Jane S. Smith Collection on Jonas Salk, 1950-1993 (MSS 810)

Restrictions: Original sound recording formats are restricted. Users may inquire about use copies prior to their visit.

Extent: 2 Linear feet (2 archives boxes, 4 card file boxes, and 1 oversize folder), + .822 GB of digital files

Digital Content

Selected sound recordings from the collection have digital use copies available upon request, which were provided by the donor (Ms. Smith had them created in 2003 by the Northwestern University Library, Digital Media Services). Two interview recordings exist only in digital format.

Author and historian Jane S. Smith's materials relating to Jonas Salk and the National Foundation/March of Dimes, collected while researching her book Patenting the Sun: Polio and the Salk Vaccine (1990). The collection includes ephemera, interview transcripts, and sound recordings.

Jane S. Smith writes about the intersection of science, natural history, and popular culture. Her books have covered topics from the pioneering career of tastemaker Elsie de Wolfe to the development of the first polio vaccine, the long history of domesticated chickens, and the influential career of plant inventor Luther Burbank. (From Smith's website, cited in March 2019: http://www.janessmith.com/works.htm)

Author and historian Jane S. Smith's materials relating to Jonas Salk and the National Foundation/March of Dimes, collected while researching her book Patenting the Sun: Polio and the Salk Vaccine (1990). The collection includes a small amount of March of Dimes and public health ephemera promoting polio prevention and the 1955 vaccine. The bulk of the collection consists of notes, transcripts and original recordings from Smith's interviews with Jonas Salk, members of the Salk family, and people familiar with the story of the 1955 vaccine development. It also includes recordings from an interview conducted in 1964 with Jonas Salk, possibly by Richard Carter (the interviewer is unidentified in the recordings).

Arranged in three series: 1) PAPERS, 2) INTERVIEWS - TRANSCRIPTS AND NOTES, and 3) INTERVIEWS - SOUND RECORDINGS.

Jonas Salk Papers. MSS 1. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Container List

PAPERS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 1) PAPERS: A small selection of ephemera, reports, and fair quality, copy-print black and white photographs. Many of the photographs are well-known images; however, as they are copy prints, the photographer is not always identified on the item.

Box 1 Folder 1
Polio ephemera, ca. 1950-1951
Oversize FB-479 Folder 5
Polio ephemera - Public service posters, ca. 1950
Box 1 Folder 2
March of Dimes/National Foundation ephemera, ca. 1950-1985
Box 1 Folder 3
March of Dimes - Press release on 10th anniversary of Salk vaccine, 1965 April 11
Box 1 Folder 4
March of Dimes - History
Box 1 Folder 5
1955 vaccine program materials, 1953-1955
Box 1 Folder 6
Van Riper, Hart - "The Polio Vaccine Trial: A New Experience in Public Health", 1954 August
Box 1 Folder 7
Washington state resource unit for teachers - "Medicine in the Making", 1954 May
Box 1 Folder 8
Salk Institute for Biological Studies and The National Foundation - March of Dimes "New Hope" brochure, ca. 1960
Box 1 Folder 9
The Immune Response Corporation - Press materials about HIV therapeutic vaccine, 1991

Photographs

Box 1 Folder 10
Jonas Salk - Photographs
Box 1 Folder 11
Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr. - Photographs
Box 1 Folder 12
March of Dimes vaccine campaign- Photographs
Box 1 Folder 13
Polio vaccine history - Photographs
Box 1 Folder 14
Children - Photographs

Contains photographs of the Salk children, children getting vaccines, and children afflicted with polio.

Box 1 Folder 15
Miscellaneous photographs

Includes photographs of events (including Basil O'Connor) and laboratory/work spaces.

INTERVIEWS - TRANSCRIPTS AND NOTES

Scope and Content of Series

Series 2) INTERVIEWS - TRANSCRIPTS AND NOTES: Jane S. Smith's collection of interview transcriptions and notes pertaining to her book research. Interviewees include Jonas Salk and members of the Salk family, and people from Dr. Salk's wide circle of science colleagues and acquaintances. Some, but not all, of the files have related original recordings in Series 3.

