WELCOME, I'M JEFF RESNICK AT THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE AND
THE INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY AS WE
CONTINUE OUR 2023 SERIES OF ALL
VIRTUAL NLM HISTORY TALKS WITH
THE SEVENTH ANNUAL LMN IN THE
HISTORY OF MEDICINE. WE PROMOTE
AWARENESS AND USE OF NLM AND
RELATED RESEARCH. IN
BIOMEDICINE T SOCIAL SCIENCES
AND THE HUMANITIES. THE SERIES
ALSO SUPPORTS THE COMMITMENT OF
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
IN TWO WAYS. COMMITMENT TO
RECOGNIZING THE DIVERSITY OF ITS
COLLECTIONS WHICH SPAN TEN
CENTURIES ENCOMPASS A RANGE OF
DIGITAL FORMATS AND ORIGINATE
FROM EVERY PART OF THE GLOBE
THEY ALSO DEMONSTRATE THE
COMMITMENT OF THE LIBRARY TO
FOREGROUND, THE VOICES OF PEOPLE
OF COLOR, WOMEN AND THOSE WHO
VALUE CONNECTIONS AND USE THEM
TO ANSWER VARY RESEARCH AND
THEIR LEARNING WE SUPPLEMENT
TALKS WITH SPEAKER INTERVIEWS
LOCATED AT CIRCULATING NOW.
I'LL ADD THAT NLM HISTORY TALKS
ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY OUTSTANDING
TEAM HERE AT THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF MEDICINE AND AT THE
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH,
VIDEO CASTING AND I WANT TO
THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF MY
COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR TIME AND
THEIR TALENT IN BRINGING THIS
PROGRAM TO YOU, THE PUBLIC. I
ALSO WISH TO THANK THEM FOR
HELPING ME ORCHESTRATE THE Q&A
FOLLOWING TODAY'S TALK IN THIS
REGARD I WOULD LIKE TO CALL YOUR
ATTENTION TO THE LIVE FEEDBACK
BUTTON UNDER THE VIDEO STREAM
YOU ARE WATCHING. PLEASE USE
THIS FEATURE TO SEND QUESTIONS
TO ME WHICH I WILL THEN SHARE
WITH OUR SPEAKER DURING THE Q&A.
INDEED TODAY'S PROGRAM LIKE ALL
OF OUR TALKS IS BEING
LIVESTREAMED GLOBALLY AND IT
WILL BE ARCHIVED BY NIH VIDEO
CASTING FOR FREE ACCESS BY
ANYONE ANYWHERE THIS ACCESS IS
MADE POSSIBLE BY A YEN GENEROUS
GIFT
AND IT IS THAT GIFT IN WHICH
19 -- 2016 HELPED OUR
INSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH THE NLM
MICHAEL FELLOWSHIP IN THE
HISTORY OF MEDICINE.
THE FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES UP TO
10,000 DOLLARS TO SUPPORT
RESEARCH IN THE HISTORICAL
COLLECTIONS OF THE NLM WHICH
INCLUDE THE PAPERS OF MICHAEL E.
THESE PAPERS REFLECT DIVERSE
AREAS IN WHICH HE MADE A LASTING
IMPACT AS A LEGENDARY SURGEON
AND STATESMAN FROM SURGERY TO
MEDICAL EDUCATION, TO HEALTH
CARE POLICY AND MUCH, MUCH MORE.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING
APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024 CYCLE
OF THE NLM PROGRAM. THE
APPLICATION DEADLINE IS ACTUALLY
NEXT FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH,
2023 AND IF YOU GOOGLE NLM
FELLOWSHIP YOU WILL FIND THE
APPLICATION DETAILS. THE GIFT
OF THE DEBAKE CAN I FOUNDATION
MAKES POSSIBLE THIS LECTURE
SERIES. THE ANNUAL MICHAEL
LECTURE IN THE HISTORY OF
MEDICINE OFFERED BY A SELECTED
FELLOW ON HIS OR HER COLLECTIONS
OF THE NLM AND THIS YEAR IT'S MY
PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE TO
WELCOME DR. KELLY O'DONNELL,
VISITING PROFESSOR OF U.S.
HISTORY AND A 2019 NLM MICHAEL
FELLOW. A HISTORIAN OF MEDICINE
AND GENDER IN THE UNITED STATES,
DR. O'DONNELL'S RESEARCH FOCUSES
ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, CONSUMER
CULTURE AND HEALTH POLITICS, SHE
RECEIVED HER PH.D. FROM THE
PROGRAM IN THE HISTORY OF
MEDICINE, IN THE HISTORY OF
SCIENCE AND MEDICINE AT YALE
UNIVERSITY. DR. O'DONNELL HAS
PUBLISHED WIDELY ON THE HISTORY
OF WOMEN'S HEALTH INCLUDING
SEVERAL ARTICLES DRAWN FROM A
DISSERTATION WHICH IS A
BIOGRAPHY FROM AN ACTIVIST. ONE
OF THOSE ARTICLES ONE THE 2022
STANLEY JACKSON PRIZE FROM THE
JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF
MEDICINE AND ALLIED SCIENCES.
THAT WAS FOR BEST PARTICLED IS
PUBLISHED FOR THE JOURNAL IN THE
PRIX PRECEDING YEARS.
SHE IS CURRENTLY WRITING A BOOK
FROM THAT PROJECT FOCUSED ON
DEBATES ABOUT THE BIRTH CONTROL
BILL IN THE 1960-70 AND COED DID
IT ED TWO SPECIAL ISSUES. ON
THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE. SHE
HAS A HISTORY OF DOCTORS' WOOIFS
IN THE UNITED STATES I WILL USE
THE COMPLEX FIGURE OF THE
PHYSICIAN'S WIFE AS A WINDOW
INTO THE PRACTICE, REFORM, AND
POPULAR RECEPTION OF AMERICAN
MEDICINE. SO, DR. O'DONNELL,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
US TODAY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO
YOUR TALK, MRS. MEDICINE
DOCTOR'S WIVES AND THE MAKING OF
MODERN AMERICAN HEALTH CARE.
DR. O'DONNELL, OVER TO YOU.
SNEL THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY
WARM WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE THANKS TO THE
NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE AND
ITS HISTORY OF MEDICINE DIVISION
FOR MAKING THIS EVENT AND MY
RESEARCH MORE BROADLY POSSIBLE.
I GAINED A LOT FROM MY TIME
SPENT AS A FELLOW. SO I'M
REALLY GENUINELY HONORED TO BE
HERE TO GIVE THIS YEAR'S
LECTURE. AND FINALLY ALSO
THANKS TO EVERYONE IN THE
VIRTUAL AUDIENCE OUT THERE FOR
TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN ME THIS
AFTERNOON FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY OR THE WORLD.
I AM SO EXCITED TO SHARE SOME OF
THIS RESEARCH WITH YOU TODAY.
WHICH IS STILL ONGOING AND
EVOLVING. BEFORE I GET TOO FAR
INTO THE WEEDS ON WHAT I'VE BEEN
WORKING ON AND OTHER RESOURCES I
WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY
TALKING ABOUT ONE PERSON IN
PARTICULAR. AND THAT IS DIANA
COOPER DEBAKE CAN I. FIRST WIFE
OF MICHAEL DEBAKE CAN I. THIS
IS A DEBAKE CAN I LECTURE AFTER
ALL. PERHAPS I TOOK THAT TOO
LITERALLY. A JOURNALIST
INTERVIEWED HER FOR AN UPCOMING
PROFILE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY
TITLED A SURGEON'S WIFE THE
FINAL TITLE WAS THE SPECIAL
CHALLENGE OF BEING THE SURGEON'S
WIFE AND THE PORTRAIT PAINTED
WITHIN THIS ARTICLE WAS
DEFINITELY ONE OF OBSTACLES TO
BE CONTINUALLY OVERCOMEPAINTED
DEFINITELY ONE OF OBSTACLES TO
BE CONTINUALLY OVERCOME IN HER
GMARRIAGE AND LIFE DUE TO THE
MEDICAL PROFESSION AND CONTINUAL
DEMANDS ON HER HUSBAND AND THEIR
MARRIAGE. THE ARTICLE BEGAN AS
YOU SEE DOWN THERE, LIVING WITH
AND LOVING A MAN AS DEDICATED AS
HEART SURGEON MICHAEL DE DEMANDS
EXTRAORDINARY YOU HAVE TONESS.
OVER THE COURSE OF NEARLY FIVE
PAGES THE ARTICLE CHRONICLED THE
DAY-TO-DAY LIFE OF THE WIFE OF
THIS ACCLAIMED DOCTOR. FOCUSING
ON THE SACRIFICES HE MADE AND
THE LONELINESS THAT SHE
SOMETIMES FACED BUT ALSO
ULTIMATELY ON HER DEDICATION AND
HER PRIDE IN HER HUSBAND. AND
THEIRLONELINESS THAT SHE SOMETI
FACED BUT ALSO ULTIMATELY ON HER
DEDICATION AND HER PRIDE IN HER
HUSBAND. AND THEIR MARRIAGE.
THE ARTICLE DEPICTED SOME OF THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGES AS INCLUDING
THE RELATIVE ABSENCE OF
DR. DEBAKEY FROM HIS HOME LIFE.
TO BECOME THE SUCCESSFUL AND
FAMOUS SURGEON THAT HE WAS, HE
SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME AT THE
HOSPITAL AND OUT AT WORK. HE
WOULD LEAVE THE HOUSE AT 4:30 IN
THE MORNING AND NOT RETURN UNTIL
9 OR 10 P.M. OR SOMETIMES LATER
WHEN HOE WASN'T PERFORMING
SURGERIES OR TEACHING HE WAS
WRITING OR TRAVELLING
EXTENSIVELY FOR HIS WORK.
