American Surgical Association Archives

Collection

Identifier: MS C 379

Abstract

The archives of the American Surgical Association consist mostly of records of the preparation for, and the proceedings of, the Association's annual meetings, including presentation of scholarly papers and presidential addresses.

Dates

Creation: 1878-2009

Extent

20.25 Linear Feet (23 boxes)

Creator

American Surgical Association (Organization)

Physical Location

Materials stored onsite. History of Medicine Division. National Library of Medicine

Language of Materials

Collection materials primarily in English

Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Copyright and Re-use Information

Donor's copyrights were transferred to the public domain. Archival collections often contain mixed copyrights; while NLM is the owner of the physical items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. It is the user's responsibility to research and understand any applicable copyright and re-publication rights not allowed by fair use. NLM does not grant permissions to publish.

Privacy Information

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Historical Note

The American Surgical Association was founded in 1880 with the following stated purpose: "the cultivation and improvement of the science and the art of surgery, the elevation of the medical profession and such other matters as may come legitimately within its sphere."

Founder Samuel D. Gross began the regimen of yearly meetings in 1880. As of 1882 the meetings were recorded in the printed Minutes of the American Surgical Association. These meetings, along with the record of the meetings, are the cornerstones of the fulfillment of the stated mission. The primary activities of the yearly meetings consist of presentation of scientific papers; building membership through nomination and selection of new members; granting awards to outstanding members; and business proceedings such as fund raising, disbursement of fellowships, and other financial grants.

G. Thomas Shires' Presidential Address of 1980 states the two major legacies of the Association are "...the founding of American surgical organizations which grew out of the American Surgical Association's membership (including) The American College of Surgeons (1913) and the American Board of Surgery (1937); and the "...strong support of its members for the development of research funding (such as) surgical biological research, beginning in 1945..."

The Society solidified its commitment to providing support for research beginning in 1982 with the establishment of Research Fellowship Awards made annually by the ASA Foundation. The 2000 Presidential address expresses a continued commitment to continuing this support to combat the perceived deficit in new surgical research.

A history of the Association was published in 1981 by member Mark M. Ravitch. A Century of Surgery (1981) is an exhaustive two-volume set including a history of the Association, as well as a by-subject index of the scientific papers contained therein.

Collection Summary

Correspondence, minutes, speeches, audio recordings, photographs, artifacts, and bound volumes document the organizational activities of the American Surgical Association from 1880 through 2005. The archives of the Association consist mostly of records of the preparation for, and the proceedings of, the Association's annual meetings, including presentation of scholarly papers and presidential addresses. Since the Association's inception in 1880, there has been a keen awareness of its history. This awareness is evident in ASA's careful record keeping and its preservation of tradition. A key component of the collection is the sheer intellectual output by its members: this includes the scholarly research included in the Minutes throughout ASA's history, as well as research papers and journal articles by members.

Both the History and the Meetings series present carefully recorded views into past proceedings, as well as the growth of the Association. The Transactions series represents a broad sampling of the wide-range of published material created by the Association. The Transactions series also serves as ready-reference to recent history, including a list of past and present members, officers, current minutes, and published articles by current members.

On several separate occasions, the Association saw fit to create collections of its official papers in bound volumes. These include the yearly meeting minutes (found within the Meetings series), along with Transactions of the American Surgical Association and the Registration Books (found within the Meetings series).