTORY OF
DR. JOSEPH KENYAN. THE FOUNDER
OF THE LABORATORY THAT BECAME
NIH AS THE UMBRELLA INSTITUTION
THAT GREW AS DID BIOMEDICAL
RESEARCH IN THE 20TH CENTURY.
DAVID HAS CONTINUED TO WORK WITH
THE KENYAN FAMILY TOWARDS
POSSIBLY HAVING NIH THROUGH THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
RECEIVED RECENTLY DISCOVERED
FAMILY PAPERS OF DR. KENDOWN.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER
EXAMPLES I COULD CITE BUT I WILL
INSTEAD DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO
WHAT IS MISSING FROM THIS SLIDE.
THAT IS THE MEMOIRS OF FEMALE
PHYSICIANS AND SCIENTISTS.
RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN BOOKS
AND ARTICLES ABOUT SOME OF THESE
WOMEN BUT IT WOULD BE
EXCEEDINGLY HELP FUL IF BUY YOU
MEDICAL WOMEN WOULD WRITE THEIR
OWN MEMOIRS. ANOTHER GROUP OF
AUTHORS ARE THOSE SPONSORED BY
INSTITUTES TO MARK
ANNIVERSARIES, ONE EXAMPLE IS
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NURSING
RESEARCH. WRITTEN BY DR. PHIL
LIP KEN THAT LON WHO WORKED WITH
AN NIR COMMITTEE AND WAS GIVEN
ACCESS TO THE HISTORICAL FILES
OF THE INSTITUTE. ANOTHER
STETTEN FLOEL COMPOSED A
SYMPOSIUM OF PERHAPS OF THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL
HEALTH AND WHAT WAS THEN CALLED
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES AND
BLINDNESS THE PROCEEDINGS OF
THAT CONFERENCE IN WHICH SENIOR
SCIENTISTS WROTE ABOUT THEIR OWN
ACCOUNTS, PRODUCED THIS VOLUME
THAT YOU SEE. DR. FER RATHER
RES INTRODUCED THEIR
CONTRIBUTIONS WITH A DETAILED
OVERVIEWED HISTORY OF THE
COMBINED INTRAMURAL PROGRAMS.
DURING THE PROCESS OF ORGANIZING
THE CONFERENCE, AND COMPILING
THE BOOK, SOME OF THE SCIENTISTS
INVOLVED DONATED PHOTOGRAPHS
FROM THE PERIOD THAT WOULD
OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN LOST.
BECAUSE THESE SCIENTISTS DIED
NOT LONG AFTERWARDS. OH, AND
DID I MENTION THAT DR. FER
RATHER RES GAVE BIRTH TO HER
FIRST CHILD JUST ARIZONA THE
BACK WAS GOING TO PRESS. OUR
STETTEN FELLOWS ARE HARDY.
FINALLY ONE MUST NEVER
UNDERESTIMATE THE INITIATIVE OF
SUMMER STUDENTS AND HOW THE
LARGER INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT IN
WHICH NIH OPERATES. HAS AN
IMPACT ON ITS HISTORY. MELISSA
KLEIN, DAUGHTER OF DR. HARVEY
KLEIN WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE
TRAINING PROGRAM FOR YOUNG
VISIONS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR
IN WHICH HER FATHER HAD
PARTICIPATED. SHE WENT FROM
OFFICE TO OFFICE SEARCHING FOR
INFORMATION AND SHE UNEARTHED I
THINK IT WAS IN BUILDING ONE IN
THE BACK OF A CLOSET, METAL FILE
BOXES CONTAINING 4 X 6 INDEX
CARDS OF THE PHYSICIANS IN THE
ASSOCIATE TRAINING PROGRAM. AND
HERE ARE THREE EXAMPLES OF THE
CARDS OF CLINICAL ASSOCIATE
WHOMS YOU MAY RECOGNIZE. WE
DIGITIZED THESE CARDS.
AND PREPARED AN EXCEL DATABASE
WITH THE INFORMATION ON EACH
CARD TYPED IN. THERE HAD LONG
BEEN AN INFORMAL BELIEF THAT
THIS PROGRAM KNOWN BY THE
SELF-DEPRECATING NAME THAT THE
PARTICIPANTS GAVE THEMSELVES.
THEY WERE YELLOW BERETS WHO
FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF BETHESDA
THAT IT HAD AN OUTSIZED IMPACT
ON ACADEMIC MEDICINE BUT NO ONE
BY THE TIME MELISSA FOUND THESE
CARDS HAD MADE A RIGOROUS STUDY.
