G. Walter Erickson Poliomyelitis and Measles Vaccination Collection Finding Aid

Overview

Repository: Lawrence Gartner, MD, FAAP and Carol Gartner, PhD Pediatric History Center
American Academy of Pediatrics
345 Park Blvd
Itasca, IL 60143
630-626-6000
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Title: G. Walter Erickson Poliomyelitis and Measles Vaccination Collection Finding Aid
Dates: 1947 – 1995
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Language(s): English
Summary: Correspondence, reports, notes, telegrams, clippings, reprints, and books related to Dr G. Walter Erickson’s work with the National Poliomyelitis (Polio) Field Trial and Operation Measles in St. Joseph County, Indiana.

Administrative Information

Provenance: Gift of Martha A. Erickson in 2004.
Information about Access: This collection contains some restricted or confidential materials.
Ownership & Copyright: This collection is the physical property of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Copyright may belong to the authors, their legal heirs and assigns.

Biographical Note

G. Walter Erickson, MD (1919-2003):
Dr G. Walter “Rick” Erickson graduated from Antioch College and the Medical College of Virginia. He started at the South Bend Clinic in 1950 and went on to lead a field trial of Dr Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine from 1954-1955. In 1967 he headed a successful vaccination campaign “Operation Measles.” Dr Erickson served many distinguished roles during his 50-year career in pediatrics including Chief of Staff at St. Joseph Hospital, Chief of Pediatrics at St Joseph and Memorial Hospital, Director on the Memorial Health Systems Board, Director of Pediatric Medical Education at Memorial Hospital, and Medical Consultant for Head Start Indiana. He received the Life of a Child Award, the Sagamore of the Wabash Award, and the key to the city of South Bend, Indiana.

Collection Contents

Series 1: Poliomyelitis (Polio)

Folder 01: “Aseptic Technique for Communicable Diseases” report from Belmont Hospital Worcester, Massachusetts, 1947 (copy)
Folder 02: “Notes on the Evaluation of Muscle Function in Infantile Paralysis” report from the Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, 1947 (copy)
Folder 03: “Isolation and Quarantine Requirements” chart from the Department of Public Health, Worchester, Massachusetts, 1948
Folder 04: “General Rules for all Poliomyelitis Patients” guidelines by G. Walter Erickson, 1949
Folder 05: Poliomyelitis Cases, (Restricted Content) 1949
Folder 06: National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis Poliomyelitis booklets and pamphlets, 1949 - 1956
Folder 07: “Recommendations for the Control of Poliomyelitis” paper by G. Walter Erickson, 1951
Folder 08: “Poliomyelitis 1953 Annual Statistical Review” from the U.S. Public Health Service, 1953
Folder 09: Poliomyelitis Field Trial reports and forms, 1953 – 1954
Folder 10: Poliomyelitis Field Trial correspondence, 1954 – 1955
Folder 11: Parental Request for Participation of Child in Poliomyelitis Vaccination Field Trial mailer, 1954
Folder 12: “Investigation of Poliomyelitis Patient Viral and Immunological Data” forms, (Restricted Content) 1954
Folder 13: Poliomyelitis Field Trial and Polio Vaccine memos, notices, and reports, 1954
Folder 14: “Operation Memoranda: Vaccine Field Trial 1954” booklet from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, 1954
Folder 15: “Manual of Suggested Procedures for the Conduct of the Vaccine Field Trial in 1954” booklet from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, 1954
Folder 16: “Evolution of 1954 Field Trial of Poliomyelitis Vaccine Summary Report” report form the Vaccine Evaluation Center, 1955
Folder 17: Polio article and paper reprints collected by G. Walter Erickson 1947-1997
Folder 18: Article clippings about Poliomyelitis Field Trial collected by G. Walter Erickson 1948 – 1995
Folder 19: “Studies in Human Subjects on Active Immunization Against Poliomyelitis” paper by Jonas E. Salk, 1954
Folder 20: Film copies of unidentified Poliomyelitis paper, unknown date
Folder 21: Poliomyelitis educational brochures 1953, 1962
Folder 22: “40th Anniversary Celebration Salk Polio Vaccine” booklet signed by Dr Salk, 1995
Folder 23: Evaluation of the 1954 Field Trial of Poliomyelitis Vaccine Final Report, 563 page bound volume from the University of Michigan, 1957
Folder 24: Diagnosis and Treatment of the Acute Phase of Poliomyelitis and its Complications, edited by Albert G. Bower 250 page text, 1954
Folder 25: The Coming Victory Over Polio paperback text by Robert Coughlan, 1954
Folder 26: Clinical Advances and Poliomyelitis, from the Pediatric Clinics of North America, 1954. Diagnosis by Presenting Symptoms Poliomyelitis, from the Pediatric Clinics of North America, 1955

Series 2: Measles

Folder 1: “Field Trials with Further Attenuated Live Measles Vaccine” presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics booklet, 1964
Folder 2: “Extensive Clinical trials of a Further Attenuated Live Measles Vaccine” presented at annual convention of the American Medical Association, 1965
Folder 3: Measles Vaccine reprints collected by G. Walter Erickson, 1965 – 1990
Folder 4: Measles Vaccine miscellaneous papers from G. Walter Erickson, 1965 – 1967
Folder 5: Rhode Island End Measles Campaign papers 1966
Folder 6: “Community-Wide Single-Day Campaigns” paper by James E. Bowes, 1966
Folder 7: Operation Measles correspondence, 1967
Folder 8: Measles Immunization Committee report and clippings, 1967
Folder 9: “Suggestions for Conducting Local Immunization Campaigns” from the American Medical Association Task Force on Immunization, 1967
Folder 10: “Operation Measles” report, circa 1968

Last Updated

10/21/2020

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics