Guide to the Papers of Solomon Robert Kagan (1889-1955), undated, 1920, 1928, 1938, 1940-1955
*P-40
Processed by Jason Schechter (December 27, 2001)
American Jewish Historical Society
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, N.Y. 10011
Phone: (212) 294-6160
Fax: (212) 294-6161
Email: reference@ajhs.org
URL: http://www.ajhs.org
© 2013, American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY. All Rights Reserved.
Finding aid was encoded by Marvin Rusinek on December 01, 2006. Description is in English.
Descriptive Summary |
|
| Creator: | Kagan, Solomon Robert, 1889-1955 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Solomon Robert Kagan papers |
| Dates: | undated, 1920, 1928, 1938, 1940-1955 |
| Abstract: | Contains correspondence, printed material, and photographs relating to Jews in the medical profession, used as a basis for Kagan's several works on Jews in medicine, including the correspondence of members of the American Physicians Fellowship Committee of the Israel Medical Association; includes also correspondence relating to the Near East and the internationalization of Jerusalem, 1945-1954; and personal correspondence. Among the correspondents are Bernard M. Baruch and Christian A. Herter. |
| Languages: | The collection is predominantly in English, with some Hebrew, German, and French. |
| Quantity: | 0.5 linear feet (1 manuscript box) |
| Identification: | P-40 |
| Repository: | American Jewish Historical Society |
Biographical Note
Solomon Robert Kagan, M.D.
(1889-1955)
Solomon Robert Kagan was born in Orany, Russia in 1889 into a family with deep rabbinic heritage. Kagan, however, was drawn more to medicine than to religious work. In the absence of an available formal education, he educated himself during his youth, and in 1912 he enrolled in a medical facility in Freiburg, Germany to earn his medical degree.
With the start of WWI in 1914, Kagan returned to Russia and completed his medical studies in 1917 earning his M.D. at the Medical School of Dorpat University in Uriev. He practiced medicine in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution serving as a government district physician in the Crimea, and later as a chairman of the medical examiners committee in Rostov-on-the-Don, until immigrating to the United States in 1922, settling in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Kagan wrote profusely, his works including 8 books and over 1,500 articles on both medical and non-medical subjects. His career can be divided into two phases - the first half writing on Zionism, ancient Hebrew literature, and book reviews, and the second half writing on clinical medicine and medical history and biographies. Kagan became known as an eminent medical historian, biographer, and bibliographer. His books include Jewish Contributions to Medicine in America (1934), American Jewish Physicians of Note (1942), and Jewish Medicine (1952). His clinical writings deal mostly with his experiences with a typhus fever epidemic witnessed in Rostov-on-the-Don. Kagan wrote in five languages: English, Russian, German, Yiddish, and Hebrew.
After the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, Kagan also became an active proponent of many causes including the fight against internationalization of Jerusalem. He also petitioned hard for a research medical library in Israel funded in cooperation by American Jews. Up until his death in 1955, Kagan was an active member in the medical community; holding the position of treasurer in the American Physician Fellowship Committee (APFC) and associate editor of The Medical Way magazine.
Return to the Top of PageScope and Content Note
The Papers of Solomon Robert Kagan reflect the medical historical writings of Kagan as well as his participation in medical and Jewish organizations to which he belonged. Though the collection does not completely preserve the volumes of papers produced by Kagan, it holds salient information concerning his activities in the American Physician Fellowship Committee, the Near East situation and internationalization of Jerusalem, and includes his petitioning for an Israeli occupied Jerusalem.
The collection is valuable to researchers studying Jewish participation in the American medical community prior to 1950 and its aid to the newly founded State of Israel as well as those studying Kagan's over "thirty years of noteworthy service in the fields of medical history, biography, and bibliography."
The collection contains correspondence, printed material, petitions, programs, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Notable correspondence includes Bernard M. Baruch and Christian A. Herter. The documents are nearly all in English, except for minimal correspondence in Hebrew and German, and a booklet in French.
Return to the Top of PageArrangement
The collection consists of a single series arranged by topic.
Return to the Top of PageRestrictions
Access Restrictions
The collection is open to all researchers by permission of the Director of Library and Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society, except items that are restricted due to their fragility.
Use Restrictions
Information concerning the literary rights may be obtained from the Executive Director of the American Jewish Historical Society. Users must apply in writing for permission to quote, reproduce or otherwise publish manuscript materials found in this collection. For more information contact:
American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011
email:
info@ajhs.org
Provenance
Solomon Robert Kagan donated his papers to the American Jewish Historical Society in 1950 and 1954.
Return to the Top of PagePreferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known);
Solomon Robert Kagan papers;
P-40; box number; folder number; American Jewish Historical Society, Boston, MA and New York, NY.
Access Points:
-
Subject Names:
- Baruch, Bernard Mannes, 1870-1965
- Herter, Christian Archibald, 1919-
-
Subject Organizations:
- Israel Medical Association. American Physicians Fellowship Committee
-
Subject Topics:
- Israel-Politics and government
- Medicine
- Middle East-Politics and government
- Physicians
-
Subject Places:
- Jerusalem
-
Document Types:
- Clippings
- Correspondence
- Pamphlets
- Petitions
Container List
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Return to the Top of Page
Center for Jewish History publicservices@cjh.org
American Jewish Historical Society reference@ajhs.org