SOMETIMES SHE JOINED HIM. SHE
EVEN SHARED WITH THE JOURNALIST
HER STRATEGIES FOR CONVINCING
HER HUSBAND TO EAT SOME FOOD,
ESPECIALLY VEGETABLES, OTHER
THAN THE JUST A SMALL CUP OF
SOUP THAT HE'D REQUEST WHEN HE'D
COME HOME EXHAUSTED LATE AT
NIGHT. MOST NIGHTS MR. DEBAKEY
COULD BE FOUND AT HOME ALONE
WITH A GOOD BOOK OR IN THE
COMPANY OF HER TELEVISION SET AS
THE ARTICLE DESCRIBED. A
TYPICAL DAY FOR HER COULD
INCLUDE KEEPING UP WITH HER
CORRESPONDENCE, MAINTAINING HER
INTENSE VOLUNTEERING SCHEDULE
WHICH INCLUDED TIME SPENT AT THE
HOSPITAL AND SOMETIMES SERVING
AS A HOSTESS. SOMETIMES
SPONTANEOUSLY WHEN HER HUSBAND
WOULD INVITE PEOPLE FOR DINNER
WITHOUT ADVANCED NOTICE OR FOR
MORE PEOPLE EXPECTED TO INVITE
AS HE WOULD WANT TO DO SOMETIMES
AS YOU CAN SEE IN ONE OF THE
CLIPPINGS THERE. EVEN MORE
TIME-CONSUMING THE ARTICLE
EXPLAINED WAS "WITH THE BAILER
FACULTY WIVES MANY OF WHOM LIVE
A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE SAME
LARGELY HUSBANDLESS LIFE THAT
SHE HAS " SO THIS KIND OF
VOLUNTEERING INCLUDED THINGS
LIKE HOLDING BOOK DISCUSSIONS.
AND SOCIALIZING BUT PRIMARILY AS
THE AUTHOR PUT IT, MAKING LIFE
MORE ENDURABLE. FOR MARRIED
HOSPITAL RESIDENTS MANY OF WHOM
ARE FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND
FOR THE FAMILIES OF NEW MEMBERS.
TRAGICALLY, DIANA DEBAKEY DIED
UNEXPECTEDLY OF HEART FAILURE
JUST BEFORE THIS ISSUE OF
TODAY'S PRESS -- OR TODAY OOET
HEALTH WAS GOING TO PRESS. YOU
CAN SEE THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM.
OF THE ARTICLE ITSELF THE
FOLLOWING RESIGNED AND HOPEFUL
EXCHANGE UP ON THE SCREEN.
AS SHE BEGAN TO PREPARE HER
HUSBAND'S DINNER I ASKED HIGH
SHE MANAGED TO REMAIN NOT ONLY
STABLE BUT HAPPY UNDER THE
STRESS OF ALMOST CONTINUOUS
SEPARATION DID SHE LIKE LIFE
THAT WAY? NO, NO, I DON'T. I'D
CHANGE IT TOMORROW IF I COULD
BUT I LOVE MY HUSBAND VERY MUCH
I THINK HE'S THE GREATEST
SURGEON IN THE WORLD, A TRUE
GENIUS, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS,
HE'S GOING TO STICK TO IT AND DO
THE BEST HE CAN. SO I THINK I
HAVE TO GO ALONG AND DO THE BEST
I CAN. I'VE BEEN REALLY IF
FASCINATED BY DOCTOR'S WIVES FOR
MANY YEARS NOW FOR MY
DISSERTATION I WROTE AS JEFF
EXPLAINED A BIOGRAPHY OF THE
JOURNALIST BARBARA SEAMAN WHO
WAS MARRIED TO A PSYCHIATRIST.
BEFORE SHE WROTE HER FIRST BOOK
SHE GOT HER START IN JOURNALISM
BY COAUTHORING TOP PSYCHOLOGY
ARTICLES WITH HER HUSBAND
GIDEON. THEY HAD A SYNDICATED
ADVICE COLUMN TOGETHER AND
NEWSPAPERS AT ONE POINT IN THE
70S AND COAUTHORED HER THIRD
BOOK. THERE WERE JUST A LOT OF
WAYS THAT I NOTICED PARTICULARLY
IN HER EARLY CAREER THAT SHE LEV
RAMMING -- LEVERAGED HER
POSITION AS A DOCTOR'S WIFE THAT
I JUST COULDN'T IGNORE THE
TOPIC. IT ALSO RAISED SOME
PRETTY BASIC QUESTIONS AND SOME
PRETTY BIG QUESTIONS FOR ME.
WHAT DID IT MEAN TO BE A
DOCTOR'S WIFE? SOCIALLY, AND
CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY?
HOW DID THAT CHANGE OVER TIME?
AND WHAT CAN THESE WOMEN TELL US
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE?
IF WE GO LOOKING FOR THEM IN THE
ARCHIVE? BUT FIRST, WHAT DO I
MEAN EXACTLY BY DOCTOR'S WIFE?
LET ME JUST CLARIFY WHO THIS
COULD BE A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT
THEIR IDENTITIES COULD COMPRISE.
IN MY MIND I KIND OF LUMP
DIFFERENT TYPES OF DOCTOR'S
WIVES TOGETHER INTO THREE MAIN
CATEGORIES. PHYSICIANS MARRIED
TO OTHER PHYSICIANS. SO WOMEN
DOCTORS. NURSES AND EVERYONE
ELSE ALTHOUGH HISTORICALLY THERE
WERE RELATIVELY VERY FEW WOMEN
DOCTORS AND MANY OF THE EARLIEST
FEMALE M.D.S IN THE 19TH CENTURY
DID TEND TO REMAIN SINGLE I
FOUND THAT WOMEN PHYSICIANS DID
TEND TO DISPROPORTIONATELY MARRY
OTHER PHYSICIANS. IF YOU LOOK,
FOR EXAMPLE, THROUGH THE ALUMNI
FILES OF WOMEN'S MEDICAL COLLEGE
IN PENNSYLVANIA WHICH I'VE DONE
THE NUMBERS DO SEEM PRETTY
SKEWED IN THIS DIRECTION OF
MARRYING OTHER PHYSICIANS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT ALSO SEEMS
THAT MALE PHYSICIANS DID TEND TO
SEEK OUT NURSES AS WIVES IN
PRETTY LARGE NUMBERS. SO
DOCTOR/NURSE MARRIAGES WERE
HISTORICALLY VERY COMMON. WOMEN
IN THESE DUAL MEDICAL MARRIAGES
WHETHER THEY WERE DOCTORS OR
NURSES THEMSELVES, VARIED IN THE
AMOUNT OF PROFESSIONAL
ENGAGEMENT THAT THEY RETAINED
AFTER BECOMING MARRIED. IN BOTH
CASES, WOMEN TENDED TO NOT
CONTINUE WORKING ESPECIALLY NOT
FULL-TIME AFTER A MARRIAGE UNTIL
AFTER REALLY THE 1970S. THEY
DROPPED DOWN TO PART-TIME WORK
IF ANY AT ALL AND BECAME
FULL-TIME HOUSE WIVES AND
MOTHERS. I'M TAKING THE TIME TO
POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE IT COULD
EXPLAIN SOME OF THE UNUSUALLY
HIGH LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND
PARTICIPATION IN THEIR HUSBAND'S
PROFESSIONAL LIVES RELATIVE TO
OTHER SECTORS OF EMPLOYMENT BUT
I DON'T REALLY SEE WOMEN'S
INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONAL
EXPERTISE BEING TOO MUCH OF AN
INFLUENCE IN THIS STORY.
BECAUSE IN MY FINAL GROUP, OTHER
OR EVERYONE ELSE, THIS
ENCOMPASSES BASICALLY ANYONE WHO
DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY TYPE OF
MEDICAL TRAINING. IF THEY HAD
AN INDEPENDENT CAREER THE WOMEN
OF THE OTHER GROUP WERE OFTEN
TEACHERS OR SOMETHING TO THAT
EFFECT. BEFORE PURSUING
WIFEHOOD AND MOTHERHOOD. THIS
CATEGORY BECAME A DISTINCT
SOCIALITE OF THE DOCTOR'S WIFE
IN GENERAL THAT CONVEYED ITS OWN
SORT OF EXPERTISE OVER TIME IT
WAS ALSO EXTREMELY RARE FOR ANY
DOCTOR'S WIFE TO EVER REFER TO
THEIR OWN EXPERTISE OR
EXPERIENCE INDEPENDENTLY IF IT
EXISTED LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE,
HAVING BEEN A NURSE. THE
IDENTITY OF THE DOCTOR'S WIFE
DEFINITELY FOR A VERY LONG TIME
SEEMED TO TRUMP THAT OF FORMER
NURSE OR SOMETIMES PHYSICIAN IN
HER OWN RIGHT? PUBLIC SPACES
LIKE MEDICAL AUXILIARIES OR IN
THE MEDIA. I AM CONVINCED THAT
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE
HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MEDICINE
MORE FULLY, YOU HAVE TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE
STANDINGS THERE NEXT TO THE
DOCTORS WHILE THEY'RE LIVING
THEIR LIVES AND HAVING THEIR
PHYSICIAN CAREERS, THE WOMEN WHO
HAVE BEEN LARGELY IGNORED BY
HISTORIANS IN FAVOR OF OTHER
WOMEN WITH INDEPENDENT CAREERS
OF THEIR OWN LIKE NURSES OR
WOMEN PHYSICIANS. WHO HAVE
RECEIVED SOME DECENT AMOUNT OF
ATTENTION BUT MY NEXT PROJECT IS
TO WRITE WHAT I BELIEVE WILL BE
THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY
GIVING THIS POPULATION ITS DUE.