BEGINNING WITH MELISSA'S SUMMER
PAPER, WHICH ANNOUNCED THE
EXISTENCE OF THIS DATASET, THE
DAM BEGAN TO BREAK. SANDY COT A
RECIPIENT OF A TRAVEL GRANT FROM
OUR OFFICE BEGAN TO WORK ON THE
IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM WHILE HE
WAS STILL IN MEDICAL SCHOOL. HE
PERSEVERED THROUGH HIS RESIDENCY
AND ONTO HIS FACULTY POSITION AT
NEUROLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WASHINGTON MEDICAL SCHOOL AND IN
2001 IN COLLABORATION WITH
ANOTHER FORMER STETTEN FELLOW,
DR. COT PUBLISHED AN ANALYSIS OF
THE PROGRAM'S IMPACT IN THE
JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC MEDICINE.
THAT WAS FOLLOWED IN 2019, BY
DR. RAYMOND GREEN BERG'S BOOK
THAT EMPHASIZED IS HOW THE
PROGRAM HAD PRODUCED NOBEL PRIZE
WINNERS.
AND IN 2020, BY AN HONORABLE.COM
PODCAST VOICED BY ALAN ALDA
CALLED SOLDIERS OF SCIENCE. SO
WHAT RESOURCES, HELLO, I DON'T
KNOW WHY IT DOESN'T WANT TO GO
FORWARD. WHAT RESOURCES DO WE
HAVE TO TELL THE STORIES OF NIH
HISTORY? TO BEGIN WITH, WE HAVE
MULTIPLE LARGE INSTITUTIONAL
ARCHIVES. ALL THE TOP LEVEL
CORRESPONDENTS REPORTS AND
MATERIALS PREPARED FOR THE
PUBLIC ARE SOME OF THE THINGS
DESIGNATED TO BECOME PERMANENT
RECORDS AT THE NATIONAL
ARCHIVES. WHEN NIH WAS SIMPLY
THE LABORATORY ARM OF THE U.S.
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE THE
LETTERS, MEMOS AND OTHER
DOCUMENTS WERE PRESERVED IN THE
RECORDS: THE IMAGE YOU SEE HERE
IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE END NOTES
OF ONE CHAPTER IN MY FIRST BOOK
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I WAS
RELYING HEAVILY ON RECORD GROUP
DOCUMENTATION. AFTER WORLD WAR
II, AS THE NUMBER OF INSTITUTES
GREW, NIH GOT ITS OPEN RECORD
GROUP. RECORD GROUP 443,
RECORDS OF THE NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. I DON'T
KNOW WHY UT IT DON'T -- ANYBODY
KNOW WHY IT DON'T -- WON'T GO
FORWARD?
THERE IT IS. WE ALSO HAVE THE
WONDERFUL RESOURCES OF THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE AND
ITS HISTORY OF MEDICINE
DIVISION. THE MISSION OF HMD IS
TO DOCUMENT ALL OF MEDICINE FOR
ALL OF TIME SO IT MUST COLLECT
ONLY A SELECTIVE SEGMENT OF NIH
MATERIALS. ONE EXAMPLE MUST
SUFFICE TODAY. THE LIBRARY
HOLDS AND CONSERVES SELECTED
PAPER DOCUMENTS AND BOOKS AND
HERE I'M SHOWING YOU A
DOCUMENT'S SACRED TO THE HISTORY
OF GENETICS AT NIH AND I NOTE
THAT IT IS COMPOSED OF
LABORATORY NOTEBOOK PAGES TAPED
TOGETHER WITH DEFINITELY NON
ARCHIVAL SCOTCH TAPE.
IT IS A CHART ON WHICH OUR FIRST
NOBEL LAUREATE, MARSHAL RECORDED
THE RESULTS OF HIS EXPERIMENTS
DOCUMENTING WHICH DNA TRIPLET
BASIS WORKED WITH WHICH AMINO
ACIDS. WE MAY ALSO UTILIZE THE
HISTORICAL MATERIALS COLLECTED
BY INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTES, THESE
VARY GREATLY AND I WILL
SOMEWHERE MENTION TWO OF THE
RICHEST. THE NATIONAL HUMAN
GENOME RESEARCH INSTITUTE
SUPPORTS A WONDERFUL ORAL
HISTORY PROGRAM. AND THE
NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
MAINTAINS AN ARCHIVE OF IMAGES
IN ITS VISUALS ONLINE WEBSITE.
