Public Affairs Office of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Collection

Identifier: MSK 0005

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains printed materials, publications, photographs, and audiovisual materials regarding the workings of the Public Affairs Office.

Publications include Memorial-published periodicals, pamphlets, and press releases, as well as outside publications, clippings and citations of news and magazine articles ,and transcripts of radio and television interviews and reports featuring or referencing MSK and/or cancer treatment and research. Some article clippings were compiled into scrapbooks by Public Affairs, mostly chronological with some dedicated to specific subjects.

Photographic materials include photographs of Physiology & Betatron building construction; individual and group portraits of staff, board members, and others associated with Memorial; photographs of interiors and exteriors of current and former buildings; departmental photography of personnel; photographs of special events; and photographs of various pieces of medical equipment; as well as negatives and 35mm slides.

Audiovisual materials include videotapes of ceremonies, TV recordings, outside productions, a 1986 AIDS seminar, stock footage, “A Tradition of Excellence,” visits with children, parties, and surgical and other medical videos

Also includes printed annual reports of the Support Activities Division (the Public Information Office was a unit of this division in the 1950s) highlighting fundraising activities and media coverage.

Dates

1885 - 1992

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Material is stored off site and requires three business days advance notice for retrieval. To inquire about the collection, please contact the MSK Archivist.

Conditions Governing Use

Due to the sensitive nature of some of the content within MSK’s collections, advance permission is needed before citing or reproducing collection content. To inquire about the collection, please contact the MSK Archivist.

Biographical / Historical

The Public Affairs Office serves in the dissemination of information about cancer and its research and treatment, also documenting and disseminating information on the activities of MSK to staff and the public.

Extent

15 Cubic Feet (Full extent of collection has not been calculated and current extent provided is an approximation)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

Majority of materials originating in Public Affairs, including Engines Afloat (donated by A. Meehan in 2000) and Physiology & Betatron building construction photography (donated by Azadeh Houshyau 1997.) Materials donated from other departments include "A Tradition of Excellence” donated by Sam Palmucci of the Video Department in 2002; 35mm slides and some videotapes donated by Susan Weil of Information Systems in 2007.