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© 2010 University of Chicago Library
Series V: Subseries 4, does not include access copies of films. Researchers will need to consult with staff before requesting material from this series.
Series VI consists of medical records, restricted for 80 years.
The remainder of the collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Hess, Julius Hays. Papers, Crerar Ms 51, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Julius Hays Hess was a Chicago pediatrician who made innovative contributions to medical research and hospital technology. He is considered the father of American neonatology.
Hess was born on 2 January 1876 in Ottawa, Illinois. He received his M.D. from Northwestern University in 1899, interning first at the Alexian Brothers Hospital in Chicago, and then pursuing postgraduate study at Johns Hopkins University. He also studied at clinics in Germany and Austria. In 1906 he began a pediatric practice at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, and in 1916 he became a full professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and chief of staff at Cook County Community Hospital. He held these positions until his retirement in 1944, interrupted only by his service in the U.S. Army during 1917.
Hess was an American pioneer in the care of premature babies. His book on Premature and Congenitally Diseased Infants (1922) was the first of its kind published in the United States. In 1914 he designed a heated bed for infants, influenced by European incubator models, which used an electric-heated water jacket to maintain temperature. He followed this with a transport incubator or "infant ambulance" in 1922, and by 1934 he had expanded upon the design to allow for the provision of oxygen.
The Premature Infant Station that Hess established with registered nurse Evelyn Lundeen at Sarah Morris (Michael Reese) Hospital became a model for premature care throughout the United States and England. He and Lundeen co-authored The Premature Infant: Its Medical and Nursing Care in 1941. Their Infant Station at Sarah Morris Hospital was particularly successful at preventing hemorrhages and treating congenital syphilis, and long-term studies indicated that eighty-five percent of infants treated there survived with good health and normal development. Hess was also involved in drawing up city- and state-wide plans for the consistent care of premature newborns.
Hess was active in the medical community as a member of the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the Central States Pediatrics Society. He published widely in medical journals. He served as president of the Illinois Medical Society between 1934 and 1935. During the early 1950s he was involved with the medical advisory board for the National Foundation on Infantile Paralysis and their "March of Dimes" fundraiser for the treatment of polio. Hess was also a member of the Jewish Children's Bureau. In 1952 the American Academy of Pediatrics presented him with their Borden Award for his contributions to the field.
Hess married Clara Merrifield in 1902. They had two daughters, Jean and Carol, with whom he remained close until his death in 1955. He was remembered by his patients as kind, and by his colleagues as an excellent and energetic teacher.
The Julius Hays Hess Papers span the years 1899-1958 and are organized into six series:
Series I: Professional, contains correspondence, papers, and photographs related to Hess's career. Material in this series spans 1915-1955. Oversized material has been transferred to Series V. Restricted material has been transferred to Series VI.
Series II: Hospital Technology and Procedure, contains diagrams, descriptions, instruction manuals, business correspondence, and photographs related to Hess's designs for hospital equipment. It includes information on hospital procedures and regulations. Material in this series covers the period between 1917 and 1954. Oversized material has been transferred to Series V.
Series III: Research and Writings, contains case studies, research notes, clippings, and conference presentations. It includes glass lantern slides used for lectures. It also contains drafts and offprints of published articles by Hess and by others. Material dates from 1904-1954. Medical records have been restricted and moved to Series VI.
Series IV: Personal, contains the papers of Hess and his immediate family, from 1843 through 1955. It includes photographs and glass lantern slides. Oversized material has been transferred to Series V.
Series V: Oversize, contains newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, certificates, photographs, artifacts, and film from 1907 through 1958. It includes books by Hess and others, most with marginalia or inscriptions.
Series VI: Restricted, contains medical records, named case studies, and correspondence containing medical information. It includes photographs, glass lantern slides, and film of named patients. This material has been restricted.
This series contains correspondence and papers related to Hess's professional life. Material in this series spans 1915-1955 and is divided into two subseries:
Subseries 1: Colleagues and Patients, contains Hess's correspondence with colleagues and patients, as well as clippings related to his colleagues. It includes photographs, letters of recommendation and tributes to Hess and his mentor, Dr. Isaac Abt. It also contains the papers of Dr. Ralph Kunstadter, Hess's nephew and colleague. Correspondence containing medical information has been restricted and moved to Series VI.
Subseries 2: Organizations, includes correspondence related to the medical organizations and associations Hess participated in or received honors from. Oversized material from this subseries has been transferred to Series V.
This series contains diagrams, descriptions, instruction manuals, and business correspondence related to Hess's designs for hospital equipment. It includes information on hospital procedures and regulations. Material covers the period between 1917 and 1954. It is divided into two subseries:
Subseries 1: Technology, contains diagrams, descriptions, business correspondence, advertisements, and photographs related to Hess's equipment. It includes information on rival incubator models. Material in this subseries represents the most active part of Hess' career, the period between 1917 and 1954. Oversized material has been transferred to Series V.
Subseries 2: Sarah Morris Hospital, contains plans for the Premature Infant Station at Sarah Morris and Michael Reese Hospitals, as well as papers and photographs relating to hospital administration and medical procedures. Of note are papers detailing tensions between staff and administration at Michael Reese Hospital during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
This series contains case studies, research notes, photographs, clippings, and conference presentations. It includes glass lantern slides used for lectures. It also contains drafts and offprints of published articles by Hess and by others. Material dates from 1904-1954. It is divided into six subseries. Medical records and photographs have been restricted and transferred to Series VI.
Subseries 1: Case Studies, contains case studies from clinics Hess worked in at Cook County Community Hospital and Michael Reese Hospital, sometimes in collaboration with other doctors, during the 1930s and 1940s. It includes statistics related to infant care and mortality, and photographs depicting medical conditions.
Subseries 2: Lectures and Conferences, contains notes and outlines for presentations made by Hess. It includes correspondence related to conferences he participated in.
Subseries 3: Drafts, contains drafts of articles and books by Hess.
Subseries 4: Offprints, contains offprints of articles published by Hess.
Subseries 5: Writings by Others, contains copies of articles and books published by others. Oversized material in this series has been moved to Series VI.
Subseries 6: Slides, contains glass slides used for lectures. Most depict medical conditions. The bulk of these slides are undated.
This series contains the personal and financial papers of Hess and his immediate family, dating between 1843 and 1955. It includes photographs and glass lantern slides. Oversized material has been transferred to Series VI.
This series contains oversized newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, certificates, photographs, books, artifacts, and film from the years 1907 through 1958. It is divided into four subseries:
Subseries 1: Clippings and Photographs, contains newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, certificates, and photographs.
Subseries 2: Books, contains books by Hess and others, most with marginalia or inscriptions.
Subseries 3: Artifacts, contains a ruler with magnifying glass, and a plaque presented to Hess by the Detroit Pediatric Society.
Subseries 4: Films, contains motion picture films documenting medical procedures and holiday travel. Restricted material has been transferred to Series VI.
This series contains medical records, case studies, and correspondence containing medical information. It includes photographs, glass lantern slides, and film. This material has been restricted and divided into three subseries.
Subseries 1: Records, contains medical records, named case studies, and correspondence containing medical information. It includes photographs.
Subseries 2: Slides, contains glass lantern slides depicting named patients.
Subersies 3: Films, contains film depicting named patients.
This series contains lantern slides used for professional and personal purposes. All are undated.