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Michael Heidelberger Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS C 245a

Abstract

Michael Heidelberger (1888-1991) is known as one of the founders of quantitative immunochemistry, and in the course of his career studied, among others, bacterial polysaccharides (particularly pneumococcal), as well as the immunochemistry of proteins, antibodies, and antigens. The papers deal primarily with Heidelberger's career as a teacher, researcher, and active member of the scientific community.

Dates

  • Creation: 1901-1990 (bulk 1940-1975)

Extent

22 Linear Feet (38 boxes)

Creator

Physical Location

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

Language of Materials

Collection materials primarily in English

Restrictions

Collection is not restricted. Contact the Reference Staff for information regarding 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.

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Privacy Information

Archives and manuscript collections may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in any collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which the National Library of Medicine assumes no responsibility....

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Biographical Note

Michael Heidelberger was born April 29, 1888 and died June 25, 1991. He is known as one of the founders of quantitative immunochemistry, and in the course of his career studied, bacterial polysaccharides (particularly pneumococcal), as well as the immunochemistry of proteins, antibodies, antigens and complement (see the article "Michael Heidelberger April 1888-June 25, 1991" by Elvin A. Kabat on file in the Modern Manuscripts department). The first... child of David (1850-1927) and Fannie Campe Heidelberger (1855-1954), Michael Heidelberger stated that he decided to become a chemist at the age of 8. He attended the Ethical Culture high school and Columbia University. He earned his B.S. in 1908, his A.M. in 1909 and his Ph.D. in 1911. After a year of study with Richard Willstatter in Zurich, he returned to the United States and took a position at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research where he worked with Walter Jacobs. During his tenure at the Rockefeller Institute Heidelberger conducted work on the chemotherapy of African sleeping sickness and began his pioneering work on polysaccharides with Dr. Oswald T. Avery. In World War I, Heidelberger served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Sanitary Corps (1918-1919), but was not sent to Europe.

In 1927, he left the Rockefeller Institute and moved to Mt. Sinai Hospital where he was both chemist to the hospital and a researcher. From 1928 to 1956, he worked for the Columbia University Medical Center was he continued his work as both a researcher and an instructor. In 1955, Heidelberger retired from Columbia and moved to the Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University, where his research and teaching work continued. After nine years, he moved to the New York University School of Medicine, where he remained until his death. Heidelberger never really retired and was active in his field for nearly 80 years. In 1916, Heidelberger married Nina Tachau (1889-1946). They had one son, Charles (1920-1983) namesake of Heidelberger's younger brother Charles (1890-1914). Nina Tachau Heidelberger, an active member of the American Association for the United Nations and the League of Women Voters, died of cancer in 1946. In 1956, Heidelberger married Charlotte Rosen, who died in 1988.

Throughout his long and varied career, Heidelberger received fifteen honorary degrees, and 46 medals, citations, or awards. These included the Emil von Behring prize (1954), the National Medal of Science (1967), two Lasker Awards (1953 and 1978), and the Bronze Medal of the city of Paris (1964). He was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society. Twice president of the American Association of Immunologists, Heidelberger played an active role in numerous professional organizations, as well as serving as a referee for publications in immunochemistry and related fields. Heidelberger published countless articles and authored several books including An Advanced Laboratory Manual of Organic Chemistry (1923) and Lectures in Immunochemistry (1956). His lecture "The Scientist and Survival in an Atomic Era," was published in 1958.

In addition to his lifelong work in immunochemistry, Heidelberger was an avid musician (several musical compositions are located in Oversized Folder #2). He also participated in the World Health Organization and was a strong supporter of the mission of the United Nations. He often expressed a desire to foster peace and understanding among nations, and particularly disavowed the post-war build-up of nuclear weapons (see Series 2: Personal materials and correspondence addressed to Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy in Series 1: Correspondence).

For further information on the Heidelberger's life and career, including a bibliography and curriculum vitae, see Series 1: Personal materials, and Series 8: Drafts and reprints of Heidelberger's writings. In addition, these references may be useful:

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  1. Heidelberger, Michael. "A 'Pure' Organic Chemist's Downward Path." Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 1981.
  2. -----. "Reminiscences." Immunological Reviews. no. 82 (1984).
  3. "A Centenary Tribute: Michael Heidelberger and the Metamorphosis of Immunologic Science." Journal of Immunology. 140(9):2861-2863, May 1, 1988.

Collection Summary

The papers deal primarily with Heidelberger's career as teacher, researcher, and active member of the scientific community. Some personal and biographical materials were included in the donation, and these can be found in Series 1. Extensive correspondence, the bulk of which dates from 1956 to 1989, demonstrates Heidelberger's wide range of contacts and interests in the fields of immunochemistry and related disciplines.

Some of the holdings illustrate...
Heidelberger's role as an original researcher and contributor to scientific journals (Series 4, 5, 6, 8). Heidelberger's career as a teacher is also well-documented by this collection. Research notes and bound notebooks kept by students make up a large part of the collection. The notebooks, in particular, represent decades of research work conducted under Heidelberger's supervision.

The Heidelberger papers will be of interest to those researching in the evolution of immunochemistry both in the laboratory and without. The collection may also illuminate the growth and structure of the international scientific community in the twentieth-century. The fact that Heidelberger was active in his field for over seventy years makes these papers useful for studies of historical trends and developments. In addition, it is conceivable that historians interested in Columbia, Rutgers and New York University might find the papers of interest as he held faculty positions at all three. Researchers interested in pneumococcal polysaccharides, malaria, and typhoid might also used this collection, particularly for historical background.

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