COMING BACK TO THE OFFICE OF NIH
HISTORY AND STETTEN MUSEUM, I
WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE AND
THIS OFFICE WILL ALWAYS BE A
PART OF ME. FOCUS EXCLUSIVELY
ON NIH HISTORY AND THE HISTORY
OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AS ITS
LARGER CONTEXT. OVER THE YEARS
WE HAVE ASSEMBLED REFERENCE
FILES SUCH AS BIOGRAPHY FILES ON
INDIVIDUAL NIH SCIENTISTS AND A
LARGE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WRITINGS
ABOUT NIH HISTORY INDEED, IT IS
NOW SO BIG, SO LONG, THAT ONE
TASK FOR THE FUTURE WILL BE TO
REORGANIZE IT BY INSTITUTE. WE
HAVE TIMELINES ON LAWS RELATING
TO HUMAN AND ANIMAL RESEARCH AND
LISTS OF REFERENCES ON THE MAJOR
STUDIES OF NIH AND ON THE PEER
REVIEW SYSTEMS SINCE WORLD WAR
II. WE HAVE TRADE CATALOGS AND
INSTRUMENT OPERATING MANUALS AND
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF
PHOTOGRAPHS THAT MAY BE
ACCESSED. BUT TODAY, I
ESPECIALLY WANT TO HIGHLIGHT TWO
RESOURCES, THE ORAL HISTORY
COLLECTION AND THE COLLECTION OF
INSTRUMENTS AND ARTIFACTS IN THE
STETTEN MUSEUM. LET'S BEGIN
WITH THE ORAL HISTORIES. AT
PRESENT THERE ARE MORE THAN 580
ORAL HISTORIES POSTED ON THE
WEBSITE. THE STORIES OF CAREERS
IN PIE -- BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
TOLD BY THE INVESTIGATORS
THEMSELVES. THEIR VALUE WAS
RECENTLY CONFIRMED AT THE
RETIREMENT COMMUNITY WHERE I
LIVED. I HEARD THE SPEAKER RAVE
ABOUT THESE ORAL HISTORIES
SAYING THAT HE HAD FOUND OUT
MORE ABOUT A PERSON CENTRAL TO
HIS LECTURE FROM ONE OF THESE
ORAL HISTORIES THAN HE'D BEEN
ABLE TO FIND IN ALL OTHER
SOURCES. I BEGAN A FORMAL
COLLECTION OF SUCH NARRATIVES AT
THE END OF THE 1980S, AS I MADE
THE HISTORY OF HIV/AIDS MY
PERSONAL RESEARCH PROJECT. IN
1984 WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED AT NIH
TO WORK ON ROCKY MOUNTAIN
SPOTTED FEVER I WAS GIVEN AN
OFFICE IN BUILDING FIVE, THE
INFECTIOUS DISEASES BUILDING.
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER 1984, THAT
WAS THE YEAR THAT A RETROVIRUS
WHICH BECAME KNOWN AS HIV WAS
CONVINCINGLY DEMONSTRATED AS THE
CAUSE OF AIDS BY FOUR PAPERS IN
SCIENCE BY ROBERT'S LAB I WAS
SURROUNDED BY IMMUNOLOGISTS WHO
WERE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
WAS HAPPENING WITH THIS NEW AND
TERRIBLE DISEASE THAT IS
DESTROYED THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
MOST VERY EARLY RESEARCH ON AIDS
WAS CONDUCTED BY NIH AND I ASKED
MY OFFICE MATE AND SCIENCE
WRITER ABOUT WHO WAS DOCUMENTING
THE RESPONSE TO THIS NEW
DISEASE? NO ONE, AS FAR AS I
KNOW SHE RESPONDED. AHA. AS A
HISTORIAN I KNEW THAT A BRAND
NEW INFECTIOUS DISEASE DID NOT
POP UP VERY OFTEN. SO SOMEBODY
SHOULD BE DOCUMENTING IT AND
THAT PERSON TURNED OUT TO BE ME
GOING 1988 I BEGAN INTERVIEWING
INTERMURAL INVESTIGATORS ABOUT
AIDS. IN 2001 THESE ORAL
HISTORIES FORMED THE CORE OF A
WEBSITE I CREATED WITH NIAD AND
NCI TO DOCUMENT THE KEY DECADE
OF RESEARCH HERE. 1981-90.
THOSE ARE STILL REGULARLY
ACCESSED ESPECIALLY EVERY TIME
THERE IS AN ANNIVERSARY AROUND
HIV/AIDS OR SOMEONE, LIKE
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI GAINS INTENSE
PUBLIC SCRUTINY AS HE DID DURING
COVID-19, AND JOURNALISTS WANT
TO MINE EVERY SCRAP OF
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON HIM
THAT EXISTS. THE IMPORTANCE OF
CAPTURING ORAL HISTORIES IN A
TIMELY MANNER CAN NOT BE
OVERSTATED. CAROLINE H. AND I
INTERVIEWED RUTH IN EIGHT
INTERVIEWS OVER THE COURSE OF A
YEAR. DR. KIRS ACETYLCHOLINE
HAD NOT FINISHED EDITING THEM
WHEN SHE DIED. HER BIOGRAPHY
ACKNOWLEDGED THESE INTERVIEWS
WERE THE PRINCIPLE ED ON WHICH
HER BOOK WAS BASED. CURRENT
STAFF HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE
TO CREATE A COVID-19 RESEARCH
ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE. TO DATE,
THEY HAVE CONDUCTED 280
INTERVIEWS. I'M USING THE
INTERVIEW DONE BY ARCHIVIST
GABRIELLE BAR AS AN EXAMPLE.