Box 1 Folder 16
Alex, Steve, 1987 December 30
Box 1 Folder 17
Benison, Saul, 1985 September 20
Box 1 Folder 18-19
Bodian, David, 1986, 1988
Box 1 Folder 20
Brierly, Dr. of Wyeth Corp., 1986 June 24
Box 1 Folder 21
Carter, Richard (telephone conversation), ca. 1985
Box 1 Folder 22
Carter, Richard and Jonas Salk, ca. 1985
Box 1 Folder 23
Coleman, Tom, 1986 April 7-9
Box 1 Folder 24
Culbertson, Clyde, 1986 June 11
Box 1 Folder 25
DeNeff, Wayne, 1986 July
Box 1 Folder 26
Ducas, Dorothy, 1986 March 5
Box 2 Folder 1
Francis, Mrs. Thomas, 1986 May 1
Box 2 Folder 2
Friedman, Lorraine, 1987 November 24
Box 2 Folder 3
Friendly, Fred, 1986 August 7
Box 2 Folder 4-5
Glasser, Melvin, ca. 1985-1986
Box 2 Folder 6-7
Korns, Robert, 1986 August-June
Box 2 Folder 8
Langmuir, Alexander, 1986 January 22
Box 2 Folder 9
Langmuir, Alexander and Leona Baumgartner, 1986 August 19
Box 2 Folder 10
Levitch, Mary Jane Francis, 1986 May 12
Box 2 Folder 11
Lowenthal, Alex, 1986 August 25
Box 2 Folder 12
Massey, Charles, 1986 March 5
Box 2 Folder 13
Minuse, Elva, 1986 July
Box 2 Folder 14
Nix, Robert, 1986 August 28
Box 2 Folder 15
O'Connor, John, 1987 April 8
Box 2 Folder 16
Sabin, Albert, 1986 February 20
Box 2 Folder 17
Salk, Donna, 1987 November 20
Box 2 Folder 18-22
Salk, Jonas, 1985-1990
Box 2 Folder 23
Salk, Peter, 1987 November 22
Box 2 Folder 24
Shulman, 1986 April 29
Box 2 Folder 25
Stickle, Gabe-Stjernsward, 1985 July 9
Box 2 Folder 26
Troan, John, 1986 August 26
Box 2 Folder 27-28
Whitelaw, Elaine, 1985-1987

Interviewed by Richard McCutcheon; includes notes on John O'Connor.

Box 2 Folder 29
Youngner, Julius, 1986 October 14

INTERVIEWS - SOUND RECORDINGS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 3) INTERVIEWS – SOUND RECORDINGS: Recordings are on audiocassette tapes unless otherwise indicated. Digital use copies are available for many of the recordings. Arranged in three subseries: A) Interviews; B) 1964 Interviews with Jonas Salk; and C) Miscellaneous Recordings.

A) Interviews: Recordings of Smith's interviews with Jonas Salk, the Salk family, and and people familiar with the story of the 1955 vaccine development.

B) 1964 Interviews with Jonas Salk: The interviewer is unidentified, but is likely to be Richard Carter, who wrote a 1965/66 book on Salk called Breakthrough: The Saga of Jonas Salk. The original recordings are on reel-to-reel, though Smith had audiocassette copies made.

C) Miscellaneous Recordings: Sound recordings related to Smith's research on polio and the polio vaccine (not interviews).

