Past Presidents I Have Known* BY THOMAS E. KEYS, Sc.D., Emeritus Librarian
The Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota ABSTRACT This paper is an account of the accomplishments of some of the early past presidents of the Medical Library Association known personally to the author in his career as a medical librarian. It demonstrates the qualities that made these librarians leaders of our profession and also indicates their personal attributes that contributed to the advancement of medical librarianship. It is hoped that the historical presentation of some of the giants of our profession will inspire present and future presidents and other medical librarians with an understanding of some of the qualities necessary to the continuing success of our
profession.
JANET DOE
WHO can forget Janet Doe? Even though she has been in retirement since 1956, Miss Doe (Fig. 1) is still active and held in affection and esteem by her many friends. She has a marvelous disposition and for many years was the backbone of the New York Academy of Medicine's fine library and also the stalwart of the Medical Library Association (MLA). Her advice, which often was sought by many of the officers and members of the Association, was always excellent. For instance, during her presidency of the Association (1948-49), I was Chairman of the Awards Committee. The first Marcia C. Noyes Award was presented that year for outstanding achievement in medical librarianship. In some ways the idea of the Marcia Noyes Award was mine, but it was realized only after many sessions with the Awards Committee and the MLA Board of Directors. It was most important, I thought, to nominate from our many deserving members one of the most outstanding. I asked Janet's advice concerning this difficult decision. In her characteristic way she said, "Unquestionably, the award should go to Eileen Cunningham!" The Committee and * The first installment of this article appeared in the Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63: 49-59, Jan. 1975.
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FIG. 1.-Janet Doe.
the Board unanimously approved Janet's suggestion to honor our beloved Eileen, who more than any other member emphasized the international aspects of the Medical Library Association. I am a great believer in communication and enjoy carrying on a considerable correspondence with my library and historically-minded friends. As President of MLA (1957-58), I was able, after careful deliberation and correspondence with the Board of Directors, to convince the medical record librarians that they weren't to be confused with the Medical Library Association. Miss Doe then wrote me, in part:
July 17, 1957 Dear Tom, Bully for you! You got the "Librarians" out of the Records Association in record time!! If they go through with their intention, I don't think we should fuss over what they call themselves as individuals. It was the Association's name which caused the most
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confusion. Evidently it did bother them as well as us.. .
Sincerely, (Signed) Janet
Another letter I cherish: August 4, 1957
Dear Tom, The Festschrift [in honor of Miss Doe] is one of the nicest things that ever happened to me. And of course, what makes it so is the contributions from the friends who have filled my professional years with warm recollections and present pleasure. Your "American Medical Imprints" is a valuable piece in itself, even without its present association. It was a happy occasion that brought me to the A.M.L. [Army Medical Library] survey and closer acquaintance with all of you there. My best to you,
Sincerely, (Signed) Janet
Janet was born in South Newbury, Vermont, spent her childhood in Lexington, Massachusetts, and attended Wellesley College where she majored in science. She attended the Vassar Training School for Nurses and continued nurses' training at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Because of a knee problem, Janet reluctantly gave up nursing as a career. She found something better, I think, in medical librarianship. After receiving a certificate from the New York Public Library School, she continued to work there briefly as a reviser of students' classwork and as a cataloger. In 1923 Miss Doe became Assistant Librarian of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. After three years she transferred to the New York Academy of Medicine as Head of the Periodicals Department. It was at this institution that Janet was to make her career, which was a distinguished one. In 1929 she was appointed Assistant Librarian at the Academy. Dr. Malloch must have been born under a lucky star to have had Miss Doe as his administrative associate. She made the library run well, and her acumen contributed much to its fine reputation. When Dr. Malloch resigned due to ill health, Miss Janet Doe became the first woman librarian of the Academy. Besides her work in the Academy library, Janet contributed much to librarianship in this country and abroad. She was elected Secretary of the Medical Library Association in 1936 and Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(2) April 1975
