Series 5: Speeches, Lectures, and Testimonies, 1978; 1985-2001 (bulk 1986-1999)

Correspondence, reports, speeches, testimonies, hearings, audiovisual material, and biographical material (1954-2001, bulk 1980-1995) primarily documents Osborn's professional career as expert advisor in urgent health and medical issues -- including virology, infectious diseases, vaccines, and public health policy -- for numerous government agencies including the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The bulk of the collection documents Dr. Osborn's policy advisory work on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) on both the national and international level during the 1980s. This is reflected across most of the series particularly Series 2: Chairman, National Commission on AIDS (her position from 1989-1993), which includes the commission's official reports, transcripts of its hearings before Congress, legislation it helped enact, meetings it attended, and especially the correspondence between its members and letters received from the general public and interest groups. It is also shown in Series 4: International Advisory Activities, Series 5: Speeches, Lectures, and Testimonies, and Series 6: Writings. Series 7: Audiovisual Materials includes many of the NCA press conferences on the state of the disease as well as her appearance on national news shows to talk about AIDS, policies, and treatments.

A smaller part of the collections documents other public health concerns she dealt with including influenza, vaccine safety, and the safety of blood products, mostly while serving as advisor to the CDC and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare during the 1970s-1980s: this material is found in Series 3: Other National Advisory Activities.

Another small part of the collection, Series 1: Personal and Biographical, primarily contains articles and clippings on Dr. Osborn and subject files relating to her numerous awards and honors (including several honorary doctorates in science).