IN 2020, THE DOCTOR LED A STUDY
TO UNDERSTAND THE SPREAD OF SARS
KOE 2 TO HELP PUBLIC OFFICIALS
PROTECT THE POPULATION BEFORE
THE MRNA VACCINE WAS AVAILABLE.
AND FINALLY, I WILL TIP MY HAT
TO DR. STEVE HOLLAND WHO I THINK
IS BACK THERE WHO HAS SPONSORED
A SERIES OF ORAL HISTORIES WITH
SENIOR NIAID SCIENTISTS. FULL
DOSE CL -- DISCLOSURE I CAN TEL
YOU THAT I WAS STUNNED WITH HOW
MUCH MORE IS KNOWN ABOUT
MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY NOW THAN
WAS KNOWN WHEN I WAS
INTERVIEWING FOLKS IN THE 1980S
ABOUT AIDS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN SURPRISE OF COURSE AND I
WAS AWED NOT ONLY BY THE SHEER
AMOUNT OF NEW KNOWLEDGE BUT ALSO
WITH THE TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS
BEEN DEVELOPED TO HELP MAKE IT
POSSIBLE. NOW I WANT TO TURN TO
INSTRUMENTS AND OTHER ARTIFACTS
IN THE STETTEN MUSEUM. THAT ARE
RESOURCES FOR TELLING THE
STORIES OF NIH HISTORY. TWO
THINGS INSPIRED HANS STETTEN TO
ADVOCATE FOR THE CREATION OF A
MUSEUM AT NIH. THE FIRST WAS
THIS DIARY. BROUGHT TO HIM BY A
SCIENTIST WHO HAD FOUND IT IN A
DRAWER. IN AN OLD CABINET. AND
IT BECAME ITEM ONE IN THE
COLLECTION. AND YOU CAN
IDENTIFY A LOT ABOUT AN ITEM
WITH THE CATALOG NUMBER. THE
FIRST TWO NUMBERS ARE THE YEAR
THE ITEM WAS SESSIONED. SO
EVERYTHING WE HAD FROM '86 ON
CARRIES THE NUMBER 89 BUT YOU
SEE THE OTHERS IS -- IT'S A 101.
THIS DIARY WAS JOSEPH
GOLDBERGER'S HANDWRITTEN ACCOUNT
OF HIS FOLLOW UP TRIP THROUGH
THE SOUTH. CHECKING ON THE
RESULTS OF HIS RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR BETTER DIETS TO PREVENT PILL
LAG RAH. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU
CAN READ ANY OF THE SCRIPT BUT
HE SAID THAT HIS PHYSICIAN
CONTACT IN CHARGE TO EVER
ORPHANAGE IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH
CAROLINA WAS PURSUING AN
ALTERNATIVE THEORY THAT THE
CAUSE WAS A WATERBORNE MICROBE.
VERY POPULAR THEORY AT THAT
TIME. IN CONTRAST, HIS ENTRY
ABOUT IN HOSPITAL IN SAVANNAH,
GEORGIA STATED THEY WERE
IMPROVING AFTER HAVING THEIR
DIETS CHANGED. SIMILARLY, I
WILL USE ONE OF OUR EARLIEY EIE
DONATIONS, YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM
HERE, AS AN EXAMPLE OF AN
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY INSTRUMENT
DEVELOPED IN THE 1940S BY LIME
AND CRAIG. IT WAS USED BY NIH
SCIENTISTS AS WELL AS OTHERS
AROUND THE WORLD. IT WAS ONE OF
WHAT I LIKE TO CALL THE BIG
INSTRUMENTS. DEVELOPED FROM THE
1930S, ONWARD AND WERE
CONSTANTLY IN USE BUT THEY GREW
EVER SMALLER OVER TIME. WE
COLLECTED INSTRUMENTS LARGE AND
SMALL FROM AN CENTRIFUGE THE
SIZE OF AN UP RIGHT PIANO TO A
COLOR RIM TEAR AS YOU SEE HERE.
HANS STETTEN WANTED YOUNG
SCIENTISTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW
THEIR PREDECESSORS HAD WORKED
AND I WILL TELL ONE QUICK STORY
ABOUT THE IMPRESSION THESE
INSTRUMENTS MADE. AND THE FIRST
EXHIBIT I PERSONALLY PREPARED
WAS ABOUT DR. MARSHALL NUREMBERG
WHICH IS ONE REASON I'VE SHOWN
SO MANY THINGS RELATED TO HIM.
IT WAS PLACED IN THE MAIN
ELEVATOR LOBBY OF BUILDING TEN,
THE ORIGINAL CLINICAL CENTER.