continued in this position for a four-year period. She became the editor of the Medical Library Association's first edition of the Handbook of Medical Library Practice (1943), the standard book on medical librarianship. Probably more than any other publication of the Association, this volume brought a professional status to medical librarianship. Prior to this time Miss Doe, in 1937, had issued a scholarly work, A Bibliography of the Works of Ambroise Pare. This bio-bibliography is much more than its name implies and brought to Janet a well-earned reputation in the history of medicine. Another task, one that she shared with other prominent librarians, was to survey the Army Medical Library. The report of the survey (1943) revitalized the library and was to bring about its change in name so that it has truly become the National Library of Medicine. I became acquainted with Janet during this survey, and in the years since then we have maintained a fine and understanding friendship. Miss Doe was appointed an honorary consultant of the Army Medical Library. When the honorary consultants were dissolved, she became a member of the smaller group of advisers to the library. Janet was responsible, too, for preparing the index to the classification schedules (1945) for the Army Medical Library and served on the subcommittee of the consultants on the use of the medical indexes. As mentioned earlier, Janet served as President of MLA (194849) and frequently served on committees of the Association including the Committee on International Cooperation which she headed. In 1956, with Mary Louise Marshall, she edited the second edition of the Association's Handbook. This and Janet's various publications have added a long-needed impetus to medical librarianship. In a recent letter to me (dated March 4, 1972) Janet said, in part: My years of retirement have been happily occupied by helping to publish a history of Katonah, New York, and since then by working with the town historian of Bedford, New York, in reproducing the town's (really a township) records from its founding in 1680 to 1899. So far three volumes of the six planned are out, the fourth is in press, and two still to go. 'Cess to you, Affectionately, (Signed) Janet
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GERTRUDE ANNAN
Quite some time ago, I visited the New York Academy of Medicine Library and was affably greeted by Gertrude Annan, then in charge of the Rare Book Room. Miss Annan (Fig. 2) gave me a sparkling tour among the rare books which she organized and administered so competently for about twenty years. Her idea was to make it a working collection and besides the rare books, Gertrude encouraged the purchase of the important historical reference tools. Later the area was named after Dr. Archibald Malloch, who for many years had been the Librarian of the New York Academy of Medicine. This is one of the great medical libraries of the world and the rare book library in some ways is unequaled. It has benefited from the receipt of many collections. Among these was that of Dr. Samuel Smith Purple, one of the many great libraries that have enriched the Academy's holdings. Many other outstanding volumes were obtained through Miss Annan's efforts when she was in charge of the rare book room and afterward when she served as Associate Librarian and later as Librarian. Her
encouragement to many donors and the fine work she accomplished for the Friends of the Rare Book Room have all added to the importance of the library in the rare book field. Gertrude was involved in the preparation and issuance of the beautifully produced last printing of the woodcuts of Vesalius (Icones Anatomicae... 1934). This is now a rare volume and hard to obtain. Miss Annan, too, was instrumental in seeing through the press the scholarly volumes issued under the auspices of the "Friends." Gertrude Annan was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and attended Brown University where she received a B.A. degree in English. She began her professional career in librarianship at the John Carter Brown Library as a cataloger. This important library of Americana contains priceless books, maps, and prints relating to North and South America during the Colonial period. One suspects that this position nurtured Gertrude's love of rare books. From 1929 to 1933 she served as cataloger of the New York Academy of Medicine's Rare Book Library. From 1933 to 1953 she headed the Rare Book Room. She was promoted to Associate Librar-
FIG. 2-Gertrude Annan, presiding at the annual MLA meeting in 1962.
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ian in 1953, serving in this capacity under Janet Doe. When Miss Doe retired in 1956, Gertrude was appointed to the librarianship. She held this position until her own retirement in December 1969. During her tenure much was accomplished for the good of medical librarianship. For instance, Gertrude was responsible for the publication of the very useful New York Academy of Medicine catalogs: the Portrait Catalog, 1960, seven volumes; the Author Catalog, 1972, forty-three volumes; the Subject Catalog, 1969, thirty-four volumes; Catalog of Biographies, 1960; and Illustration Catalog ed. 2, 1965. Besides the arduous task of administration, Gertrude was the prime mover in seeing to fruition the Medical Library Center of New York. This most useful venture continues to be a boon to medical libraries in the New York area. Since retirement, Gertrude has enjoyed various consultantships and recently was Visiting Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical School in Tucson. Gertrude held all important offices of the Medical Library Association including the presidency (1961-62). It was during this time and with her support and that of the committee in charge, that the Medical Library Association acquired a central office and an executive secretary. Janet Doe, who wrote about her at that time, said in part: Not only has Gertrude Annan concerned herself with aid to medical historians; she has tried to show librarians the value, fascination, and methods of dealing with rare books. Her chapter in the Handbook on "Rare Books and the History of Medicine" forms a basic text and reference source for them . . . She has twice given the Medical Library Association's refresher course on rare books, and has often been a guestlecturer on historical works in the medical library courses at Columbia and Catholic Universities... When, after a quarter of a century's work with her beloved rare books, Gertrude Annan assumed administrative duties, she showed the same insight into the Library's general problems and energy in dealing with them. Not only has the Academy benefited; New York metropolitan library conditions have had her attention, too ... (1).
