Series 2: Sequential Files, 1953-2004

The Sequential Files series is the largest and most comprehensive in the collection and chronicles Koop's activities as Surgeon General on a month-by-month basis. It is not known whether Koop or his secretary maintained these files, which include records of his lengthy confirmation hearings, U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps files, Surgeon General's reports, and files related to most health issues and events throughout the 1980s. Of particular note in this series is Understanding AIDS: A Message from the Surgeon General, an eight-page mailer sent to every American residence in May 1988 and one of Koop's most well known reports. Types of documents in this series, which include correspondence, speeches, invitations, news clippings, and photographs, can be found throughout the collection. The series is arranged chronologically by month and alphabetically by title therein.