Dr. Carl A. Huether-Genetic Counseling Collection Available for Research

Carl Huether

By Kate Krueger, ARB Student Assistant

Now available in the Archives and Rare Books Library are the papers of Dr. Carl A Huether, professor of biology and the visionary behind the establishment of a graduate program in genetic counseling at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Huether was director of the genetic counseling program from 1982 to 1992. After this he remained a vital part of the program as a professor, advisor and advocate for medical genetics. In 2007 after 41 years as a member of the biology faculty, Dr. Huether retired and the first ever endowment fund for a graduate program in genetic counseling was established.

Established as an emphasis for graduate biology majors in 1982, the program is documented in the papers of Dr. Huether and chronicle his tireless efforts to have a formalized program in genetic counseling. Through the correspondence with colleagues and university administration, this collection provides an interesting Genetic Counseling Brochurehistory of how new programs are established at the UC. In addition, the various drafts and revisions of the formal proposal to have the genetic counseling program established give insight into the importance of such a program. Copies of the various versions of the proposal in addition to the final version that was submitted to and approved by the Ohio Board of Regents are available in the collection.  A guide to the collection is available on the OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository.  For more information on this collection and other items related to the history of the University of Cincinnati contact the Archives and Rare Books Library by phone at 513-556-1959 or by email at archives@ucmail.uc.edu.

The Albert B. Sabin Digitization Project: More on the AFEB

Portion of letter from John R. Paul to Albert B. Sabin, May 1969

As I continued to look through the administrative materials from the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board that are in the Sabin collection, I found a letter (seen to the right) from Dr. John R. Paul to Dr. Sabin that referred to the the appointment of an archivist for the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board to “immortalize some of the things (the data) which [they] have heretofore treasured only as unwritten memories.”[1] Naturally, as an archivist, I was intrigued by this appointment, especially because the members of the AFEB recognized that it was important to record their history for future generations. Continue reading

Dr. Isay Balikin: Innovative UC Teacher and Researcher

Isay Balinkin with an inventionOne night in October of 1938, in Cincinnati’s General Hospital (now University Hospital), there was an unusual hustle and bustle as nurses, doctors, and interns searched throughout the building for a tiny piece of uranium which had disappeared. The radium, no larger than a sugar cube, was worth $1400 and hospital staff was intent on locating it.  During the search, it was discovered that Dr. Isay Balinkin of UC’s College of Engineering had an electroscope that could be used to find uranium.  The problem was that it was late at night, and Dr. Balinkin did not have a telephone.  Instead, the hospital sent Postal and Western Union messengers to get Dr. Balinkin and his electroscope at his home on Auburn Avenue.  (Yes it does seem like an odd way to fetch someone only a few miles away.)  They did find Dr. Balinkin and Dr. Balinkin found the uranium in the trash.    Dr. Isay Balinkin spent 40 years at the University of Cincinnati and did even more important things than locating uranium in the middle of the night.  An enthusiastic teacher, he taught an estimated 8000 students demonstrating science with devices like bowling balls, rubber gloves, and mousetraps.  He was also a great researcher and held 7 patents for devices he had invented.  Some of his papers are held in UC’s Archives and Rare Books Library. Continue reading

Richardson's rocks: DAAP-designed Cincinnati memorial in Burnet Woods turns 40

UC Magazine recently published a story celebrating the Richardson Stones in Burnett Woods.  Read the story below or to view the original story, go to magazine.uc.edu/favorites/web-only/richardsons_rocks.html  You can also find a collection on the Richardson Stones at the Archives and Rare Books Library.  The finding aid is available on the OhioLINK Finding Aid Repository.

Richardson Stones

UC architecture faculty and students who integrated H.H. Richardson and his works into their ongoing studies completed this memorial in Burnet Woods Park in 1972. photo/Jay Yocis

Former UC architectural history professor Bill Rudd shares the story behind the student-led construction of the Burnet Woods memorial to famed architect H.H. Richardson’s Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Building. Henry Hobson Richardson is highly regarded, along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, as one of “the recognized trinity of American architecture.” The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque.