AND DIANA DEBAKEY FOR THE RECORD
HAD WORKED IN NURSING. GIVEN MY
SECONDARY INTEREST IN THE
HISTORY OF MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY I
ALSO TEND TO VIEW THE DOCTOR'S
WIFE AS A HISTORICAL INSTRUMENT.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID
ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL UTILITY
OF A SPOUSE. WE CAN ASK WHAT A
WIFE CAN DO FOR AN INDIVIDUAL
PRACTITIONER OR FOR THE
PROFESSION AS A WHOLE. IN TERMS
OF LABOR AND INSTITUTION
BUILDING. THE DOCTOR'S WIFE CAN
ALSO BE IN ANOTHER WAY, A
BAROMETER OR A THERMOMETER FOR
TRACKING SCHIFF'S OVER TIME IN
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION GIVING US
A NEW MEASUREMENT OF SOME VERY
BIG IDEAS, HISTORICALLY. FOR
ONE EASY EXAMPLE OF THAT. WHAT
BETTER WAY TO GAUGE THE CULTURAL
AUTHORITY OF A PROFESSION OVER
TIME THAN BY SEEING HOW
ATTRACTIVE ITS MEMBERS WERE OR
WERE NOT IN TERMS OF REMANS IN
THE MARRIAGE MARKET VIEWING
PHYSICIANS AS ROMANTIC INTERESTS
AND ESPECIALLY AS DESIRABLE
SPOUSES HAS BEEN A PRETTY
CONSISTENT THEME IN AMERICAN
CULTURE SINCE AT LEAST THE 1930S
IF NOT BEFORE THEN AND I'M SURE
MANY OF YOU CAN THINK OF QUITE A
FEW EXAMPLES FROM TELEVISION OR
THE MOVIES WHERE A YOUNG
DOCTOR'S PRESENTED TO A FEMALE
PROTAGONIST AS A CATCH, OFTEN
ESPECIALLY SURGEONS. STARTING
AROUND THE 70S THOUGH, THERE IS
SUDDENLY ALL KINDS OF REPORTS
ABOUT HOW ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE
IT COULD BE TO BE MARRIED TO A
DOCTOR. WORDS LIKE CHALLENGES
AND STRUGGLE START TO APPEAR
MORE ALONG WITH CONCERNS ABOUT
LONELINESS AND A SEPARATION THAT
IS PROLONGED ESPECIALLY IN
HOSPITAL BASED PRACTICE THAT
NECESSARILY BEGAN TO ENTAIL MORE
AND MORE OFTEN. HER PROFILE IN
TODAY'S HEALTH IS JUST ONE
EXAMPLE OF WHAT I THINK IS A
CLEAR TONAL SHIFT.
SO IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT WE SEE
OVER THE COURSE OF THE 20TH
CENTURY SORT OF HOME HOSPITAL
TRANSITION. IMPACTING MARRIAGES
AND FAMILIES OF THE PROFESSION.
I'M ALSO LOOKING AT PRETTY LONG
TIMEFRAME WITH MY STUDY BECAUSE
I WANT TO CAPTURE SOME LONGER
TERM PROFESSIONAL TRENDS AND BIG
CULTURAL SHIFTS. SO I AM
PLANNING TO START AROUND THE
FOUNDING OF THE AMA WHICH IS IN
THE 1840S AND I'LL PROBABLY END
AT SOME POINT IN THE 90S WHICH
IS AFTER THE AMA WOMEN'S
AUXILIARY WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN
THE 20S EVOLVED INTO WHAT IS
KNOWN AS THE AMA ALLIANCE SO
THIS IS A BROADER NONGENDERED
GROUP NAME THAT IS MEANT TO BE
MORE INCLUSIVE OF DIFFERENT TYPE
OF PHYSICIAN FAMILIES CLEARLY
REFLECTING SOME BIG CHANGES BOTH
IN MEDICINE AND ITS DEMOGRAPHIC
COMPOSITIONS AND IN THE FAMILY
OVER TIME. AND THAT IS REALLY
WHERE I'D LIKE TO SPEND THE REST
OF MY TIME HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
FOCUSING ON THE WOMEN'S MEDICAL
AUXILIARY AS AN INSTITUTION
WORTHY OF HISTORICAL INQUIRY.
NOT ALL DOCTORS WIVES OF COURSE
WOULD HAVE JOINED A GROUP LIKE
THIS BUT THERE WERE MANY SUCH
GROUPS. IT'S ALSO I FOUND
REALLY THE EASIEST STARTING
POINT, THE EASIEST ENTRY POINT
FOR LOCATING DOCTOR'S WIVES IN
THE HISTORICAL ARCHIVE AND
ARGUABLY SOMETIMES THE MOST FUN.
SO WHILE LOCAL VALUE GROUPS
CONSISTING OF PHILANTHROPIC
SOCIETY WOMEN AND ON MANY
OCCASION A LOT OF DOCTOR'S WIVES
HAVE EXISTED ATTACHED TO LOCAL
INSTITUTIONS LIKE HOSPITALS
SINCE THE 19TH CENTURY. THE
MEDICAL AUXILIARY ORGANIZED AS A
SPACE SPECIFICALLY FOR MEDICAL
SPOUSES IS PRIMARILY AN EARLY
20TH CENTURY PHENOMENON
ORGANIZING ALONGSIDE MEDICAL
SOCIETIES BEGAN FIRST AT THE
LOCAL AND STATE-LEVELS.
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS, FOR EXAMPLE,
HAD FORMALLY ORGANIZED WOMEN'S
AUXILIARIES ASSOCIATED WITH
THEIR STATE MEDICAL SOCIETIES
DATING BACK TO THE 1900S AND THE
1910S AND THERE'S AN
ILLUSTRATION OF MRS. RED THE
TEXAS AUXILIARY ORGANIZER HAILED
AS THE MOTHER OF THE AMA OVE
OVERALL. IN PART INSPIRED AND
MOTIVATED BY ALL OF THE MEDICAL
VOLUNTEERISM DURING WORLD WAR I,
LIKE THE RED CROSS, THE IDEA OF
THE WOMEN'S MEDICAL AUXILIARY
SPREAD RAPIDLY DURING THE 1920S.
IN 1922 A NEWLY ORGANIZED
AUXILIARY PLACED ITSELF BEFORE
THE DELEGATES SEEKING
RECOGNITION FOR THEIR GROUP.
HERE IN THE JOURNAL OF THE AMA
WE SEE THE NEW SORRY RESPONDING
SECRETARY OF THAT GROUP MRS. HLD
FROM HOUSTON REPORTING AFTER
THIS IS TAKEN PLACE.
THE WOMAN'S AUXILIARY OF THE
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IS NO LONGER
A DREAM BUT A REALIZED ENTITY.
IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS, STATE
AND LOCAL LEVEL COUNTERPART
ORGANIZATIONS PROLIFERATED.
HERE ON THE SCREEN YOU CAN SEE
SOME CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE
THEN PRESIDENT OF THE KENTUCKY
STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION TO THE
KENTUCKY WOMEN'S SOLE JUDGES OF
THE FACTS AUXILIARY IN 1932.
FOR STARTING THEIR OWN
PUBLICATION, THE QUARTERLY AND
THIS IS DRAWN FROM THE NLM'S OWN
COLLECTION OF THE QUARTERLY
WHICH IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE. BY
1941, SO ABOUT A DECADE LATER,
WE CAN SEE NOT JUST AN EXPANSION
INTO THE REST OF THE STATES BUT
MAJOR RECRUITMENT EFFORTS WITHIN
THOSE NOW EXISTING BRANCHES. IN
ARKANSAS, THE STATE CHAIRMAN,
MRS. EDWARD SET AN AMBITIOUS
GOAL IN HER UPDATE TO THE
ORGANIZATION. IN THE PAGES OF
THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS
MEDICAL SOCIETY.
EVERY ELIGIBLE WIFE AN AUXILIARY
MEMBER. EVERY ELIGIBLE DOCTOR'S
WIFE THAT IS. THAT SAME YEAR
THE NATIONAL AUXILIARY HAD
EXCEEDED THEIR GOAL OF 25,000
DUES PAYING MEMBERS AND WERE
STILL WAITING AT PRESS TIME FROM
NEW STATES PRESENTING NEW
AUXILIARIES AND MEMBERS IN
EXISTING UNITS. BUT WHY
ORGANIZE DOCTOR'S WIFE IN PART
THIS WAS DEFINITELY A SOCIAL
ORGANIZATION. AND A SUPPORT
ORGANIZATION. BRINGING WOMEN
WITH SHARED INTERESTS AND
STRUGGLES TOGETHER BUT IT WENT
FAR BEYOND THAT. PARTICULARLY,
IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH
CENTURY AND ESPECIALLY AT
MID-CENTURY, THE DOCTOR'S WIFE
WAS VIEWED BY THE PROFESSION AND
SOCIETY AT LARGE AS A DISTINCT
SOCIAL ROLE WITH DISTINCT
OBLIGATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
BEFORE HER. BEING MARRIED TO
MEDICINE GAVE THEM A PERSPECTIVE
THAT OTHER WOMEN SIMPLE DIDN'T
HAVE. FURTHERMORE, THEY COULD
BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE TO THE
PROFESSION. AS MRS. HERBERT PUT
IT IN HER PROLOGUE TO A 50TH
ANNIVERSARY COMET RAHTIVE
HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL
AUXILIARY THE FOUNDERS AND EARLY
LEADERS HAD A KEEN SENSE OF THE
VALUE OF JOINT ENDEAVOR.
BUT WE'RE CONVINCE THAT HAD
COMBINED ACTIVITY OF DOCTORS AND
THEIR WIVES THROUGHOUT THE
NATION COULD HAVE FAR REACHING
INFLUENCE ON PROBLEMS AFFECTING
THE HEALTH OF AMERICA. I'M
ESPECIALLY INTERESTED, FOR
EXAMPLE IN DIGGING THROUGH OLD
CONFERENCE PROGRAMS AND FIGURING
OUT WHAT THE WIVES WERE GETTING
UP TO WHEN THEY WENT WITH THEIR
HUSBANDS TO ATLANTIC CITY OR SAN
FRANCISCO OR OTHER CONFERENCE
LOCATIONS. MIXING WITH OTHER
WIVES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THE AUXILIARY HELD ITS OWN
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
SIMULTANEOUSLY EACH YEAR WITH
THE MAIN AMA ONE SO THEY ARE
KIND OF GETTING A VACATION OUT
OF IT, SURE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO
ORGANIZING AND FIGURING OUT WHAT
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMMING OR
FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES AND SO
FORTH TO TAKE AWAY BACK TO THEIR
OWN COMMUNITIES WITH THEIR OWN
LOCAL BRANCHES. AND DOCTOR'S
WIFE WERE DEFINITELY OUT
CIRCULATE THING THE WIDER
COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY. AND KIND
OF THE CULTURAL MESSAGING AROUND
MEDICINE AT THE TIME. IN THE
SUMMER OF 1956, FOR EXAMPLE,
DR. ELMER H. WHO WAS THE
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE
AMA MET WITH A GROUP OF THEM TO
DISCUSS THEIR SPECIAL ROLE IN
THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OFFAL
ORGANIZED MEDICINE. INVITED BY
THE WOMEN'S AUXILIARY TO SPEAK
AT A LUNCH SESSION HE EXPLAINED
A HUSBAND'S WIFE EXPLAINED THEY
CAN BE THE ADVERTISEMENT. WE
CAN'T TALK ABOUT OURSELVES THE
WAY OUR WOOIFS TALK ABOUT US BUT
HE CLAIMED THAT THEIR HUSBANDS
CAREERS DEPEND ON PUBLIC
RELATION WHICH BECOMES A BIG
KEYWORD IN THIS MOMENT.
