Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Ratner, Herbert. |
| Title: | Herbert Ratner Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1937-1983 |
| Bulk Dates: | 1937-1941 |
| Quantity: | 0.75 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Correspondence and writings, much of it connected with Mortimer J. Adler |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Herbert Ratner (1907-1997) was an American physician, teacher, and author on the philosophy and history of medicine. He was a vocal advocate for informed medical consent, including the full disclosure of potential side effects of medication.
Ratner received his M.D. from the University of Michigan in 1935. He was a research assistant under Mortimer J. Adler; associate clinical professor of Family and Community Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago; director of public health in Oak Park, Illinois; editor of the Bulletin of the American Association of Public Health Physicians and of Child and Family Quarterly; senior advisor to the La Leche League; and co-founder of the first national anti-abortion organization in the US, the National Commission on Human Life, Reproduction and Rhythm. His main interest for most of his career, however, was preventive family mental health and the importance of the early childhpood years, a topic on which he spoke and wrote extensively.
In 1938 he converted to Catholicism and for many years he was active in the Chicago Catholic Physicians’ Guild, as well as serving as president of the National Federation of Catholic Physicians Guilds (later the Catholic Medical Association).
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Herbert Ratner Papers contains biographical material, correspondence, printed material, and writings by Ratner and others. Some items were typed, transcribed, or photocopied in 2022 or 2023 by the donor; dates given are those of the original materials.
Biographical material contains a c.v. dating from 1942.
Correspondence primarily relates to his early post-graduate years. Most is with friends and colleagues connected with the University of Chicago.
Printed material consists of three items by Mortimer Adler, with Ratner's margin notes and annotations, and photocopied clippings of reviews.
Writings consists of typed notes and manuscripts by Ratner connected with biology and reproduction.
Writings by others consists of two essays by other people.
Arrangement of the Collection
Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Printed material and writings are arranged alphabetically by title.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Subject Headings
Persons
Corporate Bodies
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Occupations
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Herbert Ratner Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mary Tim Baggott (Ratner's daughter), 2022, 2023.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: MRC
Date: 17 Feb 2023
Revision history: Mar 2023 - additions (MRC)
Inventory
| Biographical material | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Ratner's c.v. 1942 - with corrections by donor | ||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Correspondence 1937-1940, 1945-1946, 1953, 1989, undated (9 folders) | ||||||||||
| Dates given above are for the original items. For many of the letters there are transcriptions, in some cases with explanatory notes or annotations. These were created by Mary Tim Baggot, Ratner's daughter, and donated as part of the collection. | |||||||||||
| Printed material | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | "Great Books" project 1948 - prospectus with sample chapter; photocopies of clippings about the project including a photo of the team | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Problems for Thomists: The problem of species / Mortimer Adler 1940 - with Ratner's annotations and marginalia | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Reviews of Problems for Thomists 1940-1941 - photocopies | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Solution of the problem of species / Mortimer Adler 1941 - reprint, softcover; with Ratner's annotations and marginalia | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | [Solution of] the problem of species / Mortimer Adler 1941 - reprint, hardcover; with Ratner's annotations and marginalia | ||||||||||
| Writings | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Biological syllabus 1938 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Mortimer Adler's philosophy of nature: A discussion of Problems for Thomists: The problem of species [1940 or 1941] - typescript carbon | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Notes on generation 1937 - typescript | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Relevant Thomistic texts [1937?] - typed annotated notes, photocopy | ||||||||||
| Writings by others | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | An essay on human equality / William Gorman - typescript photocopy; includes 2 clippings about Gorman | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Smith vs Adler / C.A. Burns, Jr. - typescript carbon | ||||||||||