AND ONE DAY I HAPPENED UPON A
YOUNG SCIENTIST OBVIOUSLY GIVING
HIS PARENTS A TOUR OF THE NIH.
LOOK AT THIS HE TOLD THEM, SEE
THIS THING CALLED AN
ELECTROPHORESIS, IT IS BIGGER
THAN YOUR WASHING MACHINE, MOM.
THEY ARE NOW MADE IN COUNTERTOP
SIZES. I DON'T KNOW HOW
DR. NUREMBERG COULD MANAGE WITH
SUCH HUGE UNWIELDY INSTRUMENTS.
WOE ALSO COLLECTED NIH HISTORY
ARTIFACTS.
IN 19980 DURING THE TURBULENT
YEARS OF THE HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC,
THE GROUP STORM THE NIH PROTEST
AND THE OD OFFICE OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC
LIAISON TO PICK UP SOME OF THE
MATERIAL USED BY THE PROTESTORS.
AND THE SIGN YOU SEE HERE IS ONE
OF THE MANY ITEMS RELATED TO
HIV/AIDS THAT THE MUSEUM HOLDS
SIMILARLY, IN ADDITION TO
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS AND
ARTIFACTS RELATED TO COVID-19,
THE MUSEUM HAS COLLECTED
LIGHT-HEARTED ARTIFACTS SUCH AS
THIS BARNEY GRAHAM BOBBLE HEAD
AND MANY, MANY, MANY ITEMS TO
TONY FAUCI ABOUT HOW PEOPLE
VIEWED HIM.
FROM THE BEGINNING IN 1986 WHEN
WE HAD PERHAPS FIVE INSTRUMENTS
AND THE GOLDBERGER DIARY IN OUR
COLLECTION IT HAS GROWN TO OVER
4,000 INDIVIDUAL ITEMS. LARGELY
THANKS TO THE 35 YEAR CURATORIAL
EFFORT OF MICHELLE LYONS. SHE
DEVELOPED THE SOFTWARE FOR
CATALOGING, THE INNER DETAILS OF
EACH OBJECT, HAD THEM
PHOTOGRAPHED AND OVERSAW THREE
MAJOR MOVES TO NEW SPACES. I
SHOW HERE THE CONDITIONS IN
WHICH THEY EXISTED IN 1989.
WHEN THEY WERE HOUSED IN
BUILDING THIRTEEN AND THE
SESSION PROCESS FORMALLY BEGAN
THAT YEAR. AND HOW THEY ARE
CAREFULLY CURATED TODAY. THIS
BRINGS ME TO HOW WE SHOULD TELL
NIH HISTORY. IN ADDITION TO
PUBLICATIONS, THIS DENNIS THE
MENACE CARTOON MAKES THE POINT
THAT MOST PEOPLE LEARN HISTORY
FROM MUSEUMS, HISTORIC SIGHTS
AND OTHER PUBLIC HISTORY VENUES
RATHER THAN BY READING SCHOLARLY
BOOKS AND ARTICLES. HERE YOU
SEE HANS AND JAMES CUTTING THE
RIBBON TO INAUGURATE THE FIRST
SERIES OF PHYSICAL EXHIBITS
CALLED WINDOWS INTO NIH HISTORY.
AND THIS WAS MY FIRST TASTE OF
WHAT I CALL BEING A RING MASTER,
COORDINATING THE WORK OF THE
OLDEST CONSTITUTES, FIVE OF THE
OLD
OLDEST INSTITUTES WHO PREPARED
FOR THE WINDOW SERIES DURING THE
CENTENNIAL OBSERVATION.
AND I CAN BRAG ON THE QUALITY OF
THESE EXHIBITS. THOSE
INSTITUTES CAME THROUGH FOR US.
THE SERIES WON THE JOHN WESLEY
POWELL AWARD FROM THE SOCIETY OF
THE HISTORY OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT THE YEAR AFTER THE
U.S. NAVY HAD WON FOR THE U.S.S.
ARIZONA MUSEUM. SO IT WAS IN
RAREFIED COMPANY. AFTER THE
TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER
11, 21 -- 2 2001, HOWEVER, THE
PUBLIC WAS NOT ABLE TO ENJOY
THIS. WE EXPANDED THE DIGITAL
EXHIBITS. SOME OF WHICH I HAVE
ALREADY SHOWN YOU N. 2002, AS I
THINK IT WAS, AS I WAIT FOR A
MRAEP TO RETURN FROM D.C. AFTER
AN AMERICAN HISTORICAL MEETING
IN CHICAGO, I CHECKED WITH
DR. ROY WHO HAD FOUNDED A CENTER
FOR HISTORY AND NEW MEDIA. AT
JARRING MASON UNIVERSITY. HE
SUGGESTED THAT OUR TWO PROGRAMS
SHOULD COLLABORATE ON A DIGITAL
EXHIBIT. LEVITT ON OUR STAFF
HAD INTERVIEWED HER ON HER WORK
IN SEARCHING FOR A DIAGNOSTIC
TOOL FOR CANCER. AND ACCIDENTLY
IN THE PROCESS, AS IT WERE,
IDENTIFYING AN AASSAY THAT WAS
PICKED UP BY PHARMACEUTICAL
COMPANIES AND COMMERCIALIZED AS
THE HOME PREGNANTY TEST. SARAH
AND THE WONDERFUL H NIH
DEPARTMENT CREATED THIS HERE.