DOCTOR'S WIFE SHOULD BE A GOOD
HOMEMAKER AND MOTHER, BUT THEY
NEEDED SOMETHING EXTRA. THEY
NEEDED PATIENCE AND
PARTICIPATION. LESS BELIEVED
THAT WOMEN WHO MARRIED
PHYSICIANS HAD A UNIQUE
OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THEIR
HUSBAND'S PROFESSIONS IN THE
COMMUNITY TO SPREAD FACTUAL
INFORMATION AND TO ENCOURAGE
VOTING ON MATTERS RELATED TO
HEALTH POLITICS SO IN THE
POST-WAR U.S., THE NOTION OF A
THERE'S WIFE AS A SORT OF FREE
PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENT SPREAD
THROUGHOUT THE PROFESSION. AS
ONE CALIFORNIA WOMAN'S AUXILIARY
ORGANIZER POINTED OUT, MORE
QUESTIONS ARE ASKED OF A
PHYSICIAN'S WIFE OVER A BRIDGE
TABLE, IN THE BEAUTY PARLOR THAN
OF THE PHYSICIAN HIMSELF. SO
PARTICULARLY IN THIS POST-WAR
MOMENT I THINK IT'S ALSO A VERY
ESPECIALLY 1950S MOMENT WHEN
LET'S WAS MAKING HIS SPEECH SO
IT MEANS WOMEN ARE GETTING
TOGETHER AT THEIR LUNCHEONS OR
PLAYING BRIDGE, THESE WEREN'T
JUST FRIVOLOUS SOCIAL
ACTIVITIES. I HAVE ARGUED THAT
RATHER THAN TO KIND OF DISMISS
THEM AS SILLY OR SECONDARY, WE
SHOULD ACTUALLY TAKE THEM VERY
SERIOUSLY HISTORICALLY SPEAKING.
NOT ONLY WERE THEY SITES OF
MAJOR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS BUT
THEY WERE ALSO SITES OF PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT COMMUNICATIONS
HAPPENING. THESE ARE THE WOMEN
WHO ARE INTENTIONALLY
DISSEMINATING ALL SORTS OF
INFORMATION RELATING TO HEALTH
CARE, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT INTO THEIR
WIDER COMMUNITIES. SO A CLASSIC
EXAMPLE OF THIS WHICH MANY OF
YOU HAVE HEARD OF ALREADY WAS A
CAMPAIGN CALLED OPERATION COFFEE
CUP IN THE EARLY 60S WHEN
POLITICIANS WERE DEBATING WHAT
WOULD ULTIMATELY BECOME
MEDICARE, THE AMA LAUNCHED THIS
INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGN TO OPPOSE
THIS LEGISLATION. THE WOMEN
WERE EATING THEIR SNACKS AND
WOULD LIVE TO A SPECIALLY MADE
RECORD OF RONALD REAGAN SPEAKING
OUT AGAINST SOCIALIZED MEDICINE,
LISTENING TO REAGAN, WHO WAS
THEN A CELEBRITY WOULD LEARN
ABOUT WHY THIS NEW PROPOSED
PROGRAM WOULD BE AN ENCROACHMENT
ON PHYSICIAN'S FREEDOM TO
PRACTICE AND WOULD LEAD TO
INFERIOR MEDICAL CARE. SO THE
IDEA BEHIND OPERATION COFFEE CUP
WAS BASICALLY A VIRAL CAMPAIGN
MOBILIZING DOCTOR'S WIFE IN THE
BATTLE AGAINST SOCIALIZED
MEDICINE. SO I WANTED TO NOTE
HERE AND PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND
SAY THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST AN
AMA THING. OR EVEN A REGULAR
ALLOPATHIC MEDICINE THING. THIS
EXISTED FOR ANY VARIETY OF
SPECIALTIES OR FLAVORS OF
MEDICAL PRACTICE AND IN LOCAL,
STATE, REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND
OCCASIONALLY INTERNATIONAL
FORUMS. WE SEE HERE ON THE
SCREEN, FOR EXAMPLE, A NEW
BRANCH IN NEW YORK OF THE
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY TO BE NATIONAL
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION WHICH I WILL
TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND. BUT I
WANTED TO SHOW LIKE A PRETTY
GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS DIVERSITY
OF AUXILIARY TYPES AND
ORGANIZING. SO I FREELY CONFESS
THAT I HAVE A BIT OF AN EBAY
BUYING HABIT. BUT I RECENTLY
ACQUIRED THIS REALLY FANTASTIC
AND UNUSUAL HISTORICAL SOURCE
FROM 1953 TITLED STUDY COURSE
FOR WOMEN'S AUXILIARY TO THE
INTERNATIONAL CHIROPRACTOR'S
ASSOCIATION WHICH BEGINS ON THE
FIRST PAGE BY STAYING LAYWOMEN
OF CHIROPRACTIC ARE AN IMPORTANT
FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS AND
FAILURE OF EACH AND EVERY
CHIROPRACTOR IN THE FIELD IN THE
SUCCESS OR FAILURE FOR THE SICK
TO GET WELL, IN THE RIGHT OF A
DOCTOR OR BY CHOICE IN SHORT
THIS THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF
CHIROPRACTIC SO ABSOLUTELY NO
PRESSURE LADIES MARRIED TO
CHIROPRACTORS IN THE 1950S. IT
WE WANT ONTO SAY 80% OF
CHIROPRACTORS MIGHT BE MARRIED
BUT "50% OF THE WORKING POWER OF
THESE PRACTICING CHIROPRACTORS
IS BEING LOST. THE WIVES OF
CHIROPRACTORS. THEY ARE NOT
CARRYING THEIR PART OF THE LOAD
IN THE PROFESSION OF THEIR
HUSBAND WHO IS ARE STRIVING SO
HARD TO GAIN RECOGNITION" THIS
GUIDE IS PRETTY LENGTHY.
THERE'S MULTIPLE CHAPTERS AND
WAS INTEND ON A CRASH COURSE OF
THE PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF
CHIROPRACTIC MEDICINE SO THE
WIVES WOULD BE ABLE TO DEFEND
AND ADVERTISE THEIR HUSBAND'S
PRACTICES. HOW MANY WOMEN TODAY
CAN HONESTLY DEFEND THEIR
CHIROPRACTOR AND HIS CONDEMNED
PROFESSION IT CHALLENGED THE
READER. ECHOING MANY SIMILAR
SENTIMENTS MADE BY AMA MEMBERS
IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD THOSE
INVOLVED IN THE INTERNATIONAL
CHIROPRACTOR'S ASSOCIATION ALSO
VIEWED THEIR POPULATION OF WIVES
AS AMBASSADORS OF THEIR
PROFESSION. THIS EXPLAINED MOST
WOMEN BELONGED TO SOME GROUP,
CLUB OR ORGANIZATION IN THEIR
COMMUNITY. (READING). AGAIN NO
PRESSURE HERE. THE WOMEN'S
HOMEOPATHIC LEAGUE OF
PENNSYLVANIA ALSO GOT IN ON THIS
RHETORIC TOO AT THE SAME TIME.
AT A 1950 MEETING THIS GROUP WAS
TREATED TO A TACK BY -- TALK BY
A MAN NAMED LEO BROWN. HIS
PRESENTATION TITLED YOUR PUBLIC
RELATIONS ARE SHOWING WAS
DESCRIBED AS INTERESTING AND
INFORMATIVE. ACCORDING TO THE
REPORT FROM THE LEAGUE'S
PRESIDENT, BROWN POINTED OUT
THAT WE, DOCTOR'S WIFE, FAMILIES
AND FRIENDS, SHOULD LIKE
CAESAR'S WIFE BE ABOVE REPROACH
AND ALWAYS LEAVE GOOD PUBLIC
RELATION SHOWING. AS WOMEN AND
INDIVIDUALS WE ARE TABLE REACH
MORE PEOPLE THAN THE
DOCTOR/PATIENT CONTACT. BROWN
WOULD THEN GO ON LATER TO BECOME
AN ASSISTANT TO THE VICE
PRESIDENT OF THE AMA. AND TO
PUBLISH AND DELIVER BASICALLY
THE SAME MESSAGE TO DOCTOR'S
WIVES FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER
DECADE. SO THERE WAS A GREAT
VARIETY IN THE TYPES OF
AUXILIARY GROUPS MANY OF WHICH
HAD REGULAR PUBLICATIONS THAT I
HAVE ATTEMPTED TO TRACK COPIES
OF. THE NATIONAL MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION, AN ORGANIZATION OF
BLACK PHYSICIANS HAD ITS OWN
TYPE OF AUXILIARY GRIPOUPS ACRO
THE COUNTRY. THEIR OFFICIAL
PUBLICATION WAS THE MOUSE PIECE
WHICH WAS SHOWN HERE ON SCREEN.
1945 ISSUE. WITH A PATRIOTIC
COVER IMAGE. ON THE INSIDE AND
PAGE TWO THEY HAVE REPRINTED
LANGSTON HOW HUGHES POEM. THEY
ADDRESS RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AS
WELL AS REPORT ON ACTIVES IN
THEIR BRANCHES AND I ONLY
RECENTLY WAS ABLE TO TRACK DOWN
A FEW COPIES OF THIS.