When Gertrude received medical librarianship's highest honor, the Marcia C. Noyes award in 1968 at the MLA annual meeting held in Denver, William Postell, Chairman of the Awards Committee said, in part: Tonight we are going to bestow our highest award upon a lady who personifies all that this term means. To those of us who were raised in the shadow of the culture of the antebellum South, a lady was, first of all, of gentle birth. She was kind, generous, helpful, doing all the good she possibly could do, seeing always the good in others instead of their failings, and with a wonderful philosophy in life that made her loved and beloved by everyone. Such a person is Gertrude L. Annan, who tonight is to receive the Marcia C. Noyes Award for her contribution to medical librarianship
(2). As suggested above, Gertrude devoted much beyond the call of duty not only to her position but to medical librarianship collectively and to the Medical Library Association, particularly, in a most generous way. As editors of the third edition of the Medical Library Association's Handbook of Medical Library Practice, 1970, Gertrude Annan and Jacqueline Felter gave unstintingly of their time and effort for the good of medical librarianship everywhere. Mention should be made of her substantial contribution to the literature of medical librarianship. Each of her papers is an excellent one. Another honor that Gertrude Annan received was to be chosen as the first Janet Doe Lecturer. Her fine study, representing much preparation, was presented during the Association's annual meeting in Miami, Florida, on June 13, 1967. Miss Annan said, in part: The medical librarian of 1967 lives in a period of changing concepts, dramatic new methods, ever widening scientific horizons. In looking toward the immediate past he may think of the medical librarian of thirty years ago as a complacent follower of accepted procedures ... Yet the corps of trained medical librarians today and the resources of our collections and their management are dependent upon the efforts of those who were then pioneers in medical librarianship (3).
Gertrude represented the New York AcadWe have enjoyed each other's company on emy of Medicine at the First International many pleasant social occasions connected with Congress on Medical Librarianship held in the meetings of the Medical Library Association London in 1953, and I remember her spirited and on visits to New York City. I found out, discussion at the third congress held in 1969 in for instance, that Gertrude was an excellent dancer when on an excursion boat on a "water Amsterdam. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(2) April 197S5
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highway." The craft was delayed about three hours in the locks during the Medical Library Association meeting in the Spring of 1961 in Seattle. The time went by fast! Another time Gertrude was my partner during a second boat excursion, this time during the meeting of the Medical Library Association in Miami, Florida, in June, 1967. But the word was getting around about her ability and many swains cut in! Nor can I forget her checking the rare book stacks in the New York Academy of Medicine following a meeting of the "Friends" and hauling out old fashioned glasses hidden by the books. BERTHA BRANDON HALLAM When I became President of the Medical Library Association following the 1957 meeting in New York City, my immediate predecessor was Miss Bertha Hallam, Librarian of the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland, Oregon. Miss Hallam (Fig. 3), whom I got to know while attending MLA meetings over the years, can be characterized as delightful, pleasant on all occasions, hard-working, competent, and a sincere friend. Among her great assets is her lovable personality and her ability to get along with others; no harsh words for anyone, and no one has ever made but kind remarks about her. Because of the fine work that Bertha accomplished as President and the excellent
records that she and Mrs. Henrietta Perkins, the secretary, kept of the 1957 meeting the transmission from her presidency to mine was accomplished in an easy manner. Bertha was bom in Excelsior, Minnesota, and lived near and in Minneapolis until high school age when her family moved to Portland. Here, after attending high school, she passed the examination for the apprentice course at the Library Association of Portland. She served as an assistant on this library staff from 1914 to 1919. In 1919, Bertha became Librarian of the University of Oregon Medical School. She continued as Librarian for forty-six years, retiring in 1965 as Professor Emeritus and Librarian Emeritus to the institution to which she dedicated her life work. As Wilma Troxel has said about Bertha: Indicative of her determination of purpose is the fact that she finished her college work at the University of Oregon in night classes, correspondence courses, and summer sessions, while working full time as the Medical Librarian (4).
Miss Hallam received her A. B. degree in 1931 from the University of Oregon. Bertha was devoted to the Medical Library Association. She attended her first annual meeting in 1926 and has attended regularly since. Even after retirement she has frequently been among those present. In 1932 Miss Hallam was elected a member of the Executive Com-
FIG. 3-Bertha Hallam.
