Sedgwick, W. T. (William Thompson), 1855-1921

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Biologist; taught chemistry, biology, public health at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1883-1921; biologist for Massachusetts Board of Health, 1888-1896; curator, Lowell Institute in Boston, 1897-1921; trustee and director of several health-related institutions; advisor to state and federal government.

From the description of William Thompson Sedgwick papers, 1864-1922 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702166869

Biologist; taught chemistry, biology, public health at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1883-1921; biologist for Massachusetts Board of Health, 1888-1896; curator, Lowell Institute in Boston, 1897-1921; trustee and director of several health-related institutions; advisor to state and federal government.

William Thompson Sedgwick (1855-1921), educator and bacteriologist, was one of the founders of the American public health profession. Educated at Yale (Ph.B., Sheffield Scientific School, 1877) and Johns Hopkins (Ph.D., 1881), Sedgwick taught at Johns Hopkins, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard. He was responsible for founding schools of public health in both M.I.T. and Harvard.

The Sedgwick Papers at Yale were collected by C.-E.A. Winslow while he was preparing a biography of Sedgwick, A Pioneer of Public Health--William Thompson Sedgwick (1924) with E.O. Jordan and G.C. Whipple. The papers are made up of one and one-half linear feet of material that is arranged in four series: CORRESPONDENCE, RESEARCH MATERIAL, WRITINGS, and BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL. Although the manuscript group is fragmentary and incomplete, it represents the largest extant collection of Sedgwick's papers.

CORRESPONDENCE spans the years 1878 to 1920 and consists of correspondence from students and colleagues. The 1906 correspondence from students on the occasion of Sedgwick's thirtieth anniversary in teaching is of special interest. RESEARCH MATERIAL is largely undated and fragmentary and concerns bacteriological studies of milk. WRITINGS extends from 1879 to 1920 and includes articles, lecture notes and texts, reports, essays and occasional programs. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL includes a lengthy tribute to Sedgwick by George C. Whipple.

The Sedgwick Papers are part of the Contemporary Medical Care and Health Policy Collection, and they were originally accessioned as part of the papers of C.-E.A. Winslow. For additional Sedgwick correspondence see the Winslow Papers (MS 749).

From the guide to the William Thompson Sedgwick Papers, 1864-1922, (Manuscripts and Archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Lounsbury, Thomas Raynesford, 1838-1915. Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury papers, 1829-1915 (inclusive), 1856-1915 (bulk). Yale University Library
creatorOf Page, Walter Hines, 1855-1918. Letter to [William] T[hompson] Sedgwick. New York, NY. 1909 Oct. 8. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Wendell family papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914. Letter, April 24, 1897. Naval War College, Henry E. Eccles Library
referencedIn Pease, Arthur Stanley, 1881-1964. Correspondence and compositions, 1870-1963 Houghton Library
referencedIn Charles-Edward Amory Winslow papers, 1874-1977, 1915-1945 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
creatorOf William Thompson Sedgwick Papers, 1864-1922 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn George Sarton additional papers, 1901-1956 Houghton Library
referencedIn Thomas Bailey Aldrich papers, 1837-1926. Houghton Library
referencedIn William Roscoe Thayer papers, 1762-1927 (inclusive), 1872-1921 (bulk) Houghton Library
referencedIn Donaldson, Henry Herbert, 1857-1938. Diaries and papers, 1869-1938. American Philosophical Society Library
creatorOf Sedgwick, William Thompson, 1855-1921. William Thompson Sedgwick papers, 1864-1922 (inclusive). Yale University Library
creatorOf Sedgwick, W. T. (William Thompson), 1855-1921. [Letter, 1920 Dec. 23] Cambridge, Mass. [to] George Bunker, Balboa Heights, Canal Zone / William T. Sedgwick. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library
referencedIn Henry Herbert Donaldson diaries and papers, 1869-1938, 1869-1938 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Century Company records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Walter Hines Page letters from various correspondents, American period Houghton Library
referencedIn Thomas Raynesford Lounsbury papers, 1829-1915 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Horace Elisha Scudder correspondence Houghton Library
referencedIn Henry Carter Adams papers Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn Winslow, C.-E. A. (Charles-Edward Amory), 1877-1957. Charles-Edward Amory Winslow papers, 1874-1977 (inclusive), 1915-1945 (bulk). Yale University Library
creatorOf [William T. Sedgwick, biographical materials] University of Wisconsin - Madison, General Library System
referencedIn Henry Cabot Lodge Correspondence, 1877-1924 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
referencedIn John Fiske Correspondence, 1874-1900 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adams, Henry Carter, 1851-1921 person
correspondedWith Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, 1836-1907 person
associatedWith Bunker, George Cyrus, 1881- person
correspondedWith Century Company corporateBody
correspondedWith Dellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel, 1853-1935 person
associatedWith Donaldson, Henry Herbert, 1857-1938. person
associatedWith Fiske, John, 1842-1901 person
associatedWith Lodge, Henry Cabot, 1850-1924 person
associatedWith Lounsbury, Thomas Raynesford, 1838-1915. person
associatedWith Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914. person
associatedWith Page, Walter Hines, 1855-1918. person
correspondedWith Pease, Arthur Stanley, 1881- person
correspondedWith Sarton, George, 1884-1956 person
associatedWith Scudder, Horace Elisha, 1838-1902 person
correspondedWith Thayer, William Roscoe, 1859-1923 person
correspondedWith Wendell family. family
associatedWith Whipple, George Chandler, 1866-1924. person
associatedWith Winslow, C.-E. A. (Charles-Edward Amory), 1877-1957. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Milk
Water pollution
Public health
Occupation
Bacteriologists
Biologists
Educators
Activity

Person

Birth 1855-12-29

Death 1921-01-25

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