City of Dallas Health Department Collection Register and Researcher's Guide

Detailed Description of the Collection

City of Dallas Health Department Collection

Register and Researcher's Guide


Overview of the Collection
Accession No.:	MASC82-2
Repository:	Texas/Dallas History & Archives, Dallas Public Library 1515 Young St Dallas, TX 75201
Creator:	City of Dallas Health Department
Title:	City of Dallas Health Department Collection
Dates:	1870 - 1975
Quantity:	6.5 cubic feet (14 boxes)
Abstract:
Language:	The records are in English.

Historical Note

One of the consequences of the development of cities and people living closer together is the outbreak of disease. Public health problems, such as the Plague, cholera, smallpox, and other communicable diseases have been a major concern for hundreds of years. However, since Dallas is a relatively young area, the issue of public health has been a concern for a little over one-hundred years. In the 1870s, as Dallas grew from a small village to a large town, problems of sanitation and health became a major concern. The city government began passing ordinances to control disposal of wastes, sale and serving of food items, and the processing of milk products, in order to improve living conditions and control disease. With the appointment of Dr. Matt Cornelius as city health officer in 1873, the City of Dallas Health Department was created. Almost one-hundred years later, the Department became a division of the city's Department of Health and Human Services in 1982.

Significant Dates in the History of Public Health in Dallas

1870 -- City Hospital established, Wood and Houston Streets, for paupers and emergencies

1871 -- City of Dallas ordinance against unlicensed dogs

1873 -- Dr. Matt Cornelius becomes the first health officer

1873 -- Public Health Nurse, probably a volunteer position

1873 to 1898 -- Health officer is an appointed position

1876 -- City of Dallas ordinance extends the duties of the health officer to include quarantine of communicable diseases, inspection of private premises for unsanitary conditions, and treatment of injured city employees

1880 -- City sewer system established

1882 -- Position of City Scavenger created, who was responsible for sanitary conditions and removal of garbage

1882 -- Smallpox epidemic

1886 -- City of Dallas ordinance regulating the sale of fresh meat

1887 -- Garbage and refuse of all kinds were required by law to be placed in galvanized cans or tight wooden barrels with close-fitting lids.

1888 -- First regulation of milk and inspection of dairies

1889 -- Smallpox epidemic and Meningitis outbreak

1890 to 1891 -- Health officer recommended that all dwellings be equipped with sanitary toilets and that stagnant water around the intersection of Poydras and Commerce Streets be drained.

1892 -- Cholera and Scarlet Fever epidemics

1899 -- Health officer becomes an elected official for a 2-year term. This was later changed back to an appointed position.

1906 -- City chemist position established

1906 -- Milk inspection for tuberculosis

1906 -- Pure food and drug ordinance, City of Dallas allowed the city chemist to analyze food, drugs, and drink samples, required proper labeling of foods and the inspection of dairies and registration of milk sellers

1907 -- Blanton Pure Food Bill of Texas

1907 -- Smallpox, first general compulsory vaccinations of public school children - over 700 cases of smallpox reported during this epidemic

1907 to 1909 -- Opposition to the Pure Food and Drug Ordinance caused the city ordinance to be declared invalid

1908 -- Emergency hospital opened

1911 -- Another city ordinance for the maintenance of bakeries and canneries was passed

1911 -- Bacteriology lab funded

1911 -- First reference to public health nurse on city personnel lists

1911 -- New meningitis serum developed by Dr. Soprian

1911 to 1912 -- Meningitis outbreak in December, by January, 83 reported cases with a 45% mortality rate, by January 11-12, over 190 cases with 79 deaths reported.

1912 -- City of Dallas ordinance against expectorating on sidewalks, (part of TB control)

1912 -- Dallas Mothers Council provided for a nurse stationed in the Wesley Settlement House in South Dallas

1912 -- Health department moved to City Hall

1913 -- City hospital merged with county hospital and no longer under the supervision of the Public Health Department

1915 -- Bureau of Vital Statistics created, requiring official birth and death records

1915 -- Rating food establishments and physical exams for food handlers

1915 to 1916 -- Mosquito control

1918 to 1919 -- Influenza epidemic, St. Paul's Hospital turned over to the military

1919 to 1920 -- Director of Public Health created and position filled by Mr. Charlie Saville

1919 -- Nurse was sent to instruct mothers in the care of newborns

1919 -- Smallpox epidemic

1919 to 1935 -- * Division of authority between Director of Public Health and the City Health Officer, occasionally held by the same person, a city ordinance merging the two offices was passed in 1935. *

1925, Feb. -- Measles epidemic, 4,000 cases, 18 deaths

1926 -- Influenza epidemic

1926 -- Rat control

1928, March -- Smallpox epidemic

1929 -- Nursing staff of 7 - "Keep Babies Well" - slogan

1930 -- Diphtheria epidemic

1931 -- Creation of inspection districts

1931 -- Malaria and rodents biggest problem for public health

1931 -- Swimming Pool samples taken

1931 to 1932 -- Typhoid vaccine developed

1932 to 1934 -- Major campaigns against diphtheria

1939 -- Ordinance passed regulating the licensing of nursing homes

1940 -- Assistant Director's position created

1943 -- Typhus control - "All out" attack on Typhus

1944 -- TB Control Clinic established

1953 -- Vector control division expanded

1954 -- Dallas is a pilot city for the Salk vaccine (polio)

1957, April 2 -- Tornado

1958 -- Public Health Department moves to 1936 Amelia Ave.

