Marion Turner Stubbs Collection 001 Finding Aid Prepared by Annalise Berdini and Steven Duckworth
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Marion Turner Stubbs collection 001 Finding aid prepared by Annalise Berdini and Steven Duckworth.. Last updated on January 11, 2015. Temple University Libraries Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection 2014 January 30 Marion Turner Stubbs collection Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 5 Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 7 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................8 Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 9 I. Frederick Douglass Stubbs.................................................................................................................. 9 II. John Patrick Turner.......................................................................................................................... 24 III. Marion Turner Stubbs..................................................................................................................... 26 - Page 2 - Marion Turner Stubbs collection Summary Information Repository Temple University Libraries Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection Title Marion Turner Stubbs collection Call number 001 Date [bulk] 1928-1958 Date [inclusive] 1906-1995 Extent 9 linear feet Language English Abstract Marion Turner Stubbs Thomas, born in 1910, was a founding member of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1938. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1930, and received a music degree from Zeckwer Hahn Conservatory of Music. Dr. John Patrick Turner was born November 1, 1885. He became a prominent and influential member of Philadelphia society, elected in 1935 as the first African American on the Philadelphia Board of Education, as well as achieving status as a respected physician and police surgeon. Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs was recognized as an extremely gifted chest surgeon and medical doctor. Dr. Stubbs was born in 1906 in Wilmington, Delaware, and attended Dartmouth University before graduating from Harvard University medical school. The Marion Turner Stubbs collection dates from 1906 to 1995, with bulk dates from 1928 to 1958. The collection consists of awards and certificates, journal article reprints (especially regarding tuberculosis and thoracic surgery), pamphlets, catalogs, correspondence, photographs, and family financial records. Although these records do not tell much about the lives of the family members, - Page 3 - Marion Turner Stubbs collection the medical research papers collected by Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs provide a snapshot of medicine in the 1930s, with a glimpse of the impact of the end of Prohibition and the introduction of the New Deal, especially regarding the socialization of medicine. Cite as: [Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Marion Turner Stubbs collection, 1906-1995, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Biography/History Dr. John Patrick Turner was born November 1, 1885. He became a prominent and influential member of Philadelphia society, elected in 1935 as the first African American on the Philadelphia Board of Education, as well as achieving status as a respected physician and police surgeon. He obtained his medical degree at Shaw University, and later received an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Shaw. He also took a graduate course in surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1912 to 1931 he served as medical inspector for the Philadelphia public schools. He was also chief surgeon of Frederick Douglass Hospital beginning in 1935, surgeon-emeritus at Mercy Douglass Hospital, and visiting surgeon at Wynnefield Hospital. He served as president of the National Medical Association in 1921 and remained active in the organization throughout his life. He was also very active with community organizations like the YMCA in Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Council of Boy Scouts. He died on September 14, 1958. Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs was recognized as an extremely gifted chest surgeon and medical doctor. Dr. Stubbs was born in 1906 in Wilmington, Delaware, and attended Dartmouth University before graduating from Harvard University medical school. He became chief of the surgical departments at Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital and Mercy Hospital. He spent a year in residency in thoracic surgery at Sea View Hospital, which specialized in the treatment of tuberculosis, from 1937 to 1938. He was also acting chief surgeon of the Philadelphia General Hospital thoracic department. Dr. Stubbs was extremely active in the medical community as a member of organizations such as the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Board of Surgeons, as well as local organizations such as the Philadelphia Medical Society, Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Pi Phi, Alpha Boule Chapter, Pyramid Club, and the Community Chest. He died from a heart attack at the age of 41 in 1947. Marion Turner Stubbs Thomas, born in 1910, was a founding member of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1938. She graduated from the University of - Page 4 - Marion Turner Stubbs collection Pennsylvania in 1930, attended the Sorbonne, and then received a music degree from Zeckwer Hahn Conservatory of Music. She was the daughter of Dr. John Patrick Turner and Mrs. Marion Turner, and married Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs on June 7, 1934. Together they had two daughters, Marion Patricia and Frederica Turner. She was a well-regarded concert pianist in the area, and also taught piano in Bordentown, NJ, both publicly and privately. After Dr. Stubbs passed away, she married Dr. Alfred Thomas of Detroit, with whom she had one daughter, Linda Thomas. In her later years, she worked as an equal employment opportunity counselor for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She passed away in 1994. Scope and Contents The Marion Turner Stubbs collection houses the personal records of Marion Turner Stubbs, her father, John Patrick Turner, MD, and her husband, Frederick Douglass Stubbs, MD. This collection dates from 1906 to 1995, with bulk dates from 1928 to 1958. The collection consists of awards and certificates, journal article reprints (especially regarding tuberculosis and thoracic surgery), pamphlets, catalogs, correspondence, photographs, and family financial records. Although these records do not tell much about the lives of the family members, the medical research papers collected by Dr. Frederick Douglass Stubbs provide a snapshot of medicine in the 1930s, with a glimpse of the impact of the end of prohibition and the introduction of the New Deal, especially regarding the socialization of medicine. The collection also gives some insight into medical challenges and interests during the 1930s, particularly concerning tuberculosis treatment, as well as what Dr. Stubbs termed “Negro health” and other racial issues in Philadelphia and the medical community. The collection is arranged into three series: “I. Frederick Douglass Stubbs, 1906-1989,” “II. John Patrick Turner, 1907-1964,” and “III. Marion Turner Stubbs, 1968-1995.” The “I. Frederick Douglass Stubbs” series includes medical subject files, research, and correspondence that Dr. Stubbs collected during his medical career, some of his awards and certificates, family financial records, and some personal correspondence. This series is divided into three subseries: “Ia. Research and subject files,” “Ib. Awards and certificates,” and “Ic. Personal and financial records.” The “Ia. Research and subject files” subseries dates from 1919 to 1947, with bulk dates from 1928 to 1942. Records include medical journal articles and reprints, pamphlets, correspondence, catalogs, clippings, and programs collected throughout Dr. Stubbs’s career. Much of this research centers on the treatment of tuberculosis and thoracic surgery, especially regarding surgical and therapeutic treatments, convalescents, children, and drug trials, and will be of particular note to researchers interested in tuberculosis during the 1930s. There is also general information about organs, the digestive system, medical records and forms from Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital, as well as records from medical associations and community groups such as “The Bureau for Colored Children” and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). Also included is research and clippings evidencing the status of African Americans in the medical community and race-specific health research. The correspondence at the end of the series provides information on other doctors in the field, such as Dr. Lawrence F. Flick, who also - Page 5 - Marion Turner Stubbs collection seems to have treated tuberculosis. Researchers will find this subseries useful in providing a glimpse into medicine in the 1930s, particularly in relation to