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mittee of MLA. She was one of three who signed the Certificate of Incorporation for the Association in 1934. Bertha was Treasurer of the Association from 1941 to 1946. This was during the years of World War II when no annual meetings were held and one can imagine the amount of work involved. Bertha has served on many MLA committees, and she hosted an exceptionally fine annual meeting in 1940. Other of her committee assignments included Chairman of the Membership Committee; membership on the Gifts and Grants Committee and Committee of Standards for Medical Librarianship; and Chairman of the Certification Subcommittee. Her contributions have been published in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association and other professional journals. She contributed the chapter "Periodical and Book Selection and Ordering," for the first editioti of the Handbook of Medical Library Practice (1943) and for the second edition (1956) the chapter "The Medical Library Association." Miss Hallam was one of the original faculty members of the refresher course program conducted in Rochester, Minnesota, preceding the MLA annual meeting in 1958. The subject of her course was "Medical Reference Work." She also taught this course preceding the meeting in Toronto, Canada, in 1959. She alsc participated in various workshops and round tables concerning different phases of medical librarianship as the occasions arose. Always willing to serve, Bertha helped organize and was the first Chairman of the Pacific Northwest Regional Group of the Medical Library Association. She attended the First International Congress of Medical Librarianship held in London in 1953, was a member of the Organizing Committee for the Second International Congress held in Washington, D. C. in 1963. Miss Hallam also has been active in the Pacific Northwest Library Association as well as the Oregon Library Association, holding important offices in both organizations. She was one of the organizers of the Portland Area Special Librarians group. In addition to the above, Bertha held offices in the Oregon League for Nursing, the National League for Nursing, and the Oregon Health Council. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, the Oregon State Medical Society in 1959 conferred upon her an honorary membership. In 1967 her portrait was painted by Howard Elmer House, Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(2) April 1975
one of Oregon's outstanding artists. It is hung in the library along with those of former deans and professors of the medical school. Her highest honor, however, came from her library colleagues of MLA who elected her to honorary membership in the Association at the annual meeting in Boston in 1966. Helen Crawford, who worded the plaque presented to Bertha said, in part: You have ... brought lustre to your profession by
symbolizing what a medical librarian should be. The many medical and community groups that have granted you honorary memberships and awards for citizenship honored not you alone but your unprecedented record of cheerful and enthusiastic service. So do we.
Bertha's honorary memberships also include those in the Portland Academy of Medicine, the Multnomah County Medical Society, the University of Oregon Medical School Alumni Association, and the University of Oregon School of Nursing Alumni Association. In 1956 Bertha was selected as the Woman of Achievement- by the Portland Chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, the national fraternity for women in journalism and communications. In 1943 the Oregon State Medical Society presented Miss Hallam with a gold wrist watch in appreciation of the twenty-fifth anniversary of her outstanding service as librarian. In 1947, for her outstanding extracurricular activities she was named "Portland's Citizen of the Week." When Bertha was elected to honorary membership in the Portland Academy of Medicine, the only woman to achieve this distinction, she was presented a silver tea service. Amazing as Miss Hallam's professional career has been, her devotion to St. David's Episcopal Church is shown by her membership in the vestry from 1968 to 1970. She is now serving as archivist and historian for the parish, a post she has held for several years. The societies of community interest to which Miss Hallam belong include the Old Church Society, the Oregon Heart Association, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the American Red Cross, the Portland Rose Society, the American Association of University Women, the Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon Mental Health Association and the William Temple House (an Episcopalian laymen's missionary society).
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With her many outside activities, Bertha continues to be an asset to her community, and, in being active, keeps her youth and her friends. I am proud to be one of them. REFERENCES 1. DOE, JANET. Gertrude L. Annan, President, Medical Library Association, 1961-1962. Bull.
Med. Libr. Assoc. 49: 450-454, July 1961. 2. POSTELL, WILLIAM. Marcia C. Noyes Award. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 56: 494-495, Oct. 1968. 3. ANNAN, GERTRUDE. The Medical Library Association in retrospect, 1937-1967. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 55: 379-389, Oct. 1967. 4. TROXEL, WILMA. Bertha Brandon Hallam. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 44: 363-365, July 1956.
qP04
FIG. 4-Four younger past presidents and a present Regent, National Library of Medicine. From left, Mrs. Sarah C. Brown, Mrs. Mildred C. Langner, Thomas E. Keys, Dr. Susan Crawford (Regent), and William D. Postell.
