Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8tm7gmp No online items Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia Finding aid prepared by Special Collections & Archives Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, California, 92093-0175 858-534-2533 [email protected] Copyright 2013 Harvey Itano Personal MSS 0755 1 Correspondence and Memorabilia Descriptive Summary Title: Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0755 Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla, California, 92093-0175 Languages: English Physical Description: 2.8 Linear feet (3 archives boxes, 1 records carton, 1 card file, 3 oversize folders and 1 art bin item) Date (inclusive): 1937 - 2010 (bulk 1941-1945) Abstract: Personal papers and memorabilia of Harvey Itano, American biochemist and pioneer in the study of sickle cell anemia hematology. During World War II, Itano, along with his parents and siblings were sent to an internment camp; of particular interest in the collection are letters written to and from Itano during his internment. Creator: Itano, Harvey A. Publication Rights Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection. Preferred Citation Harvey Itano Personal Correspondence and Memorabilia, MSS 755. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego. Acquisition Information Acquired 2013. Biography Harvey Akio Itano was born on November 3, 1920, in Sacramento, California, the eldest son of Masao and Sumako (Nakahara) Itano. Itano attended University of California, Berkeley, and graduated in 1942 with highest honors in chemistry. Due to President Roosevelt's anti-Japanese campaign following Pearl Harbor, Itano with his family was sent to the desolate Tule Lake camp. While in the camp, Itano kept applying to medical schools throughout the country. With assistance from the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council, Itano was released from the camp to attend St. Louis School of Medicine. In 1945, Itano received his M.D. and continued Ph.D. studies at the California Institute of Technology in biochemistry where he studied and worked with Linus Pauling. Itano is known for his pioneering work with sickle cell anemia disease, the topic assigned to him as a Ph.D. thesis topic by Linus Pauling. Sickle cell anemia disease is a hereditary disease commonly found among people of African descent. Itano tried several different physical and chemical methods to distinguish normal hemoglobin from sickle cell hemoglobin and finally he was able to demonstrate the difference by using electrophoresis. At that time, electrophoresis was a new technique that allowed researchers to separate molecules according to their electrical charge and Itano found a slight difference in electrophoretic mobility between normal and sickle cell hemoglobins. That led to understanding that patients with sickle cell anemia have a different type of hemoglobin than healthy individuals and thus a cause of a disease was traced to a molecule. Later, this inspired Vernon Ingram's seminal discovery of a single amino acid difference between normal and sickle cell hemoglobin and allowed him to explain a hemoglobin abnormality by an alteration in genes. After completing the project, Itano continued to work in the field of molecular medicine and published extensively about genetic and molecular basis of other blood pathologies and hereditary diseases. Itano was awarded Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry (1954) and Martin Luther King Jr. Medical Achievement Award (1972) for his pioneering work on sickle cell anemia disease. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (1979), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1998), American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biochemistry Society (London), Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, and Alpha Omega Alpha. Itano passed away in La Jolla, California in 2010. Scope and Content of Collection Personal papers and memorabilia of Harvey Itano, American biochemist and pioneer in the study of sickle cell anemia hematology. During World War II, Itano, along with his parents and siblings were sent to an internment camp; of particular interest in the collection are letters written to and from Itano during his internment. Arranged in three series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) MEMORABILIA, and 3) REALIA. Related Materials Harvey Itano Papers, MSS 226. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego. Subjects and Indexing Terms Harvey Itano Personal MSS 0755 2 Correspondence and Memorabilia Itano, Harvey A. -- Archives Itano, Harvey A. -- Correspondence Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945 Tule Lake Relocation Center World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration camps -- California CORRESPONDENCE Scope and Content of Series SERIES 1) CORRESPONDENCE. Arranged in two subseries: A) Family Correspondence and B) General Correspondence. The Family Correspondence contains letters from Itano's father, mother, sister Edith and younger brother Masashi. The bulk of the letters were written while the family resided in an internment camp and describe daily life, as well as offer advice and encouragement to Itano. The General Correspondence contains letters from professors, classmates and friends. Several letters detail attempts to have Itano return to school. Family Correspondence Box 1, Folder 1 Itano, Edith (sister) 1942 - 1943 Box 1, Folder 2 Itano, Masao (father) 1939 - 1979 & undated Box 1, Folder 3 Itano, Masashi (brother) 1942 - 1943 Box 1, Folder 4 Itano, Sumako (mother) ca. 1942 - 1944 General Correspondence Box 1, Folder 5 1938, 1941 Box 1, Folder 6-9 1942 - 1946 Box 1, Folder 10 Letters congratulating Itano on his election to the National Academy of Science 1979 - 1980 Box 1, Folder 11 1985 - 2009 Box 1, Folder 12 undated MEMORABILIA Box 1, Folder 13 Clippings about Itano 1954 - 2010 Box 1, Folder 14 Awards & appointments 1940 - 1987 Oversize FB-520, Awards & appointments Folder 9 Box 2, Folder 1 Educational materials - Diplomas, graduation programs, grades & internship information 1935 - 1946 Oversize FB-520, Oversize educational materials Folder 10 Ephemera Box 3, Folder 1 Varsity letter, Lincoln Jr. High Box 2, Folder 2 War relocation & internment camps 1943 - 1944 & undated Box 2, Folder 3 Miscellaneous personal ephemera 1940 - 1963 & undated Oversize FB-520, Oversize ephemera Folder 11 Box 2, Folder 4 Family history, written by Masao Itano 1971, 1978-1979 Box 2, Folder 5 First Annual Sickle Cell Anemia Race for Life Awards Banquet 1972 Box 4, Folder 1-8 Medals - Includes eight medals of honor or award 1942 - 1983 & undated Plaques Box 5, Folder 6 Japanese American of the Biennium, 1978-1980 Box 5, Folder 7 Alumni Merit Award of Saint Louis University 1970 Harvey Itano Personal MSS 0755 3 Correspondence and Memorabilia MEMORABILIA Oversize AB-4E Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Achievement Award 1972 Box 2, Folder 6 Selective Service forms 1943 - 1944 Yearbooks Box 3, Folder 2-3 Sacramento Senior High 1937, 1938 Box 3, Folder 4-5 University of California, Berkeley 1941, 1942 REALIA Box 5, Folder 1 U.S. Public Health Service cap Box 5, Folder 2-3 Two unidentified military berets Box 5, Folder 4 Academic hood Box 5, Folder 5 Lei made of paper cranes for commencement ceremony, UC Berkeley 2009 Box 4, Folder 9 Wax seal and wax Box 4, Folder 10 House marker from Japan ca. 1961 Box 4, Folder 11 Otoscope Box 4, Folder 12 Name stamp and ink Box 4, Folder 13 Itano's baby cup Box 4, Folder 14 Itano's slide rule Harvey Itano Personal MSS 0755 4 Correspondence and Memorabilia.