AND THEY WANTED THEM TO TELL
THEIR OWN STORIES ABOUT THE
PREGNANCY TEST BUT AS YOU KNOW,
THE PROFIT -- FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
IS PROHIBITED FROM STORING SO
MUCH INFORMATION FROM CITIZENS
IN THIS SPACE.
THIS IS WHERE GEORGE MASON CAME
IN. CREATED THAT DATABASE AND
VIEWERS OF OUR EXHIBIT WERE TOLD
THAT IF THEY WISH TO TELL THEIR
OWN STORIES, THEY WOULD LEAVE
THE NIH WEBSITE AND GO TO GEORGE
MASON'S. AND JUST TO MAKE SURE
THAT THIS STORY WAS ALSO
RECORDED IN THE ACADEMIC
LITERATURE, SARAH PUBLISHED AN
ARTICLE IN THE BULLETIN OF THE
HISTORY OF MEDICINE AND I TELL
THIS LONG STORY BECAUSE THIS
EXHIBIT ALONG WITH HIV/AIDS
MATERIALS ARE TWO OF THE MOST
VISITED SITES ON THE WEB AT --
EVEN AFTER 20 YEARS. I EXPECT
HOWEVER THAT ALL THE COVID-19
INFORMATION BEING MADE AVAILABLE
RIGHT NOW WILL SURPASS
EVERYTHING AS TIME GOES ON. I
WILL CLOSE WITH PICTURES OF THE
BRILLIANT STAFF THAT KIM PELIS
HAS ASSEMBLED TO TAKE THIS
OFFICE INTO THE FUTURE. THESE
FOLKS TELL NIH HISTORY VIA
INTERNAL MEDIA SUCH AS THE NIH
REGARD AND THE CATALYST AND THE
SOCIAL MEDIA THAT DIDN'T EXIST
WHEN I WAS DIRECTOR. I REMIND
YOU THAT AS WE ALL KNOW
HISTORIANS ALWAYS HAVE THE LAST
WORD AND, PARDON ME, AND TO MAKE
SURE HISTORIANS IN THE FUTURE
KNOW ABOUT NIH CONTRIBUTION TO
HUMAN HEALTH, THE OFFICE OF NIH
HISTORY AND STETTEN MUSEUM NEEDS
YOUR HELP. I IMPLORE YOU, ONCE
AGAIN, TO THINK ABOUT DONATING
PHOTOGRAPHS, INSTRUMENTS,
ARTIFACTS ABOUT SITTING FOR AN
ORAL HISTORY, ABOUT WRITING YOUR
OWN MEMOIRS. OVER THESE LAST
FEW MINUTES, I HAVE TALKED ABOUT
AND SHOWN YOU IMAGES OF A TINY
PORTION OF HOW WE TELL NIH
HISTORY, STORY BY STORY. I'VE
TRIED TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF
WHY WE NEED TO DO NIH HISTORY.
WHO SHOULD WRITE THE STORIES?
THE KINDS OF RESOURCES THAT MAKE
THE STORIES POSSIBLE AND THE
DIFFERENT VENUES THROUGH WHICH
THEY MAY BE COMMUNICATED.
FUTURE SPEAKERS IN THIS
LECTURESHIP WILL FOCUS ON
INDIVIDUAL STORIES. I LOOK
FORWARD TO HEARING THOSE
LECTURES AND ONCE AGAIN, I THANK
YOU FOR THE SINGLE HONOR YOU
HAVE GIVEN ME
>> AUDIENCE: (APPLAUSE).
>> KIM: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A
WONDERFUL LECTUCTURE -- DO WE H
ANY QUESTIONS? ANYBODY HERE WHO
WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION,
PLEASE COME UP TO THE
MICROPHONE, STATE YOUR NAME AND
IF ANYONE IN THE WEB AUDIENCE
WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION
THERE'S A BUTTON BY YOUR SCREEN
>> AUDIENCE: SINCE EVERYTHING IS
DIGITAL NOW IT PRESENTS A
CERTAIN PROBLEM. IT IS EASY TO
SAVE AND COLLECT BUT THERE'S SO
MUCH. THE HUNDREDS OF -- THE
PHOTOS ON YOUR SMART PHONE, IT
CAN BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
IS MOST IMPORTANT TO SAVE. DO
YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ABOUT
COLLECTING IN THE DIGITAL ERA
GIVEN THAT STORAGE ISN'T FREE
AND SOMETIMES NOT AS STABLE AS
THE PHYSICAL OBJECTS?