AT YALE BUT I KNOW THAT MORE
EXIST OUT THERE AND I AM EXCITED
TO GO FIND THEM. AT THE NLM,
THERE'S A LOT OF THESE TYPES OF
PERIODICALS BY VARIOUS AUXILIARY
GROUPS SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I
WAS THERE, I EXPLORED THE
QUARTERLY FROM KENTUCKY WHICH I
MENTIONED BEFORE. THE OHIO
OSTEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION
AUXILIARY BULLETIN. THAT'S A
MOUTHFUL OF A TITLE AND THE
DRUGGIST'S WIFE WHICH IS FROM
THE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION OF THE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RETAIL
DRUGGISTS.
THE LONGEST RUNNING AND BEST
PRESERVED PUBLICATION WAS OF
COURSE THAT OF THE NATIONAL AMA
AUXILIARY. IT TOOK ME LITERAL
WEEKS DURING MY DEBAKEY
FELLOWSHIP TO READ THROUGH ALL
THE ISSUES THAT THE NLM HAD
ONSITE WHICH TOOK ME FROM THE
EARLY 40S THROUGH THE 90S.
BECAUSE IT APPEARED IN DIFFERENT
FORMS AND UNDERWENT MANY
CHANGES, BETWEEN THE 30S WHEN IT
BEGAN PUBLISHING AND THE 90S AND
2000S THE EVOLUTION OF THIS ONE
PUBLICATION ALONE REVEALED TO ME
A LOT I THINK ABOUT THE SOCIAL
TRANSFORMATIONS OF MEDICINE AND
MARRIAGE IN THE 20TH CENTURY
U.S. ITS STYLE, EDITORIAL
DIRECTION AND NAME CHANGED
ALONGSIDE ITS PARENT
ORGANIZATION AND THE CULTURE
MORE GENERALLY. ESTABLISHED IN
THE LATE 1930S AS THE BULLETIN
OF THE WOMAN'S AUXILIARY IT
SERVED AS A NEWSLETTER TALKING
ABOUT THE NATIONAL POLITICAL
ACTIVITIES. YOU SEE HERE THIS
IS KIND OF A ROLE CALL OF
REPORTS FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT
STATES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
THIS CONTINUED THROUGH WORLD WAR
II AND INTO THE POST-WAR ERA OF
AUXILIARY GROWTH AND EXPANSION.
THE PIBL OCCASION THEN HAD A
1960S MAKE OVER TARGETING A
POPULATION OF PRESUMED
HOUSEWIVES AND DOCTOR'S WIVES.
THIS FORMAT MORE CLOSELY
RESEMBLED SOME OF THE ICOPPIC
WOMEN'S MAGAZINES OF THAT
MOMENT.
AND THE EARLY 60S TO ME I THINK
REPRESENTS SORT OF A PEAK
AUXILIARY MOMENT. IN 1961, THE
THEN PRESIDENT REPORTED THAT
THEIR MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS WERE
NOW OVER 80,000. THE REFRESHED
AND RETITLED PUBLICATION IN 1965
I THINK SEEM TO -- SEEMS TO KIND
OF REFLECT THAT GROWTH AND
CONFIDENCE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT LOOKING AT ISSUES IN THIS
PUBLICATION FROM THE NEXT
DECADE, THE 70S, GETTING BACK TO
THAT, YOU START TO SEE A MUCH
DIFFERENT AND AT TIMES DARKER
PICTURE. BY 1971, OR 1972,
AROUND THE TIME THAT TODAY'S
HEALTH PUBLISHES THAT PROFILE
ABOUT THE SPECIAL CHALLENGES
FACING MRS. DEBAKEY FOR BEING A
SURGEON'S WIFE, M.D.'S WIFE, THE
PUBLICATION ALSO BEGAN
PUBLISHING CONTENT FRAMED AROUND
CHAN
CHALLENGES AND STRUGGLES AND
CRISES FACING THIS UNIQUE
POPULATION. DILEMMAS. IT ALSO
FOUND ITSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF
RAPID CHANGE REGARDING THE
POLITICS OF GENDER IN THE
MEDICAL PROFESSION. A YOUNGER
GENERATION OF WOMEN SOUGHT TO
MAINTAIN CAREERS AND
PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES ALL ON
THEIR OWN INCLUDING IN
INCREASING NUMBERS, BECOMING
DOCTORS THEMSELVES. SO IN THE
LATE 70S IN THE WAKE OF THE
WOMEN'S MOVEMENT, CHANGES FOR
MARRIED WOMEN AND THE MAJOR
SHIFT REGARDING THE ADMISSION OF
WOMEN INTO THE MEDICAL
PROFESSION M.D. WIFE NO AS LONG
ASKER SEEMED AN APPROPRIATE NAME
FOR THE PUBLICATION.
IN 1977 IT BECAME THE GENERAL
NEUTRAL FACETS. THE EDITORS
REMINDED READERS IN THEIR SPRING
ISSUE, REMEMBER THAT -- MEN
HAVE MUCH TO OFFER. THE CHANGE
OF MAGAZINE'S NAME IS AN
INDICATION TO INCLUDE THEM INTO
EVERY FACET OF OUR PROGRAM. THE
RESPONSE TO THIS WAS MIXED BUT
GENERALLY APPROVING OF THE
FORWARD LOOKING CHANGE. SOME OF
THEM WERE NOT PLEASED OF COURSE.
MORE TRADITIONALISTS. ONE
READER FROM PENNSYLVANIA WROTE
TO THE EDITORS OF THE MAGAZINE I
AM NOT A PIECE OF CARBON
POLISHED AND CUT. I AM MYSELF
AND A PHYSICIAN'S WIFE. FACETS
A COMMON WORD. I AM SPECIAL IN
THAT I MARRIED A PHYSICIAN THIS
ALMOST FLAWLESS GEM PREFERS TO
BE NOPE -- KNOWN AS THE LOVING
WIFE OF A PHYSICIAN HUSBAND.
BUT THE AUXILIARY ITSELF ALSO
DROPPED WOMAN'S FROM ITS NAME
RECOGNIZING THAT THE HUSBANDS OF
DOCTORS WOULD LIKE TO GET
INVOLVED. EVENTUALLY, IN THE
MID-90S THE MAGAZINE WAS CHANGED
TO THE AMA ALLIANCE TODAY
REFLECTING THE OVERHAUL OF THE
IDENTITY. NOW NO LONGER THE
AUXILIARY BUT INSTEAD THE
ALLIANCE. AND I KNOW THAT WITH
THE CHANGE OF PUBLICATION, A LOT
OF RUSH THROUGH IN JUST A FEW
MINUTES BUT I HOPE THAT BY
LOOKING AT THAT PUBLICATION AND
THE REST OF MY TALK AS WELL, YOU
GET JUST A LITTLE SENSE OF WHAT
I SEE AS THE EXTREMELY RICH
POTENTIAL OF THE DOCTOR'S WIFE
AS A LENS THROUGH WHICH TO VIEW
MANY DIFFERENT STRANDS OF
HISTORY GOING ON THROUGHOUT.
ESPECIALLY THE LATER 20TH
CENTURY. I'M ALSO REALLY
INVESTED IN UNCOVERING THE
STORIES OF THESE DIFFERENT
DIVERSE WOMEN AS INDIVIDUALS.
AND AS PART OF THEIR BROADER
SOCIAL NETWORKS OUTSIDE OF
AUXILIARIES, ABSOLUTELY. SO
WHAT I'LL DO IS END WITH A
REQUEST WHICH IS THIS. I WOULD
HAVE LOVED TO HAVE MORE TIME
TODAY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
SPECIAL ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
CHALLENGES THAT COME ALONG WITH
TRACKING DOWN INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL
SPOUSES AND WHY I CHOSE TO STICK
WITH AUXILIARIES BUT TO
COMPENSATE FOR SOME OF THOSE
CHALLENGES, I DO ACTUALLY PLAN
ON LAUNCHING AN ORAL HISTORY
COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT. SO
IF YOU LISTENING OR ANYONE YOU
KNOW WOULD PERHAPS LIKE TO BE
INTERVIEWED FOR MY BOOK RESEARCH
OR YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE SOME
STORIES WITH ME I WOULD ACTUALLY
LOVE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE. I'M
NOT QUITE THERE YET IN TERMS OF
SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS BY I HO
HOPE -- BUT I HOPE TO GET THAT
UP AND RUNNING NEXT YEAR FOR
SURE.
PLEASE E-MAIL ME. AND WITH
THAT, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING ME TODAY. LOOKING
FORWARD TO SOME OF YOUR
QUESTIONS.
>> DR. O DOB -- O'DONNELL THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT
FASCINATING TALK. THERE'S A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT (SCREEN
FROZE) INTERESTING TALK THIS
INDIVIDUAL WRITES --
>> SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THAT?
YOU BROKE UP FOR A SECOND THERE.
>> YES THIS PERSON WRITES IN
VERY INTERESTING TALK, DOES
DR. O'DONNELL KNOW IF THERE WERE
ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
PARTICULAR REGIONS OF THE UNITED
STATES IN REGARD TO PERCEIVED
STATUS AS A DOCTOR'S WIFE? --
>> THERE WAS MORE OF A DIVISION.
I THINK GETTING BACK TO THE
QUESTION ABOUT STATUS AND
DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION. A
MAJOR FIGURE BECAUSE WE HAVE
SOCIAL STANDING IN A PARTICULAR
COMMUNITY AND THOUGHT OF AS KIND
OF A LEADER IN THE COMMUNITY I
THINK THAT GETS A LITTLE MORE
COMPLICATED WITH SCALING UP, YOU
KNOW, YOUR IMMEDIATE SOCIAL
CONTACTS SO IN A MORE URBAN
ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD LOOK MORE
LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE
SOCIALIZED BUT CLUB WOMEN KIND
OF GETTING INVOLVED IN LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS, BEING KIND OF
PHILANTHROPIC. SO IT'S GOING TO
LOOK DIFFERENT FOR SURE. BUT I
WOULD LOVE TO FIND SOME BETTER
EXAMPLES OF HOW EXACTLY THAT'S
MANIFESTING. ONE THING I'M
LOOKING OUT FOR AND IT'S HARD TO
DO WITH SOMETHING I TALK ABOUT
TODAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE AUXILIARY
BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A
HOMOGENIZING ORGANIZATION.