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The Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota ABSTRACT This paper is an account of the accomplishments of some of the early past presidents of the Medical Library Association known personally to the author in his career as a medical librarian. It demonstrates the qualities that made these librarians leaders of our profession and also indicates their personal attributes that contributed to the advancement of medical librarianship. It is hoped that the historical presentation of some of the giants of our profession will inspire present and future presidents and other medical librarians with an understanding of some of the qualities necessary to the continuing success of our
profession.
JANET DOE
WHO can forget Janet Doe? Even though she has been in retirement since 1956, Miss Doe (Fig. 1) is still active and held in affection and esteem by her many friends. She has a marvelous disposition and for many years was the backbone of the New York Academy of Medicine's fine library and also the stalwart of the Medical Library Association (MLA). Her advice, which often was sought by many of the officers and members of the Association, was always excellent. For instance, during her presidency of the Association (1948-49), I was Chairman of the Awards Committee. The first Marcia C. Noyes Award was presented that year for outstanding achievement in medical librarianship. In some ways the idea of the Marcia Noyes Award was mine, but it was realized only after many sessions with the Awards Committee and the MLA Board of Directors. It was most important, I thought, to nominate from our many deserving members one of the most outstanding. I asked Janet's advice concerning this difficult decision. In her characteristic way she said, "Unquestionably, the award should go to Eileen Cunningham!" The Committee and * The first installment of this article appeared in the Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63: 49-59, Jan. 1975.
216
FIG. 1.-Janet Doe.
the Board unanimously approved Janet's suggestion to honor our beloved Eileen, who more than any other member emphasized the international aspects of the Medical Library Association. I am a great believer in communication and enjoy carrying on a considerable correspondence with my library and historically-minded friends. As President of MLA (1957-58), I was able, after careful deliberation and correspondence with the Board of Directors, to convince the medical record librarians that they weren't to be confused with the Medical Library Association. Miss Doe then wrote me, in part:
July 17, 1957 Dear Tom, Bully for you! You got the "Librarians" out of the Records Association in record time!! If they go through with their intention, I don't think we should fuss over what they call themselves as individuals. It was the Association's name which caused the most
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confusion. Evidently it did bother them as well as us.. .
Sincerely, (Signed) Janet
Another letter I cherish: August 4, 1957
Dear Tom, The Festschrift [in honor of Miss Doe] is one of the nicest things that ever happened to me. And of course, what makes it so is the contributions from the friends who have filled my professional years with warm recollections and present pleasure. Your "American Medical Imprints" is a valuable piece in itself, even without its present association. It was a happy occasion that brought me to the A.M.L. [Army Medical Library] survey and closer acquaintance with all of you there. My best to you,
Sincerely, (Signed) Janet
Janet was born in South Newbury, Vermont, spent her childhood in Lexington, Massachusetts, and attended Wellesley College where she majored in science. She attended the Vassar Training School for Nurses and continued nurses' training at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Because of a knee problem, Janet reluctantly gave up nursing as a career. She found something better, I think, in medical librarianship. After receiving a certificate from the New York Public Library School, she continued to work there briefly as a reviser of students' classwork and as a cataloger. In 1923 Miss Doe became Assistant Librarian of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. After three years she transferred to the New York Academy of Medicine as Head of the Periodicals Department. It was at this institution that Janet was to make her career, which was a distinguished one. In 1929 she was appointed Assistant Librarian at the Academy. Dr. Malloch must have been born under a lucky star to have had Miss Doe as his administrative associate. She made the library run well, and her acumen contributed much to its fine reputation. When Dr. Malloch resigned due to ill health, Miss Janet Doe became the first woman librarian of the Academy. Besides her work in the Academy library, Janet contributed much to librarianship in this country and abroad. She was elected Secretary of the Medical Library Association in 1936 and Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(2) April 1975