1960 -- Tuberculosis (TB) skin testing begins

1962 -- Dallas pilot city for measles vaccine

1962 -- Department receives spraying equipment for mosquito control

1962 -- * City reorganization placed public health under the Department of Health and Human Services *

City of Dallas Health Department Officers and Directors 1873 - 1987

1873 to 1879 -- Dr. Matt Cornelius

1879 to 1881 -- Dr. John L. Carter

1881 to 1882 -- Dr. Marshall M. Newsom

1884 to 1890 -- Dr. John L. Carter, second term, non-consecutive

1890 to 1891 -- William Reid Wilson, M.D.

1891 to 1892 -- Charles M. Rosser, M.D.

1892 to 1898 -- Velie P. Armstrong, M.D.

1898 to 1902 -- John W. Hicks Florence, M.D.

1902 to 1906 -- James H. Smart, M.D.

1906 to 1911 -- Thomas B. Fisher, M.D.

1911 to 1915 -- Albert W. Nash, M.D.

1915 to 1917 -- Charles Saville; health officer becomes director 1919

1916 to 1917 -- Edgar Webb Loomis, M.D.

1917 to 1919 -- Alva Wood Carnes, M.D., director and health officer

1919 to 1921 -- Leslie C. Frank, director

1919 to 1921 -- Lane B. Cook, M.D., health officer

1921 to 1923 -- Colonel William T. Davidson

1923 to 1924 -- Lane B. Cook, M.D., health officer

1924 to 1927 -- Noah W. Andrews, M.D.

1927 to 1929 -- Manton M. Carrick, M.D.

1929 to 1931 -- Lane B. Cook, M.D.

1931 to 1965 -- James W. Bass, M.D.

1935 -- Ends possibility of health officer and director being separate people

1942 to 1945 -- Joseph M. Dowis, M.D., Acting Director, during World War II, Dr. James Bass serving in the war

1965 to 1972 -- Dr. Jal J. Dewlett

1972 to 1981 -- Dr. E. Lowell Berry

1981 -- Joseph R. Williams, Acting Director

1982 -- Callie Scruggs, Director of Health and Human Services

1982 -- Reorganization of Public Health under the Department of Health and Human Services

1982, Feb. -- Creation of Assistant Director over Public Health with a city health officer

1987 -- Adela Gonzalez, health officer

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Scope and Contents

This collection contains the notes and drafts of an unpublished history of the City of Dallas Health Department from 1870 through the mid-1970s. In addition, correspondence, annual reports, studies, and statistical information from each of the divisions within the Health Department are available. An extensive collection of photographs covering the history of the activities of each division are also included. Bound in scrapbooks are newspaper articles on the Department and various health issues. The collection as a whole illustrates the growth of public health in Dallas from an underfunded one-man operation to a large, multi-faceted organization meeting the health needs of the citizens of Dallas.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Box	Folder