Interviews

Box 3 Folder 1
Alex, Steve, 1987 December 30
Box 3 Folder 2
Alex, Steve, 1988 January 6
Box 3 Folder 3
Blecha, John, 1985 August 14
Box 3 Folder 4
Bodian, David, 1986 February 18
Box 3 Folder 5
Brierly, Dr., 1986 June 24
Box 3 Folder 6
Brown, Marion, 1986 July 14
Box 3 Folder 7
Brown, Marian and Clyde Culbertson, 1986 May 14, 1986 June 11
Box 3 Folder 8
Brown, Martha, 1987 July 17
Box 3 Folder 9
Carter, Richard (telephone conversation), ca. 1985
Box 3 Folder 10
Carter, Richard - Tape 1, 1986 August 11
Box 3 Folder 11
Carter, Richard - Tape 2, 1986 August 11
Box 3 Folder 12
Cohn, Victor, 1986 February 21
Box 3 Folder 13
Coleman, Tom - Tape 1, 1986 April 7
Box 3 Folder 14
Coleman, Tom - Tape 2, 1986 April 9
Box 3 Folder 15
Culbertson, Clyde, 1986 June 11
Box 3 Folder 16
Culbertson, Clyde, 1986 June 25
Box 3 Folder 17
DeNeff, Wayne, 1986 July
Box 3 Folder 18
Ducas, Dorothy, 1986 March 5
Box 3 Folder 19
Francis, Mrs. Thomas, 1986 May 1
Box 3 Folder 20
Friedman, Lorraine - Tape 1, 1987 November 24
Box 3 Folder 21
Friedman, Lorraine - Tape 2, 1987 November 24
Box 3 Folder 22
Friendly, Fred, 1986 August 7
Box 3 Folder 23
Glasser, Melvin - Tape 1, 1986 February 19
Box 3 Folder 24
Glasser, Melvin - Tape 2, undated
Box 3 Folder 25
Graff, Lou, 1985 July 15
Box 3 Folder 26
Greenbergs, 1985 December 30
Box 3 Folder 27
Kelly, Katheryn - Tape 1, 1986 August 27
Box 3 Folder 28
Kelly, Katheryn - Tape 2, 1986 August 27
Box 3 Folder 29
Korns, Robert - Tape 1, 1986 August 15
Box 3 Folder 30
Korns, Robert - Tape 2, 1986 August 15
Box 3 Folder 31
Korns, Robert, 1986 June 18
Box 3 Folder 32
Korns, Robert, 1986 August
Box 3 Folder 33
Langmuir, Alexander, 1986 January 22
Box 3 Folder 34
Langmuir, Alexander, 1986 February 14
Box 4 Folder 1
Langmuir, Alexander - Tape 1, 1986 August 19
Box 4 Folder 2
Langmuir, Alexander - Tape 2, 1986 August 19
Box 4 Folder 3
Langmuir, Alexander and Leona Baumgartner - Tape 3, 1986 August 19
Box 4 Folder 4
Langmuir, Alexander and Leona Baumgartner - Tape 4, 1986 August 19
Box 4 Folder 5
Laurie, Gini, ca. 1985
Box 4 Folder 6
Levitch, Mary Jane Francis, 1986 May 12

Daughter of Dr. Thomas Francis.

Box 4 Folder 7
Lowenthal, Alex - Tape 1, 1986 August 25
Box 4 Folder 8
Lowenthal, Alex - Tape 2, 1986 August 25
Digital file 2
Margolis, Renee, undated

.WAV file. Digital only.

Box 4 Folder 9
Massey, Charles - Tape 1, 1986 March 5
Box 4 Folder 10
Massey, Charles - Tape 2, 1986 March 5
Box 4 Folder 11
Merieux Institute, 1989 November 6
Box 4 Folder 12
Minuse, Elva, 1986 July
Box 4 Folder 13
Nix, Robert, 1986 August 28
Box 6 Folder 1
O'Connor, Basil on Tom Rivers (original recording on reel-to-reel), undated
Box 4 Folder 14
O'Connor, Basil on Tom Rivers (copy on audiocassette), undated
Box 4 Folder 15
O'Connor, John, 1987 April 8
Box 4 Folder 16
Revile, Philip - Telephone interview, 1990 March 29
Box 6 Folder 2
Rivers, Tom - Interviewed by Richard Carter (original recordings on reel-to-reel), undated
Box 4 Folder 17
Rivers, Tom - Interviewed by Richard Carter (use copy on audiocassette) - Tape 1, undated
Box 4 Folder 18
Rivers, Tom - Interviewed by Richard Carter (use copy on audiocassette) - Tape 2, undated
Box 4 Folder 19
Sabin, Albert, 1986 February 20
Box 4 Folder 20
Salk, Donna - Tape 1, 1987 November 20
Box 4 Folder 21
Salk, Donna - Tape 3, 1987 November 20
Box 4 Folder 22
Salk, Donna and Renee Margolis, undated
Box 5 Folder 20
Salk, Jonas - Tape 1, 1985 July 10

Recording quality very poor; piano in background.