continued in this position for a four-year period. She became the editor of the Medical Library Association's first edition of the Handbook of Medical Library Practice (1943), the standard book on medical librarianship. Probably more than any other publication of the Association, this volume brought a professional status to medical librarianship. Prior to this time Miss Doe, in 1937, had issued a scholarly work, A Bibliography of the Works of Ambroise Pare. This bio-bibliography is much more than its name implies and brought to Janet a well-earned reputation in the history of medicine. Another task, one that she shared with other prominent librarians, was to survey the Army Medical Library. The report of the survey (1943) revitalized the library and was to bring about its change in name so that it has truly become the National Library of Medicine. I became acquainted with Janet during this survey, and in the years since then we have maintained a fine and understanding friendship. Miss Doe was appointed an honorary consultant of the Army Medical Library. When the honorary consultants were dissolved, she became a member of the smaller group of advisers to the library. Janet was responsible, too, for preparing the index to the classification schedules (1945) for the Army Medical Library and served on the subcommittee of the consultants on the use of the medical indexes. As mentioned earlier, Janet served as President of MLA (194849) and frequently served on committees of the Association including the Committee on International Cooperation which she headed. In 1956, with Mary Louise Marshall, she edited the second edition of the Association's Handbook. This and Janet's various publications have added a long-needed impetus to medical librarianship. In a recent letter to me (dated March 4, 1972) Janet said, in part: My years of retirement have been happily occupied by helping to publish a history of Katonah, New York, and since then by working with the town historian of Bedford, New York, in reproducing the town's (really a township) records from its founding in 1680 to 1899. So far three volumes of the six planned are out, the fourth is in press, and two still to go. 'Cess to you, Affectionately, (Signed) Janet
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GERTRUDE ANNAN
Quite some time ago, I visited the New York Academy of Medicine Library and was affably greeted by Gertrude Annan, then in charge of the Rare Book Room. Miss Annan (Fig. 2) gave me a sparkling tour among the rare books which she organized and administered so competently for about twenty years. Her idea was to make it a working collection and besides the rare books, Gertrude encouraged the purchase of the important historical reference tools. Later the area was named after Dr. Archibald Malloch, who for many years had been the Librarian of the New York Academy of Medicine. This is one of the great medical libraries of the world and the rare book library in some ways is unequaled. It has benefited from the receipt of many collections. Among these was that of Dr. Samuel Smith Purple, one of the many great libraries that have enriched the Academy's holdings. Many other outstanding volumes were obtained through Miss Annan's efforts when she was in charge of the rare book room and afterward when she served as Associate Librarian and later as Librarian. Her
encouragement to many donors and the fine work she accomplished for the Friends of the Rare Book Room have all added to the importance of the library in the rare book field. Gertrude was involved in the preparation and issuance of the beautifully produced last printing of the woodcuts of Vesalius (Icones Anatomicae... 1934). This is now a rare volume and hard to obtain. Miss Annan, too, was instrumental in seeing through the press the scholarly volumes issued under the auspices of the "Friends." Gertrude Annan was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and attended Brown University where she received a B.A. degree in English. She began her professional career in librarianship at the John Carter Brown Library as a cataloger. This important library of Americana contains priceless books, maps, and prints relating to North and South America during the Colonial period. One suspects that this position nurtured Gertrude's love of rare books. From 1929 to 1933 she served as cataloger of the New York Academy of Medicine's Rare Book Library. From 1933 to 1953 she headed the Rare Book Room. She was promoted to Associate Librar-
FIG. 2-Gertrude Annan, presiding at the annual MLA meeting in 1962.
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ian in 1953, serving in this capacity under Janet Doe. When Miss Doe retired in 1956, Gertrude was appointed to the librarianship. She held this position until her own retirement in December 1969. During her tenure much was accomplished for the good of medical librarianship. For instance, Gertrude was responsible for the publication of the very useful New York Academy of Medicine catalogs: the Portrait Catalog, 1960, seven volumes; the Author Catalog, 1972, forty-three volumes; the Subject Catalog, 1969, thirty-four volumes; Catalog of Biographies, 1960; and Illustration Catalog ed. 2, 1965. Besides the arduous task of administration, Gertrude was the prime mover in seeing to fruition the Medical Library Center of New York. This most useful venture continues to be a boon to medical libraries in the New York area. Since retirement, Gertrude has enjoyed various consultantships and recently was Visiting Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Arizona Medical School in Tucson. Gertrude held all important offices of the Medical Library Association including the presidency (1961-62). It was during this time and with her support and that of the committee in charge, that the Medical Library Association acquired a central office and an executive secretary. Janet Doe, who wrote about her at that time, said in part: Not only has Gertrude Annan concerned herself with aid to medical historians; she has tried to show librarians the value, fascination, and methods of dealing with rare books. Her chapter in the Handbook on "Rare Books and the History of Medicine" forms a basic text and reference source for them . . . She has twice given the Medical Library Association's refresher course on rare books, and has often been a guestlecturer on historical works in the medical library courses at Columbia and Catholic Universities... When, after a quarter of a century's work with her beloved rare books, Gertrude Annan assumed administrative duties, she showed the same insight into the Library's general problems and energy in dealing with them. Not only has the Academy benefited; New York metropolitan library conditions have had her attention, too ... (1).