Among the last buildings Richardson designed was the one-time Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce building on 4th Street. That building, dedicated in 1889, would stand among the most significant public structures in the region — along with works like the Suspension Bridge, the Carew Tower, City Hall, Music Hall and Union Terminal — had it not been destroyed by fire a century ago, in 1911. The memorial was completed in 1972.

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The Sleep Cycle Comes to an End

By Lauren Fink, ARB Intern, 2011-2012

As the school year comes to a close today so does my internship at the Archives & Rare Books Library.  Throughout my internship I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and have truly come to appreciate the role the Archives & Rare Books Library plays in documenting Cincinnati’s history.  Not originally from this town, through processing the Nelson and Florence Hoffman Cincinnati Post Card Collection and The Gaylord Oscar Shepherd Collection of Strobridge Lithography Company Calendar Cards, I was able learn about Cincinnati’s rich past and all of the events and people that gave rise to the present culture of the city.

Strobridge Calendar Card August 1896Postcard showing Cincinnati Art MuseumPostcard Showing Cincinnati's Coney IslandStrobridge Calendar Card for July 1902

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SciVerse Hub: Search Across Scopus, ScienceDirect, and the Scientific Web

With one click, access content from 3 sources using SciVerse Hub.

Search across the content of  SciVerse Scopus, SciVerse ScienceDirect full-text articles, and the scientific web.  See results ranked by relevancy and with no duplication.

Content includes:

  • Full-text journal content from 18 scholarly publishers
  • Millions of theses, dissertations, and other documents from 246 repositories worldwide
  • 376 million scientific web pages from global Scientific, Technical, and Medical publishers, university and government sites
  • Over 24 million patent records from 5 major patent offices

View this video to learn more about how to search SciVerse Hub

So if you haven’t searched the SciVerse Hub yet, try it today.

Bookmark SciVerse Hub or access it via the Health Sciences Library home page at http://libraries.uc.edu/hsl/ under Express Links.

 

Works of Wearable Art on Display in the DAAP Library

Ever dream of wearing a piece of sculpture? You can imagine it now when you visit the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) . On display through July 31 are handsculpted, original jewelry designs in precious metals from Lynne Meyers Gordon, M.F.A. The strikingly beautiful pieces include necklaces, pendents, and belts in geometric forms in all shapes and sizes and different metals. Continue reading

Cincinnati Ballet at 50

In 2013, the Cincinnati Ballet will be celebrating its 50th anniversary.  This renowned local ballet company has long and enduring ties to the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Cincinnati holds records of the Cincinnati Ballet and David McLain, one of its earliest directors.  The Archives and Rare Books Library will be working with the Cincinnati Ballet over the next year as they celebrate this important milestone.

As part of the celebration, the ballet is looking to collect more material related to its history including items that might be held by former dancers, former staff, long-time ballet fans and sponsors, and any members of the public.  The ballet will be hosting an Ice Cream Social on Sunday July 29th from 2:00-4:00 at their location at 1555 Central Parkway as a way for individuals to share any treasures they hold related to the ballet and their memories of the ballet.  Click on the announcement to the right for more information on this event. Continue reading

The Albert B. Sabin Digitization Project: Armed Forces Epidemiological Board

1963 - Letter from Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of the Army, to Dr. Albert Sabin, confirming his appointment to the AFEB

The past couple of days I have been looking at administrative documents from Dr. Sabin’s time as a member of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board (AFEB) during the 1960’s, to make sure there are no classified documents in this part of the collection. I thought I would share some things that I have encountered.

In 1963, Dr. Sabin was appointed a member of the AFEB based on a joint nomination by the Surgeons General of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force for a four year term (see letter to the right). As a member of the AFEB, Dr. Sabin was required to vote on contracts and commission appointments, as well as other issues applicable to military medicine. The memos and letters included in this part of the collection give insight into the issues addressed by the AFEB. They also provide researchers with information about Dr. Sabin’s opinions about these issues, through his own letters to other AFEB members and the notes he scribbled on the various memos he received. Topics included disease prevention and vaccination of troops. Here is just one example of Dr. Sabin’s involvement as a member of the AFEB.
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