>> JEFF: THANK YOU. SO I WANT
TO ASK A RELATED QUESTION THAT
CAME IN BECAUSE I THINK IT COULD
HELP DRILL DOWN A LITTLE BIT SO
THIS PERSON WRITES ALSO, I
ENJOYED YOUR VERY INFORMATIVE
AND INTERESTING PRESENTATION YOU
MENTIONED WIVES OF SPECIALIZED
MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS LIKE
CHIRAL PLAQUE TEARS WHICH MAKES
ME WONDER IF THERE WAS A SORT OF
HIERARCHY OF DOCTORS WIVES AND
THE QUESTION IS IN YOUR
RESEARCH, DID YOU FIND EVIDENCE
THAT WIVES OF SURGEONS,
CARDIOLOGISTS AND OTHER
SPECIALISTS WERE HELD IN HIGHER
ESTEEM THAN WIVES OF, SAY,
PROCTOLOGISTS OR GENERAL
PRACTITIONERS? MAYBE CAN YOU
FLESH THAT OUT OR PERHAPS YOUR
RESEARCH ISN'T THERE YET?
>> KELLY: THAT'S A REALLY
FASCINATING QUESTION. I AM
ABSOLUTELY GOING TO HAVE TO
FIGURE THAT QUESTION OUT BECAUSE
I KNOW THAT THERE HAS TO BE, YOU
KNOW, A SORT OF INTERNAL
HIERARCHY BEING UNSPOKEN THAT
I'M JUST UNAWARE OF AS NOT A
PART OF THAT GROUP, RIGHT? BUT
I THINK THAT THE INTEREST -- ONE
OF THE INTERESTING THREADS IS
GOING THROUGHOUT MY STORY THAT
MAKES MY RESEARCH EXTREMELY
ENDLESSLY COMPLICATED IS THAT
ONE OF THE OTHER BIG TRENDS IS
THE INCREASING LEVELS OF
SPECIALIZATION FOR MEDICINE IN
GENERAL KIND OF GOING ALONGSIDE
THE GROWTH AND PEAKING AND
DECLINE OF AUXILIARIES OVER THE
COURSE OF THE 20TH CENTURY IN
GENERAL. SO THEY'RE DEFINITELY
HAPPENING KIND OF AT THE SAME
TIME. I THINK THAT FROM MY
NAIVE POST SURGEONS WERE
ABSOLUTELY HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM
AND WE KNOW THAT JUST FROM
POPULAR CULTURE. RIGHT?
THAT'S KIND OF ALWAYS LIKE THE
EXAMPLE POINTED TO AS, LIKE, THE
ROMANTIC INTEREST. HE'S NOT
JUST A DOCTOR, HE'S A SURGEON,
RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH
ABOUT THE INTERNAL POLITICKING
OF THESE GROUPS TO SEE IF THAT
MANIFESTED IN ANY KIND OF
HIERARCHICAL WAY BUT I WILL SAY
THAT ONE KIND OF FUN HIERARCHY
FACT IS THAT WHEN THESE
AUXILIARY GROUPS AT THE
STATE-LEVEL BEGAN WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IS YOU WOULD HAVE THE
PRESIDENT OF THE STATE MEDICAL
SOCIETY AND THEN HIS WIFE WOULD
AUTOMATICALLY BE LIKE THE
PRESIDENT OF THE WOMEN'S
AUXILIARY, RIGHT? SO YOU SEE,
YOU KNOW, ALL THAT PLAYING OUT
ON SOME LEVEL BUT THAT IS A
PHENOMENAL QUESTION.
>> JEFF: THANK YOU. SO A FEW
OTHER QUESTIONS HAVE COME IN AND
SOME VERY HELPFUL COMMENTS ABOUT
SAR SIS. I'M GOING TO READ
THESE. THANKS FOR THIS TALK.
THIS PERSON WRITES IN FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
BECAUSE THEY SELF-IDENTIFY AS WE
HAVE A NICE COLLECTION OF
WOMEN'S AUXILIARY AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE THERE IS
SPECULATION THAT WE WERE THE
FIRST ASSOCIATED WITH THE
HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY I WONDER
IF YOU HAVE THE FIRST GROUP IN
YOUR RESEARCH. OUR GROUP WAS
ESTABLISHED IN 1887 AND THIS
INDIVIDUAL VERY KINDLY SENDS A
LINK TO THEIR DIGITIZED RECORDS
WHICH I WILL SHARE WITH YOU.
>> KELLY: YES, I'M ABSOLUTELY
GOING TO CHECK THAT OUT. SO
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF
FUZZINESS, DEPENDING ON WHAT
LEVEL OR REGISTER YOU'RE LOOKING
AT ORGANIZATIONALLY, RIGHT?
BECAUSE YOU DO ABSOLUTELY HAVE
THESE HOSPITAL GROUPS AND THESE
VERY LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE,
YOU KNOW, VARIOUS BOARDS OF LADY
MANAGERS AND THINGS THAT WERE
ALSO CALLED AUXILIARIES IN THE
1880S, FOR EXAMPLE, NOT
EXCLUSIVELY KIND OF
SELF-IDENTIFYING AS DOCTOR'S
WIVES FOR SURE BUT COULD
SOMEWHERE BE, YOU KNOW, SOCIETY
WOMEN WHO WANTED TO GET INVOLVED
WITH SOME CAUSE, RIGHT? BUT
OFTEN THOSE GROUPS WERE HEAVILY
POPULATED BY DOCTOR'S WIVES.
BUT IT'S REALLY NOT UNTIL YOU
GET TO THE LEVEL OF LIKE THE
STATE SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS.
THAT YOU SEE THIS PUSH FOR
RALLYING AROUND THIS IDENTITY.
SO THAT KIND OF TURN OF THE
CENTURY MOMENT YOU DO HAVE JUST
ALL SORTS OF GROUPS KIND OF NOT
AFFILIATED WITH EACH OTHER, A
LOT OF ISOLATED ORGANIZING
HAPPENING. BUT IT'S, AGAIN, NOT
UNTIL THE 19S AND 20S WHEN THEY
ALL START FALLING UNDER THE
UMBRELLA OF THEIR STATE ORG OR
THE NATIONAL ORG IN THE CASE OF,
LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE AMA, LATER
THE MNA AND THAT'S JUST FOR, YOU
KNOW, AMA MEMBER PHYSICIANS,
RIGHT? BUT THAT'S FASCINATING.
I HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY
MARYLAND GROUPS YET SO I AM
EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
>> JEFF: I WILL SEND YOU THAT
INFORMATION THANKS TO THE
INDIVIDUAL THAT SENT THAT IN.
SO, FOLLOWING ON WHAT YOU JUST
STATED, THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION
THAT'S COME IN, CAN YOU SAY MORE
ABOUT HOW STATE MEDICAL JOURNALS
HAVE INFORMED YOUR RESEARCH OR
COULD INFORM YOUR RESEARCH? YOU
ARE PROBABLY AWARE --
>> KELLY: YEAH.
>> JEFF: THIS PERSON WRITES
FURTHER YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE OF
THE DIGITAL COLLECTION OF THESE
JOURNALS ACHIEVED BY THE
HERITAGE LIBRARY INTO WHICH THE
NLM HAS CONTRIBUTED CONTENT FROM
ITS COLLECTIONS.
>> KELLY: YES AND WHICH WHEN I
HAD THE POST-DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP
AND ALL THE ARCHIVES CLOSED
DEFINITELY AVAILED MYSELF OF A
LOT OF THESE SOURCES. YEAH, SO,
A LOT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS
ULTIMATELY HAD THEIR OWN
STANDALONE PUBLICATIONS. LIKE,
FOR EXAMPLE, THE KENTUCKY
QUARTERLY AND VARIOUS OTHER ONES
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THAT'S
WHERE YOU WOULD FIND REPORTS
FROM THE MEDICAL AUXILIARIES,
RIGHT? THEY WOULD JUST HAVE A
RECURRING FEATURE OR A SECTION
OR, YOU KNOW, THE JOURNAL WOULD
JUST FRINGE, RIGHT? THAT'S
ALSO, I NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE
DEEP DIVE ON THIS ASPECT BUT
THAT'S ALSO KIND OF HOW THE
AMA'S AUXILIARY PUBLICATION
STARTS OFF TOO. THERE'S A
SECTION OF THE AMA'S BULLETIN
AND THEN THEY BREAK OFF TO
BECOME THEIR OWN BULLETIN AND
FROM THERE, RIGHT, PROCEED, SO,
THAT IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT
RESOURCE AND JUST A LOT OF
RESOURCE. SO I HAVE AN
EXTREMELY OVERWHELMED SEW TEAR
ROW DATABASE WITH LOTS OF FUN
LINKS I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO
DO LIKE A SORT OF DIGITAL
HISTORY PROJECT AND, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF CRUNCH SOME OF THOSE
NUMBERS AND WORDS AND VISUALIZE
SOME OF THAT DATA BUT THAT IS A
FANTASTIC RESOURCE AND I HUGELY
RECOMMEND IT.
>> JEFF: YES, IT IS. THANK YOU.
ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL WRITES IN,
THANK YOU FOR THIS FASCINATING
LOOK AT AN ASPECT OF OUR MEDICAL
HISTORY THAT TENDS TO STAY IN
SHADOWS. OF THE MORE PROMINENT
MALE PHYSICIANS WHO KEPT
THEMSELVES IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR
MUCH OF OUR PAST. GIVEN THAT
THE WOMEN YOU DISCUSSED WERE
OFTEN OUTSIDE THE SPOTLIGHT, AND
HENCE OUTSIDE THE PUBLISHED
RECORD, HOW DID YOU FIND THE
HISTORICAL SOURCES SO SHINE A
LIGHT ON? VERY INTERESTING
QUESTI
QUESTION.
>> KELLY: THAT'S THE CRUX OF IT.