When Gertrude received medical librarianship's highest honor, the Marcia C. Noyes award in 1968 at the MLA annual meeting held in Denver, William Postell, Chairman of the Awards Committee said, in part: Tonight we are going to bestow our highest award upon a lady who personifies all that this term means. To those of us who were raised in the shadow of the culture of the antebellum South, a lady was, first of all, of gentle birth. She was kind, generous, helpful, doing all the good she possibly could do, seeing always the good in others instead of their failings, and with a wonderful philosophy in life that made her loved and beloved by everyone. Such a person is Gertrude L. Annan, who tonight is to receive the Marcia C. Noyes Award for her contribution to medical librarianship
(2). As suggested above, Gertrude devoted much beyond the call of duty not only to her position but to medical librarianship collectively and to the Medical Library Association, particularly, in a most generous way. As editors of the third edition of the Medical Library Association's Handbook of Medical Library Practice, 1970, Gertrude Annan and Jacqueline Felter gave unstintingly of their time and effort for the good of medical librarianship everywhere. Mention should be made of her substantial contribution to the literature of medical librarianship. Each of her papers is an excellent one. Another honor that Gertrude Annan received was to be chosen as the first Janet Doe Lecturer. Her fine study, representing much preparation, was presented during the Association's annual meeting in Miami, Florida, on June 13, 1967. Miss Annan said, in part: The medical librarian of 1967 lives in a period of changing concepts, dramatic new methods, ever widening scientific horizons. In looking toward the immediate past he may think of the medical librarian of thirty years ago as a complacent follower of accepted procedures ... Yet the corps of trained medical librarians today and the resources of our collections and their management are dependent upon the efforts of those who were then pioneers in medical librarianship (3).
Gertrude represented the New York AcadWe have enjoyed each other's company on emy of Medicine at the First International many pleasant social occasions connected with Congress on Medical Librarianship held in the meetings of the Medical Library Association London in 1953, and I remember her spirited and on visits to New York City. I found out, discussion at the third congress held in 1969 in for instance, that Gertrude was an excellent dancer when on an excursion boat on a "water Amsterdam. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(2) April 197S5
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highway." The craft was delayed about three hours in the locks during the Medical Library Association meeting in the Spring of 1961 in Seattle. The time went by fast! Another time Gertrude was my partner during a second boat excursion, this time during the meeting of the Medical Library Association in Miami, Florida, in June, 1967. But the word was getting around about her ability and many swains cut in! Nor can I forget her checking the rare book stacks in the New York Academy of Medicine following a meeting of the "Friends" and hauling out old fashioned glasses hidden by the books. BERTHA BRANDON HALLAM When I became President of the Medical Library Association following the 1957 meeting in New York City, my immediate predecessor was Miss Bertha Hallam, Librarian of the University of Oregon Medical School in Portland, Oregon. Miss Hallam (Fig. 3), whom I got to know while attending MLA meetings over the years, can be characterized as delightful, pleasant on all occasions, hard-working, competent, and a sincere friend. Among her great assets is her lovable personality and her ability to get along with others; no harsh words for anyone, and no one has ever made but kind remarks about her. Because of the fine work that Bertha accomplished as President and the excellent
records that she and Mrs. Henrietta Perkins, the secretary, kept of the 1957 meeting the transmission from her presidency to mine was accomplished in an easy manner. Bertha was bom in Excelsior, Minnesota, and lived near and in Minneapolis until high school age when her family moved to Portland. Here, after attending high school, she passed the examination for the apprentice course at the Library Association of Portland. She served as an assistant on this library staff from 1914 to 1919. In 1919, Bertha became Librarian of the University of Oregon Medical School. She continued as Librarian for forty-six years, retiring in 1965 as Professor Emeritus and Librarian Emeritus to the institution to which she dedicated her life work. As Wilma Troxel has said about Bertha: Indicative of her determination of purpose is the fact that she finished her college work at the University of Oregon in night classes, correspondence courses, and summer sessions, while working full time as the Medical Librarian (4).
Miss Hallam received her A. B. degree in 1931 from the University of Oregon. Bertha was devoted to the Medical Library Association. She attended her first annual meeting in 1926 and has attended regularly since. Even after retirement she has frequently been among those present. In 1932 Miss Hallam was elected a member of the Executive Com-
FIG. 3-Bertha Hallam.