>> VICTORIA: GABRIELE MIGHT
OUGHT TO BE THE PERSON ANSWERING
THIS. I AM OBSESSIVE ABOUT THIS
WHEN I TAKE PICTURES. I GO HOME
AND COPY THEM -- COPY IN MY HARD
DRIVE. THAT'S NOT DONE SO MUCH
ANYMORE. AND CATALOG. I PUT
THE DATE, THE YEARS, THE FULL
DATE, AND HERE THEY ARE, WHAT IT
IS BASICALLY AND I HAVE FOLDERS
THAT THEY DO INTO. THIS IS ALL
DIGITAL. AND I AM RUTHLESS
ABOUT CURATING AND CUTTING OUT.
NOT EVERY PHOTO HAS TO BE SAVED
BUT THINGS THAT REPRESENT
IMPORTANT THINGS. BUT GABRIELE
IS THE ARCHIVIST FOR THE OFFICE
AND SHE IS A FINE PERSON AS IS
MICHELLE IN TERMS OF KNOWING THE
KINDS OF PHOTOS THAT WOULD BE
NEEDED THE MOST
>> AUDIENCE: MY NAME IS STEVE
HOLLAND AND VICKI, I CAN'T THANK
YOU ENOUGH FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY
WORK YOU'VE DONE NOT ONLY
DOCUMENTING THE HISTORY OF OUR
INFECTIONS AND OF OUR EFFORTS
BUT THE HISTORY OF OUR HISTORY.
AND I -- AS AN INDULGER IN YOUR
CRAFT AND YOUR SKILL, I'M DEEPLY
GRATEFUL AND IMPRESSED. I
WONDER IF I COULD JUST ASK FOR A
MOMENT, YOU'VE SHOWN A LOT ABOUT
OUR INTRAMURAL SUCCESSES, AND
THE CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE IN
THE INTRAMURAL PROGRAM HAVE DONE
OVER CENTURIES NOW. I WONDER A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE CAPTURE
SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
THE EXTRAMURAL PROGRAM AND I'M
SPECIFICALLY THINKING OF COURSE
UNIVERSITIES ARE ALWAYS CAPT
CAPTURCAPT
CAPTURING WHAT THEY DO WITH A
LOT MORE GLOSSY THAN WE CAN
PROVIDE. SO HOW DO WE CAPTURE
THE ACTION BETWEEN THE
EXTRAMURAL COMPONENTS AND OUR
WORK IN THE EXTRAMURAL WORK?
>> VICTORIA: THAT'S A FINE
QUESTION AND WHEN WE STARTED
THIS OFFICE, WITH SUCH A TINY
STAFF, WE MADE THE DECISION WE
WOULD AIM TO DEAL WITH
INTRAMURAL BECAUSE THEY WERE
HERE. WE COULDN'T DO IT ALL.
FURTHER, WE ENDED UP, INCLUDING
CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THE GENOME
PROJECT'S ETHICAL, LEGAL AND
SOCIAL PROGRAM AS TOPICS BECAUSE
THEY WERE SO CURRENT. AS FAR AS
ALL THE GRANTEES GO, IT IS -- IT
DISAPPOINTED ME WHEN I FOUND OUT
THAT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES DOES
NOT KEEP ANYTHING MORE THAN THE
TOP PAGE OR TWO OF GRANTS. IT
DOES NOT KEEP THE SO-CALLED PINK
SHEETS, THE REVIEWS. WHICH IS
WHAT HISTORIANS WOULD LIKE TO
SEE. WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT
THESE PROPOSALS. AND WE WOULD
GET INQUIRIES ABOUT THIS ALL THE
TIME AND THE ONLY RESPONSE THAT
WE COULD REALLY GIVE WAS IF YOU
GO TO THE UNIVERSITY, MAYBE THE
GRANTEE, HIM OR HERSELF SAVED
THIS INFORMATION. IT'S A BIG
PROBLEM. I MEAN, THERE ARE THE
OVERVIEW PROGRAMS IN ANY
INSTITUTE, WELL, I'M THINKING
PERHAPS IN THE HEART INSTITUTE.
IT HAS THE KIND OF PRECEDENCE
THAT COULD BE DEALT WITH. THE
PROBLEM OF DEALING WITH ALL THE
GRANTEES AND ALL THE INSTITUTES
IS JUST MORE THAN I KNOW ANYBODY
COULD DEAL WITH. MAYBE SOMEBODY
ELSE HAS AN IDEA
>> AUDIENCE: ANOTHER QUESTION
FROM THE AUDIENCE AT HOME ARE
ASKING DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE
NIH STORY OF ALL THE NARRATIVES
AND BIOGRAPHIES YOU HAVE
COLLECTED?