STAYING IN THE SHADOWS TO PUSH
YOUR HUSBAND FURTHER INTO THE
SPOTLIGHT, RIGHT, THAT'S ONE OF
THE KIND OF MAIN DRIVES OF
SOMEONE WHO WILL BE PUBLICLY
IDENTIFYING AS A PHYSICIAN'S
WIFE. SO THE REASON I FOCUSED
SO HEAVILY ON THESE AUXILIARIES
AND THESE PUBLICATIONS TODAY IS
BECAUSE, LIKE I SAID, THAT
REALLY IS THE EASIEST WAY TO
FIND THESE PEOPLE. BECAUSE I
STARTED A DIFFERENT WAY. WHICH
IS AS I, YOU KNOW, SAID IN MY
INTERVIEW ON CIRCULATING NOW, I
STARTED WITH THE CLASSIC HISTORY
RESEARCH SOURCE IN THE PERSONAL
PAPERS COLLECTION. RIGHT? SO I
WENT LOOKING IN SOME PHYSICIAN'S
PERSONAL PAPERS TRYING TO
IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS THAT WAY.
BUT JUST DUE TO THE KIND OF
PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION OF
BASICALLY ALL THESE COLLECTIONS
AND THAT KIND OF SELF-FASHIONING
OF THE COLLECTIONS TO BE ABOUT,
YOU KNOW, THE HUSBAND'S PUBLIC
FACING MEDICAL CAREER, WHAT GETS
LOST IS A LOT OF THOSE KIND OF
DETAILS ABOUT PERSONAL LIFE,
DOMESTIC LIFE, THE WIFE BOULDER
IS AN OCCASIONAL PHENOMENON I
WOULD ENCOUNTER BUT FOR THE MOST
PART, DOCTOR'S WIVES IN THE
BROADLY SPEAKING ARCHIVE OF
MEDICINE GET DISAPPEARED IN THAT
EFFORT TO KIND OF CREATE THESE
COLLECTIONS. WHICH IS IRONIC
BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEM ARE SO
INVOLVED IN PRESERVING PAPERS
AND DONATING THEM TO ARCHIVES SO
FINDING THEM THAT WAY WAS VERY
DIFFICULT. AND THERE IS KIND OF
A TWIN PHENOMENON THERE OF A
VERY WELL-INTENTIONED AND DEEPLY
FEMINIST IMPULSE TO KIND OF VIEW
WOMEN AS INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR
OWN RIGHT AND FROM THE OTHER END
YOU LOSE THAT CONNECTION OF OH,
SHE MARRIED SO AND SO. IN A LOT
OF, YOU KNOW, FUNDING AIDS OR
DESCRIPTION OF PEOPLE, RIGHT?
SO I WILL OFTEN FIND ABOUT
RANDOM PEOPLE AND ONLY LATER
MAKE THE CONNECTION OH, THAT IS
A DOCTOR'S WIFE. INTERESTING.
RIGHT
RIGHT? IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.
IN THE SHADOWS IS DEFINITELY A
GOOD WAY OF PUTTING IT.
>> JEFF: THANK YOU. SO A
FURTHER QUESTION, AND AN
INSIGHTFUL OBSERVATION IS THANK
YOU FOR THIS FASCINATING AND
NECESSARY RESEARCH. THIS
INDIVIDUAL WRITES IN: I DON'T
KNOW IF YOU HAVE STILL TRYING TO
IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL WOMEN WHOSE
STORIES YOU WANT TO FLESH OUT.
BUT I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT THAT
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AT THE FRONT OF
TEXTBOOKS OR BOOKS AND/OR BOOKS
BY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS MIGHT
BE A WAY TO UNCOVER AND HONOR
SOME OF THOSE WOMEN.
ANECDOTALLY THIS INDIVIDUAL
WRITES IT SEEMS THE MAJORITY OF
DEDICATIONS ARE TO THEIR WIVES
AND PERHAPS THOSE WIVES HAD
THEIR OWN PROFESSIONS, ET
CETERA. IT'S A BIT OF A NEED
UNTIL A HAYSTACK BUT IT MIGHT BE
OF SOME VALUE TO YOU.
>> KELLY: YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT
SUGGESTION. IT REMINDS ME THE
TWITTER HASHTAG FROM A FEW YEARS
BACK, THANKS FOR TYPING WHICH
WAS ABOUT THIS PHENOMENON IN
GENERAL OF WIVES PERFORMING THIS
KIND OF SECRETARIAL LABOR FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE PUBLISHING,
RIGHT? YEAH, SO A LOT OF THAT
WORK OFTEN GOES UNACKNOWLEDGED
BUT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND
DEDICATIONS ARE NICE LITTLE
BREAD CRUMBS THAT I'VE FOUND. I
ALSO FOR SIMILAR REASONS,
REALLY -- I DON'T LOVE BUT
APPRECIATE OBITUARIES AND, YOU
KNOW, YOU TAKE NOTES ON NAMES
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK THEM UP ON
ANCESTRY.COM OR WHATEVER THINGS
YOU NEED TO DO TO FIND THE KIND
OF THREAD THAT YOU CAN START
PULLING ON. TO LOCATE THESE
PEOPLE. BUT, YEAH, IT'S VERY,
LIKE, NEED UNTIL A HAYSTACK TO
APPROACH THIS FROM THE
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL. BUT I AM
HOPEFUL THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO
HAVE SOME SUCCESS THERE. SLOWLY
KIND OF BUILD UP THAT BASE OF
INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR STORIES.
>> JEFF: BY ALL MEASURES I THINK
YOU WILL B. A COUPLE MORE
QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL
TALK. DID YOU RESEARCH GIVE ANY
INDICATION THAT THE DOCTOR'S
WIVES FOR EFFECTIVE IN PUSHING
THEIR HUSBANDS IN CERTAIN
DIRECTION LIKE IN CHARITABLE OR
POLITICAL ACTIVISM?
>> KELLY: UM, THAT'S ANOTHER
GREAT QUESTION THAT I DON'T WANT
TO MAKE GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT
YET. THERE'S ALWAYS THIS KIND
OF, LIKE, JOKEY REFERENCE TO,
YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, THE ONE
BOOK, OUR BETTER HALVES, YOU
KNOW, OR -- AND ALL THESE KIND
OF SPEECHES AND THINGS THAT
PEOPLE WOULD GIVE AT CONFERENCES
LIKE, OH, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I OWE
THIS TO MY WIFE OR MY WIFE DOES
THIS OR DOES THAT. KEEPS ME ON
TRACK, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN KIND OF
GET LIKE SUBTLE HINTS ABOUT WHAT
GOES ON KIND OF IN THAT INTIMATE
DOMESTIC SPHERE BUT THAT KIND OF
THING IS ESPECIALLY AT THE
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL VERY DIFFICULT
TO GET A GRASP ON. WHAT I DO
SEE MORE OFTEN IS LIKE I TALKED
ABOUT MANY THIS TALK, THE KIND
OF -- OTHER WAY AROUND, LIKE,
THE MOVE FROM MEDICAL PROFESSION
SO DOCTOR'S WIVES TO THE
COMMUNITY AT LARGE, RIGHT?
THAT'S LIKE THE PROJECT OF THESE
KIND OF OUTREACH ATTEMPTS AND SO
FORTH. BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY LIKE
EVERY TIME SOMEONE COMES OVER
FROM, YOU KNOW, THE AMA
SPEAKER'S BUREAU OR WHATEVER AND
TALK TO THE AUXILIARY THEY
ALWAYS DO THIS DANCE OF, OH, WE
COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.
IT'S KIND OF JOKEY LIKE DOMESTIC
HUMOR THAT GOES ON. I'M
INTERESTED IN, AGAIN, ONCE I GET
DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF THE
INDIVIDUAL, LIKE ACTUALLY SEEING
HOW DOES INFLUENCE WORK KIND OF
IN THAT OTHER DIRECTION?
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING
ON. I JUST DON'T QUITE KNOW
ENOUGH TO GENERALIZE ABOUT HOW
THAT IS GOING ON YET.
>> JEFF: RIGHT THIS RELATE TO
ANOTHER QUESTION WE RECEIVED
REGARDING AMA. DID THE
AUXILIARY SUPPORT THEMSELVES OR
DID THE AMA IN PART SUBSIDIZE
THEM AND THIS PERSON WRITES
FURTHER, I ASSUME THE AMA PAID
FOR THE JOURNALS AND DO YOU HAVE
ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHY AMA
LEADERSHIP WANTED TO DO SO?
>> KELLY: THEY WERE DEFINITELY
SUBSIDIZED BY THE PARENT
ORGANIZATION. BY BUT THEY ALSO
HAD THEIR OWN MEMBERSHIP DUES SO
IT'S A COMBINATION. BUT
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET INTO THAT
MOMENT WHERE YOU SEE THAT THERE
ARE -- THE PIBL OCCASIONS
DEPARTMENT I THINK IS THE ONE
THAT DOES THIS.
BUT THEY'RE INVESTING IN THIS
REHAB OF THIS BULLETIN MAKING IT
INTO M.D.'S WIFE IN THE 60S AND
THEY'VE RECOGNIZED THAT THIS
GROUP IS USEFUL TO THEM FOR, YOU
KNOW, ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO
CONVINCING PEOPLE TO WRITE TO
THEIR CONGRESSMEN OR DOING ALL
THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH OUTREACH, ON
A VOLUNTEER BASIS. KEEPING IN
MIND THIS IS IN A MOMENT WHEN
THE SECTOR OF THE ALLIED HEALTH
PROFESSION IS EXPLODING AND YOU
HAVE TO HAVE ALL THIS PAID LABOR
TO MAINTAIN YOUR PROFESSION.
THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
AS SOMETHING USEFUL THAT THEY
WANT TO ENCOURAGE. SO, YOU CAN
ABSOLUTELY SEE THAT THE HAND
THERE BEING LIKE, OKAY, COOL, WE
WANT TO SUPPORT THIS AND KEEP
THIS GOING. AND I THINK THAT'S
WHY, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE LONGEST
LASTING, YOU KNOW, IN SOME FORM
IS STILL AROUND MORE OTHER
GROUPS KIND OF CATER OUT OR
NEVER REACH THE KIND OF SCALE
THAT THEY DO. THAT IS, YOU
KNOW, THAT'S THE BIG ONE.