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PAST PRESIDENTS I HAVE KNOWN
mittee of MLA. She was one of three who signed the Certificate of Incorporation for the Association in 1934. Bertha was Treasurer of the Association from 1941 to 1946. This was during the years of World War II when no annual meetings were held and one can imagine the amount of work involved. Bertha has served on many MLA committees, and she hosted an exceptionally fine annual meeting in 1940. Other of her committee assignments included Chairman of the Membership Committee; membership on the Gifts and Grants Committee and Committee of Standards for Medical Librarianship; and Chairman of the Certification Subcommittee. Her contributions have been published in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association and other professional journals. She contributed the chapter "Periodical and Book Selection and Ordering," for the first editioti of the Handbook of Medical Library Practice (1943) and for the second edition (1956) the chapter "The Medical Library Association." Miss Hallam was one of the original faculty members of the refresher course program conducted in Rochester, Minnesota, preceding the MLA annual meeting in 1958. The subject of her course was "Medical Reference Work." She also taught this course preceding the meeting in Toronto, Canada, in 1959. She alsc participated in various workshops and round tables concerning different phases of medical librarianship as the occasions arose. Always willing to serve, Bertha helped organize and was the first Chairman of the Pacific Northwest Regional Group of the Medical Library Association. She attended the First International Congress of Medical Librarianship held in London in 1953, was a member of the Organizing Committee for the Second International Congress held in Washington, D. C. in 1963. Miss Hallam also has been active in the Pacific Northwest Library Association as well as the Oregon Library Association, holding important offices in both organizations. She was one of the organizers of the Portland Area Special Librarians group. In addition to the above, Bertha held offices in the Oregon League for Nursing, the National League for Nursing, and the Oregon Health Council. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, the Oregon State Medical Society in 1959 conferred upon her an honorary membership. In 1967 her portrait was painted by Howard Elmer House, Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(2) April 1975
one of Oregon's outstanding artists. It is hung in the library along with those of former deans and professors of the medical school. Her highest honor, however, came from her library colleagues of MLA who elected her to honorary membership in the Association at the annual meeting in Boston in 1966. Helen Crawford, who worded the plaque presented to Bertha said, in part: You have ... brought lustre to your profession by
symbolizing what a medical librarian should be. The many medical and community groups that have granted you honorary memberships and awards for citizenship honored not you alone but your unprecedented record of cheerful and enthusiastic service. So do we.
Bertha's honorary memberships also include those in the Portland Academy of Medicine, the Multnomah County Medical Society, the University of Oregon Medical School Alumni Association, and the University of Oregon School of Nursing Alumni Association. In 1956 Bertha was selected as the Woman of Achievement- by the Portland Chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, the national fraternity for women in journalism and communications. In 1943 the Oregon State Medical Society presented Miss Hallam with a gold wrist watch in appreciation of the twenty-fifth anniversary of her outstanding service as librarian. In 1947, for her outstanding extracurricular activities she was named "Portland's Citizen of the Week." When Bertha was elected to honorary membership in the Portland Academy of Medicine, the only woman to achieve this distinction, she was presented a silver tea service. Amazing as Miss Hallam's professional career has been, her devotion to St. David's Episcopal Church is shown by her membership in the vestry from 1968 to 1970. She is now serving as archivist and historian for the parish, a post she has held for several years. The societies of community interest to which Miss Hallam belong include the Old Church Society, the Oregon Heart Association, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the American Red Cross, the Portland Rose Society, the American Association of University Women, the Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon Mental Health Association and the William Temple House (an Episcopalian laymen's missionary society).
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With her many outside activities, Bertha continues to be an asset to her community, and, in being active, keeps her youth and her friends. I am proud to be one of them. REFERENCES 1. DOE, JANET. Gertrude L. Annan, President, Medical Library Association, 1961-1962. Bull.
Med. Libr. Assoc. 49: 450-454, July 1961. 2. POSTELL, WILLIAM. Marcia C. Noyes Award. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 56: 494-495, Oct. 1968. 3. ANNAN, GERTRUDE. The Medical Library Association in retrospect, 1937-1967. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 55: 379-389, Oct. 1967. 4. TROXEL, WILMA. Bertha Brandon Hallam. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 44: 363-365, July 1956.
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FIG. 4-Four younger past presidents and a present Regent, National Library of Medicine. From left, Mrs. Sarah C. Brown, Mrs. Mildred C. Langner, Thomas E. Keys, Dr. Susan Crawford (Regent), and William D. Postell.
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