>> VICTORIA: HOW MANY HOURS DO
WE HAVE? NO. BUT IF YOU GIVE
ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL A
STORY I WILL TELL A STORY THAT
I'VE TOLD THESE GENTLEMEN BEFORE
WE STARTED. WHICH IS WHY IT'S
SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO WORK,
TO SAVE MATERIAL SINCE I WROTE
THE BOOK ON HIV/AIDS I GET CALLS
EVERY TIME THERE'S AN
ANNIVERSARY FROM JOURNALISTS.
AND THE LAST BIG ANNIVERSARY AN
EARNEST YOUNG WOMAN CALLED AND
ASKED WHEN DID THE RONALD REAGAN
ADMINISTRATION FINALLY FREE UP
MONEY TO DO RESEARCH ON AIDS AND
I SAID IT WAS AFTER ROCK HUDSON
DIED. DEAD SILENCE. I SAID YOU
DO KNOW WHO ROCK HUDSON WAS?
DON'T YOU? AND SHE SAID, NO,
I'M SORRY, I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF
HIM. WHO WAS HE AND WHY DOES IT
MATTER AND I SAID HE WAS A GOOD
FRIEND OF RONALD AND NANCY
REAGAN WHO WERE ALSO ACTORS AND
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WERE
FINDING OUT IN THE EARLY 80S NOT
ONLY THAT HE WAS GAY BUT THAT HE
WAS DYING FROM THIS TERRIBLE
DISEASE, IT IMPRESSED THE REAGAN
ADMINISTRATION THAT NOW'S THE
TIME THAT WE CAN SUPPORT
FUNDING. I WAS TOLD THIS STORY
BY THE FIRST PERSON I EVER
INTERVIEW IF YOU REMEMBER
DR. HILL. HE WAS TONY FAUCI'S
DEPUTY AND I WAS STILL IN
COMPLETE INTIMIDATION BY
DR. FAUCI BUT JIM WAS EASY TO
TALK TO. SO THAT IS A FAVORITE
STORY
>> AUDIENCE: YEAH A QUESTION
ABOUT YOU REPORTED THE HISTORY
OF AIDS AS IT WAS ONGOING, WHAT
ADVICE DO YOU HAVE THOSE
RECORDING COVID-19 AS IT'S
ONGOING EVEN NOW?
>> VICTORIA: WELL I JUST GAVE A
PRESENTATION TO THE OFFICE OF
NIH HISTORY THE WAY -- DOING
ORAL HISTORIES HAS EVOLVED FOR
ME OVER TIME. AND I PUT A LOT
MORE IN THEM NOW. IN TERMS OF
INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL AND
WALKING PEOPLE THROUGH. SO THAT
THE ONES THAT I'M DOING NOW FOR
NIAID WE GET THE WHOLE LIFE
BASICALLY AND I TRY TO EDIT AND
GO THROUGH AND GET PEOPLE'S
NAMES SPELLED CORRECTLY. FROM
HAVING BEEN A HISTORIAN USING
UNEDITED ORAL HISTORIES AND IT
TOOK ME HOURS TO FIGURE OUT HOW
THIS CRAZY SPELLED NAME, WHO
THEY WERE REALLY TALKING ABOUT
BUT THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF SCARS
YOU GET WHETHER -- WHEN YOU DO
HISTORY.
MORE INFORMATION IS MY ONLY
ADVICE, VERY DETAILED
INFORMATION ABOUT -- START WITH,
WHO IS THE INTERVIEWER? AND
WHAT IS THE SUBJECT AND IS IT A
FULL SCALE ALL OF LIFE ORAL
HISTORY OR IS IT DEVOTED TO ONE
SUBJEC
SUBJECT?
>> LET'S THANK VICKI AGAIN FOR A
WONDERFUL LECTURE. I AM
DELIGHTED THAT WE WILL HAVE THIS
ARCHIVED AND HAVE MANY MORE
PEOPLE DO HISTORY BEFORE WE LET
VICKI GO, SHE WOULD GIVE PLAQUES
TO OUTSTANDING OFFICE MEMBERS OR
OTHERS TO RECOGNIZE EXCELLENT
SERVICE. SO WITH THAT IN MIND,
OUR EXHIBIT DESIGNER HAS PUT
TOGETHER A PLAQUE THAT IS
REMINISCENT OF THE ONE THAT IS
STILL IN MICHELE LYONS OFFICE
TODAY AND SHE DISPLAYS IT
PROUDLY IT IS A SPECIAL THANK YOU
>> VICTORIA: THANK YOU, I CAN'T
HOLD IT AND SHAKE YOUR HAND AT
THE SAME TIME.
>> KIM: THANK YOU FOR COMING.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT
>> AUDIENCE: (APPLAUSE).