RIGHT? AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THE
DEEP INTEGRATION OF THE
AUXILIARY AND THE PARENT
ORGANIZATION.
>> JEFF: I THINK THEY'RE IN,
YOU'VE GOT A VERY DYNAMIC FRAME
OF LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF
PHILANTHROPY MORE OFTEN AND THE
GENDER. JUST THINKING OFF THE
CUFF HERE. THOSE ARE THOUGHTS
COMING FROM PEOPLE BUT I'M HAPPY
TO BE IN FURTHER TOUCH TO TALK
ABOUT THAT. WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT LADIES' AUXILIARIES AND
HOW THEY ARE STRUCTURED THROUGH
THEIR OWN BYLAWS THROUGH THEIR
OWN, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON CERTAIN
CAUSES THAT ARE EITHER RELATED
TO THE PARENT ORGANIZATION OR
NOT, YOU BEGIN TO SEE OBVIOUSLY
VERY CLEAR DEGREES OF
INDEPENDENCE YET ALSO IF NOT
DEPENDENCE, YOU SEE A VERY
COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP WHICH YOU
YOURSELF KNOW ALREADY IN YOUR
CONTACTS. SO THERE'S A LOT HERE
TO UNPACK. IT'S VERY EXCITING.
YEAH. THIS IS GREAT.
>> KELLY: THANK YOU.
>> JEFF: AN OBSERVATION THAT
SOMEONE WRITES IN IS ONE COULD
ARGUE THAT IN SOME PERIOD THE
AMA WAS IN EFFECT SUPPORTING
SEPARATE SPHERES. VERY
INTERESTING OBSERVATION.
>> KELLY: I AGREE WITH THAT AND,
SORRY, WILL ALSO SAY JUST --
MAYBE NOT SO MUCH AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL BUT ONCE YOU GET
DOWN TO KIND OF LOCALLY, TO
COMINGLE AND CONCERN THEMSELVES
WITH. THIS IS NOT JUST A WIFE
THING BUT A GENDER THING.
>> JEFF: ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS
AND THIS IS ME, COMING FROM ME
AND COMING TO OUR FINAL QUESTION
IS THE PRODUCTIONS OF THESE
GROUPS BOTH IN TERMS OF
PUBLICATIONS, THE JOURNALS,
EPHEMERA AND MATERIAL
PRODUCTIONS, AWARDS, PLAQUES,
PINS, THERE'S ANOTHER POTENTIAL
AVENUE THERE THAT COULD OPEN UP
SOME RESOURCES AND PATHS FOR
RESEARCH AT MUSEUMS, OBVIOUSLY.
>> KELLY: IF ANYONE HAS ANY
SEAMS FOR THE DOCTOR'S WIFE ROSE
THAT THEY CULTIVATED IN AROUND
THE LATE 60S AND ADVERTISED
PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME, I WOULD
LOVE TO GROW ONE.
>> JEFF: OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE
SMITHSONIAN I WILL CONTACT THEM
AND THE RESOURCES AT THE
NATIONALING A DPRI CULTURAL
LIBRARY THAT MIGHT BE A PLACE
WORTH -- THEY HAVE A FANTASTIC
COLLECTION OF SEED CATALOGS.
THAT ARE WORTH, YOU MIGHT WANT
TO DROP THEM -- I AM HAPPY TO
MENTION THAT FOR FOLKS IF THAT'S
HELPFUL. SO, A FINAL QUESTION.
REALLY A STATEMENT. THIS IS AN
EXCELLENT TALK BUT I FEEL LIKE
THERE'S PROBABLY MORE TO SAY.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR RESEARCH
GOING FROM HERE IN WAYS THAT
PERHAPS YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY
SHARED WITH US. IS THERE A
LARGER PUBLICATION PROJECT THAT
WE COULD LOOK FORWARD TO? WHAT
ARE YOUR NEXT PATH -- WHAT'S
YOUR NEXT STEPS THAT PERHAPS YOU
WANT OR WILL SHARE WITH US IN
MORE DETAIL IF AT ALL?
>> KELLY: YEAH, SO THIS IS
PRETTY PRELIMINARY EXCERPT FROM
WHAT I SEE ULTIMATELY AS BEING
LIKE A VERY BIG BOOK PROJECT. I
GOT SOME DREAMS FOR THIS
PROJECT, BUT LIKE I SAID, I
FOCUSED ON ONE ASPECT TODAY
WHICH IS REALLY THIS SOCIAL
ORGANIZE
ORGANIZING PUBLICATIONS LOOK AT
THIS TYPE OF GROUP, RIGHT, THE
WOMEN'S MEDICAL AUXILIARY FOR
THE MOST PART BUT THERE'S AN
ENTIRE OTHER WING OF THIS
PROJECT THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING
ON THAT LOOKS AT -- AND THIS
WILL GET CLEARER WHEN I KIND OF
ENABLED ACCESS MORE INDIVIDUAL
STORIES THAN I HAVE ACCESS TO
NOW. I LOOK AT REALLY WHAT
PRACTICE LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT
LABOR LOOKS LIKE IN KIND OF
MODERNIZING AMERICAN MEDICINE.
SO I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN THE
DOCTOR'S WIFE AS A MEDICAL
WORKER IN SOME SENSES. HOW DO
THEY INTERFACE WITH NURSES, WHAT
TYPE OF NURSING WORK HAD THEY
BEEN ENLISTED TO DO. ESPECIALLY
IN AN EARLIER TIME PERIOD AS
NURSING ITSELF IS
PROFESSIONALIZING? WHAT ABOUT
ALL THAT KIND OF LIKE
BOOKKEEPING WORK OR, YOU KNOW,
MAYBE MEDICAL ASSISTANT KIND OF
WORK? THE, YOU KNOW,
VOLUNTEERING INTERACTING WITH
PATIENTS. EITHER KIND OF, YOU
KNOW, WHEN THEY CALL HOME TO THE
DOCTOR OR, YOU KNOW, IF THE
OFFICE IS ADJACENT TO THE HOME
OR THE WIFE IS NEARBY. HOW DOES
SHE INTERACT WITH PATIENTS. YOU
KNOW, NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
TODAY BUT CERTAINLY HAPPENED IN
A -- IN A PREVIOUS ERA SO I AM
REALLY TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF
THE KIND OF GENDERING OF MEDICAL
LABOR THROUGH THE FIGURE OF THE
DOCTOR'S WIFE BECAUSE THAT'S I
THINK A FIGURE THAT COMPLICATES
A LOT OF OUR HISTORIES OF
MEDICINE AND PROFESSIONALIZATION
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WILL
BE REALLY EXCITING TO SEE WHAT I
CAN FIND BECAUSE IN SO MANY
HISTORIES OF MEDICINE, WE KNOW
WHAT'S GOING ON BUT IF YOU STOP
AND THINK ABOUT IT, LIKE THE ONE
PERSON WHO COMMENTED SAID,
THERE'S SOMEONE THERE IN THE
SHADOWS, RIGHT? I WANT TO PUT
THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE PERSON IN
THE SHADOWS AND SEE WHAT THAT
DOES TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF
MEDICAL PRACTICE IN A WHOLE
BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WAYS. SO I
AM EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THERE.
BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S
PERHAPS THE MORE AMBITIOUS PART
OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'LL HAVE
TO MAYBE COME BACK AND GIVE
ANOTHER TALK ABOUT IT IN A
COUPLE YEARS.
>> JEFF: THAT'S GREAT AND WE
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AND BEING
A PART OF YOUR RESEARCH HERE AT
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
AND CERTAINLY ALL WHO HAVE TUNED
IN TODAY TO PR THE LIBRARIES AND
ARCHIVES WHOSE COLLECTIONS CAN
BE OF USE TO YOU POINTEDLY.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US
TO ALL CONNECT IN THIS REGARD
AROUND YOUR GREAT RESEARCH.
AND LOOK FORWARD TO KEEPING IN
TOUCH AND ON BEHALF OF MY
COLLEAGUES HERE AT THE NLM, WE
REALLY THANK YOU FOR PUTTING
THIS TALK TOGETHER, BEING A PART
OF OUR INTERVIEW SERIES ON OUR
BLOG CIRCULATING NOW AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO KEEPING IN TOUCH AND
I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU WITH
THE CONTACTS THAT I HAVE AND A
FEW IDEAS TO BE HELPFUL AND
ALWAYS TO YOU AND EVERYONE WHO
IS WATCHING IF WE COULD BE A
RESOURCE FOR YOU IN YOUR WORK
FURTHER OR FOR THE FIRST TIME
FOR SOME OF YOU, YOU KNOW, DON'T
HESITATE TO REACH OUT SO
DR. O'DONNELL, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR YOUR GREAT TALK THIS
AFTERNOON. AND, AGAIN, FOR
PREPARING IT AND THE ENGAGEMENT.
THANK YOU.
>> KELLY: THANK YOU.
>> JEFF: YOU'RE WELCOME. SO
BEFORE WE DEPART THIS AFTERNOON,
I JUST WANT TO REMIND THOSE OF
YOU WHO ARE WATCHING THAT YOU
CAN TUNE IN TO THE NEXT HISTORY
TALK WHICH WILL BE THE FINAL ONE
OF OUR CALENDAR YEAR ON THURSDAY
NOVEMBER 2ND AT 2 P.M. EASTERN
TIME PLEASE JOIN US TO WELCOME
MELISSA B. REYNOLDS,
DR. REYNOLDS IS A MELLON
DOCTORAL FELLOW AS WELL AS IN
THE SOCIOLOGY OF SINCE IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SHE
WILL TALK ABOUT THE NATIONAL
MEDICAL TRADITION. AND PLEASE
ALSO LOOK FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH
DR. REYNOLDS ON OUR BLOG
CIRCULATING NOW. AND WE WILL
SEE YOU ON NOVEMBER 2ND AND LOOK
FORWARD TO KEEPING TOUCH DURING
THAT TIME AND THEREAFTER. THANK
YOU. BYE-BYE.