1		Personnel Records
	1		Register
	2		Correspondence
	3		Personnel Records, Manuals, & Organization Charts 1930-1977
	4		Personnel Records, Manuals & Organization Charts 1930-1977
	5		Supporting Documents for March-April, 1974 Employee Newsletter, "Roundtable"
			Binder of Dallas Public Health Institute Minute Book 1935
2		History: Notes & Drafts 1870s-1930s
	1		Healthcare Advertisements pre-1920
	2 - 3		History - Part I 1870-1899
	4 - 6		History - Part II 1900-1929
	7		History - Part III 1930-1965 (1930s)
3		History: Notes & Drafts 1930-1973
	1		History - Part III 1930-1965 (1930s)
	2		History - Part III 1930-1965 (1940s)
	3		History - Part III 1930-1965 (1950s)
	4		History - Part III 1930-1965 (Early 1960s)
	5		History - Part III 1965-1973 (Late 1960s)
	6		History - Part III 1965-1973 (Early 1970s)
4		Report of Department Operations
	1		October 1910
			May 1, 1927 - April 30, 1928
			October 1, 1928 - March 31, 1929
	2		October 1, 1931 - September 30, 1932
			October 1, 1932 - September 30, 1933
			1939 - Outline only
	3		1929-1954 (3 copies)
	4		1952 & 1953 (2 copies each)
	5		1955, 1956-1957 (2 copies)
	6		1958, 1959 (2 copies)
	7		1951-1960, 1961 (2 copies)
5		Report of Department Operations
	1		1962 (2 copies)
	2		1873-1963 (2 copies)
	3		1964 (2 copies)
	4		1965 (2 copies)
	5		1966-1967 (2 copies)
6		Internal Publications & Reports
	1		State of Texas Public Health History & Profiles
	2		Studies & Surveys: Diarrhea Epidemic 1937
				Air Quality, 1967-1968
	3		Studies & Surveys: Household Immunizations 1975
				Crossroads Community Medical Center, 1970
	4		Studies & Surveys: Dallas City - County Hospital System 1936
	5		Internal Newsletters August 1956 - August 1958
	6		Municipal News & Views (Dallas City Employees Newsletter) April 1946 - November 1947
	7		History & Responsibility of Health Departments: Papers & Speeches
7		Correspondence
	1		Correspondence: Administration Division
	2		Correspondence & Studies: Air Pollution Control Division
	3		Correspondence: Animal Control Division
	4		Correspondence: Child Health Program Division
	5		Correspondence: Communicable Disease Control Division
	6		Correspondence: Crossroads Health Center
	7		Emergency Hospital Report of Operations 1929-1941
	8		Correspondence: Emergency Medical Services Division
	9		Correspondence: Food Service Inspection Division
	10		Documents: Food Service Inspection Division 1916
	11		Correspondence: General Sanitation Division
8		Correspondence
	1		Correspondence: Health Education Division & World Health Organization
	2		Correspondence: Hospitals
	3		Correspondence: Immunization Division
	4		Correspondence: Industrial Hygiene Division
	5		Correspondence: Laboratory
	6		Correspondence: M. L. McDonald
	7		Correspondence: Maternal Health Program
	8		Correspondence: Meat Inspection
	9		Correspondence: Mental Health
	10		Correspondence: Milk Inspection
	11		Miscellaneous Articles on Public Health
9		Correspondence
	1		Correspondence: Nursing Service
	2		Correspondence: Oak Cliff Lions Club Health Center
	3		Correspondence: Tuberculosis Control
	4		Correspondence, Articles & Pamphlets: Venereal Disease Control 1800s-1942
	5		Correspondence, Articles & Pamphlets: Venereal Disease Control 1943-1973
	6		Correspondence: Vital Statistics Division 1939-1952
	7		Statistical Studies: Vital Statistics Division 1910-1955
	8		Correspondence: Water Quality Inspection
10		Photographs
	1		Administration 1970s
	2		Administration Health Officer Portraits to 1969
	3		Administration; 1870s City Council Minutes; Annual Report Pages; Graveyard Headstones
	4		Administrative Services 1970s
	5		Administrative Services to 1969
	6		Ambulance Services
	7		Animal Control
	8		1973 Baseball Team
	9		Buildings 1970s
	10		Buildings to 1969
	11		Child Health 1970s
	12		Child Health to 1969
	13		Communicable Disease Control 1970s
	14		Communicable Disease Control to 1969
	15		Crossroads Clinic
	16		Day Care 1970s
	17		Dental Health 1970s
	18		Dental Health to 1969
	19		Environmental Division
	20		Employee Association
	21		Employee Hobbies
	22		Employee Parties
11		Photographs
	1		Employee Service Awards
	2		Exhibits 1970s
	3		Exhibits to 1969
	4		Geriatric Nursing
	5		Heart Disease Control 1970s
	6		Health Education
	7		Immunization 1970s
	8		Immunization to 1969
	9		Laboratory 1970s
	10		Laboratory to 1969
	11		Maternal Health 1970s
	12		Maternal Health to 1969
	13		Medical Social Services
	14		Nursing Services 1970s
	15		Nursing Services to 1969
	16		Nutrition Services 1970s
	17		Nutrition Services to 1969
	18		Physical Therapy
	19		Seminars & Training 1970s
	20		Seminars & Training to 1969
12		Photographs
	1		Street & Skyline Scenes
	2		Swine Flu mid-1970s
	3		TPHA & TEHA Convention 1970s
	4		TB Control 1970s
	5		TB Control to 1969
	6		Title XIX 1970s
	7		Venereal Disease Control 1970s
	8		Venereal Disease Control to 1969
	9		Vital Statistics 1970s
	10		Vital Statistics to 1969
	11		Photo Descriptions (Location of Referenced Photos Unknown)
13		Photographs
	1		Miscellaneous & Unknown
	2		Miscelleanous & Unknown - Clinic Scenes
	3 - 4		Miscellaneous & Unknown - Individuals (Employees?)
	5		Negatives - Annual Report
	6		Negatives - Miscellaneous & Unknown
	7		Slides - Miscellaneous & Unknown
14		Bound Materials (Flat Box)
	1		Newspaper Clippings 1959-1971
	2		Newspaper Clippings 1947
	3		Newspaper Clippings 1949-1952
	4		Monthly Reports January - May 1917

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