Box 5 Folder 21
Salk, Jonas - Tape 2, 1985 July 10
Box 5 Folder 22
Salk, Jonas - Tape 1, 1987 November 20
Box 5 Folder 23
Salk, Jonas - Tape 2, 1987 November 20
Box 5 Folder 24
Salk, Jonas, 1989 September 13
Box 5 Folder 25
Salk, Jonas - Tape 1, 1990 January 30
Box 5 Folder 26
Salk, Jonas - Tape 2, 1990 January 30
Box 5 Folder 27
Salk, Jonas - Tape 1, 1990 January 31
Box 5 Folder 28
Salk, Jonas - Tape 3, 1990 January 31
Digital file 1
Salk, Jonas, 1990 February 1

.WAV file. Digital only, Side A.

Box 4 Folder 23
Salk, Peter, 1987 November 22
Box 4 Folder 24
Scheele, Leonard, 1989 July 27 or 28
Box 4 Folder 25
Shapiro, 1986 August 26
Box 4 Folder 26
Shulman, 1986 April 29
Box 4 Folder 27
Smith, Jim (Eli Lilly), 1987 February 20
Box 4 Folder 28
Smith, Myrna and Will Ackerman, 1986 June 13
Box 4 Folder 29
Stickle, Gabe-Stjernsward, 1985 June 25
Box 4 Folder 30
Stickle, Gabe-Stjernsward, 1985 July 9
Box 4 Folder 31
Stickle, Gabe-Stjernsward, 1986 February 2
Box 4 Folder 32
Troan, John - Tape 1, 1986 August 26
Box 4 Folder 33
Troan, John, undated
Box 5 Folder 1
Whitelaw, Elaine, 1985 January 28
Box 5 Folder 2
Whitelaw, Elaine - Tape 1, 1985 August 15
Box 5 Folder 3
Whitelaw, Elaine - Tape 2, 1985 August 15
Box 5 Folder 4
Whitelaw, Elaine, 1987 April 3
Box 5 Folder 5
Youngner, Julius, 1986 October 14

1964 Interviews with Jonas Salk

Box 6 Folder 3-5
Jonas Salk (original recording on reel-to-reel) - Reels 1-3, 1964
Box 6 Folder 6
Jonas Salk (original recording on reel-to-reel) - "Adjusted copy"

Salk, Jonas (copies on audiocassette) - Reel 1

Box 5 Folder 6
Tape of Reel 1, parts A/B
Box 5 Folder 7
Tape of Reel 1, parts C/D
Box 5 Folder 8
Tape of Reel 1, parts E/F
Box 5 Folder 9
Tape of Reel 1, parts G/H
Box 5 Folder 10
Tape of Reel 1, part I

Salk, Jonas (copies on audiocassette) - Reel 2

Box 5 Folder 11
Tape of Reel 2, parts A/B
Box 5 Folder 12
Tape of Reel 2, parts C/D
Box 5 Folder 13
Tape of Reel 2, parts E/F
Box 5 Folder 14
Tape of Reel 2, part G

Salk, Jonas (copies on audiocassette) - Reel 3

Box 5 Folder 15
Tape of Reel 3, parts A/B
Box 5 Folder 16
Tape of Reel 3, parts C/D
Box 5 Folder 17
Tape of Reel 3, parts E/F
Box 5 Folder 18
Tape of Reel 3, parts G/H
Box 5 Folder 19
Tape of Reel 3, part I

Miscellaneous Recordings

Box 5 Folder 29
Newburger/Family tape on cousin's polio, undated
Box 5 Folder 30
March of Dimes films and newsreel sound tracks, ca. 1955
Box 5 Folder 31
"Talk of the Nation" NPR broadcast soundtrack - Remembering Sabin and the age of polio, 1993
Box 5 Folder 32
Post-Polio conference, AM speakers - Tape 1, undated
Box 5 Folder 33
Post-Polio conference, AM speakers - Tape 2, undated
Box 5 Folder 34
"See it Now" CBS broadcast soundtrack featuring Dr. Salk, ca. 1955