ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

DR. LEONARD W. LARSON PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #407

DATES: 1948-1968

SIZE: 3.75 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Dr. Leonard W. Larson Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Esther Larson, Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1977 (Acc.#77-413).

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Leonard Winfield Larson was born on May 22, 1898, to John and Ida (Anderson) Larson, in Clarkfield, Minnesota. After attending grade school and high school there, Larson enrolled in St. Olaf Academy in Northfield, Minnesota. In 1918 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota, and in 1924 received a Doctor of Medicine degree magna cum laude from the University of Minnesota Medical School.

From medical school, Larson went into general practice at Northwood, Iowa, for six months. He returned to the University of Minnesota for postgraduate work, and in 1924 joined the Quain and Ramstad Clinic in Bismarck, North Dakota, where he became the first practicing pathologist in the state.

During the 1930s he became active in various medical organizations. He was secretary from 1940-1947 and president from 1950-1951 of the North Dakota State Medical Association, and president of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists from 1939-1940. Larson was also involved as the American Cancer Society president from 1965-1966, U.S. Delegate to the World Medical Association 1956-1966, and a member of the U.S. Delegation to the World Health Assemblies in 1952, 1953, 1959, and 1961.

Larson was especially active in the American Medical Association. He served on the House of Delegates from 1939-1950, Board of Trustees 1950-1960, Executive and Finance committee, 1957-1959, Chairman, 1958-1960, Vice President and President-elect, 1960-1961, and President, 1961-1962. The more important committees on which he served were Committee on Blood, chairman, 1948-1959, Correlating Committee on Lay-sponsored Voluntary Health Plans, chairman, 1948-1950, and Commission on Medical Care Plans, chairman, 1955-1959. This committee issued the "Larson Report" which became the basis for the AMA's position on national health care.

In Bismarck, Larson was a member of the school board for nine years and helped to organize Bismarck Junior College. He was a trustee of Jamestown College, which conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1961. His involvement in honorary fraternities included Sigma Xi, Alpha Omega Alpha, and Phi Beta Pi.

Larson married Ordelia Miller on October 23, 1923; they had two daughters, Margery and Dorothy. After Ordelia's death, Larson married Esther D. Knudston on June 29, 1969. Leonard W. Larson died in Bismarck, on September 30, 1974.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Dr. Leonard W. Larson Papers date from 1948-1968, and are divided into three series as follows:

Series I: Organizations
Material on blood banks, the World Health Assemblies of the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the World Medical Association and the American Canter Society, and speeches of Larson relating to these organizations. Box 1, Folder 1 - Box 2, Folder 19

Series II: Personal and Biographical
Personal, biographical and subject files, including materials on a breast cancer study, meeting minutes from the Quain-Ramstad Clinic and the Bismarck Hospital, and articles written by Larson. Box 3, Folder 1 - Box 3, Folder 11

Series III: Audiovisual Materials, Photographs, and Citations
Audiovisual materials and citations received by Larson. Box 3

69 photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder
SERIES I: ORGANIZATIONS
Blood Banks

1. Correspondence, 1954
2. Correspondence, 1953
3. Correspondence, 1952
4. Correspondence, 1950-1951
5. Correspondence, 1948-1949
6. Southwest Blood Banks, Inc.
7. Blood Service Plan Insurance Company
8. American Medical Association Surveys and Reports
9. American Medical Association Publications and Miscellaneous

World Health Organization

10. World Health Assembly, Feb, 1961
11. World Health Absently, May, 1959 - correspondence
12. World Health Assembly, May, 1959 - papers
13. World Health Assembly - miscellaneous
14. International Health and Medical Research Year
15. World Health Assembly, May 1953 - correspondence

American Medical Association

16. Subcommittee on Professional Relations
17. Medicare, Committee on Socio-Economic Activities
18. Group Disability Insurance Program
19. Labor relations
20. Georgia Mediation Committee "United States Participation in International Health"
21. Correlating Committees on Relations with Lay-Sponsored Voluntary Health Plans
22. Cooperative Medical Movement
23. Reports, Statements and Miscellaneous

Box 2
Folder
World Medical Association

1. Minutes, 1966-1968, Minutes, 1965
2. Minutes, 1963 Minutes, 1962
3. Incorporation
4. Manila Assembly, 1966 - correspondence
5. Planning and Finance Committee
6. Regional Problems
7. Dr. Harry S. Gear, 1963-1965
8. Dr. Harry S. Gear, 1961 American Cancer Society
9. Proceedings and materials
10. Speeches, 1966-1967
11. Speeches, 1965-1966
12. Speeches, undated
13. Material on cancer
14. Speeches and related materials, 1967-1968
15. Speeches and related materials, 1966
16. Speeches and related materials, 1962
17. Speeches and related materials, 1961-1962
18. Speeches and related materials, 1959-1960
19. Speeches and related materials, 1953-1956

Box 3
Folder
SERIES II: PERSONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

1. Personal and biographical
2. Personal and biographical
3. Miscellaneous correspondence
4. "Medical Education in the Future: A Review of the Millis Report" (draft)
5. North Central Medical Conference
6. Articles written by Larson
7. Breast Cancer Study
8. Minutes of staff meetings of Quain-Ramstad Clinic, 1939-1940, and of Bismarck Hospital, 1948-1950
9. Krebiozen Controversy
10. Black Lung Disease
11. Miscellaneous Reports, statements and proceedings

SERIES III: AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND CITATIONS

12. Citations

Tapes of 3 speeches:
One for the American Cancer Society
One dated 5/19/62
One unidentified

Framed autographed sheet Christmas Seals, 1960

Phonograph of a speech by Larson: "Five Views of the Cancer Fight,” 1966

Plaque - Blood Services, 1968

Framed certificate - American Society of Medical Technologists, 1962

SEPARATIONS RECORD

69 photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

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