MSS 2/076-02: Personal papers, 1869 - 1932
Scope and Contents
A collection of diaries, correspondence, printed materials and
photographs, 1869-1932, documenting notable events in the life
of William W. Keen. Materials in the collection were probably
preserved for a biography.
The collection is divided into six series. The personal papers
of William W. Keen, 1883-1929, in Series 1 include two diaries,
1907 and 1913, of trips to Europe. There is also one folder
of correspondence which includes a copy of a letter addressed
to Woodrow Wilson, 13 October 1918, concerning Keen's views
on a proposed armistice to end World War I.
Series 2 contains materials from memorial services for Keen, his
wife, Emma Corinna Borden Keen (d. 1887), and father, William
Williams Keen (d. 1882). There is also one folder of quotations,
1886-1926, probably assembled by Keen, concerning grief for
a dead spouse.
Banquet programs, 1895-1909, from the W. W. Keen Surgical Society
of Jefferson Medical College are in Series 3.
Series 4 contains programs, newsclippings, and other printed material,
1869-1927, from notable events in Keen's life. Included is the
honorary degree presented by the University of Upsala in 1907.
The series also includes an autographed program from a 1913
banquet in honor of polar explorers, Roald Amundsen, R. E. Peary,
and Sir Ernest H. Shackleton, and two typescript addresses by
Keen.
Photographs of Keen's surgical clinic at Jefferson Medical College
Hospital, 1902, and the launching of the first hospital ship,
the U.S.S. Relief, in 1922, are preserved in Series 5.
Information on Keen's 1900 presidential badge from the American
Medical Association is in Series 6. The badge itself was transferred
to the Mutter Museum on 4 May 1990, following processing of
the collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1869 - 1932
Creator
- From the Collection: Keen, William W. (William Williams) (Person)
Full Extent
3 boxes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Custodial History
This collection of William W. Keen papers was donated to the College
of Physicians of Philadelphia by Samuel B. Sturgis on 6 June
1979. A preliminary inventory of the contents was compiled
at that time. The collection was processed andjcatalogued
in May 1990.
Most of the material in the collection appears to have been formerly
in the possession of Florence Keen and Dora Keen Handy, daughters
of William W. Keen.
Inventory
Box Ser.
1 1 PERSONAL PAPERS, 1883-1929
1. Diary, 1907 March 19-December 31
(1 volume) 1907
2. Diary, 1913 May 20-September 24
(1 volume) 1913
3. Correspondence:
1. Typed letter [copy], 1918 October 13,
Philadelphia, Pa., to Woodrow Wilson,
Washington, D.C. (1 item)
2. Typed letter [copy], 1919 January 7,
[Philadelphia, Pa.?], to John H. Gibbon,
Philadelphia, Pa. (1 item)
3. Typed letter [copy], 1923 December 26,
[Philadelphia, Pa.?], to Howard Butcher,
Jr., [Philadelphia, Pa.?] (1 item)
4. Tinng, Charles B.,
Typed letter [copy], 1926 November 27,
Tokyo, Japan, to William W. Keen,
Philadelphia, Pa. (1 item)
5. Polis, Benjamin,
Typed letter signed, 1929 January 30,
Philadelphia, Pa., to William W. Keen,
Philadelphia, Pa. (1 item)
6. Darrach, William,
Typed letter signed, 1929 February 2,
New York, N.Y., to William W. Keen,
Philadelphia, Pa. (1 item)
7. Irvine, Sir James Colquhoun,
Typed letter signed, 1929 February 16,
St. Andrews, Scotland, to William W.
Keen, [Philadelphia, Pa.?] (1 item)
(1 folder) 1918-1929
4. Passports (1 folder) 1920;1923
5. Poem to Misses Hallowell (1 folder) [1883]
2 MEMORIAL MATERIALS, 1882-1932
1. Collection of memorial materials
(1 folder) 1886-1926
Box Ser.
1 2 2. Castle, John H.,
In memory of William Williams Keen :
a sermon presented in the meeting house of
the First Baptist Church,
West Philadelphia, 1882 October 1
(1 volume) 1882
3. Memorial of Mrs. Dr. William W. Keen
(Philadelphia: Women's Foreign Baptist
Mission Union of Philadelphia and Vicinity)
(1 volume) 1887
4. Minute adopted by the Board of Trustees of
Crozer Theological Seminary, 1932 June 7
(1 folder) 1932
5. H. H. Battles,
Receipt for flowers at funeral of
William W. Keen, 1932 June 10 (1 folder) 1932
3 JEFFERSON MEDICAL COLLEGE
W. W. KEEN SURGICAL SOCIETY, 1895-1909
1-2 Banquet programs (3 folders) 1895-1909
2 4 SPECIAL EVENTS, 1869-1927
1. Royal College of Surgeons Fourth Centenary:
Newsclippings (1 folder) 1905
2. University of Upsala Bicentennial of
Carl von Linne:
1. Honorary doctoral degree (1 folder) 1907
2. Programs and printed material
(2 folders) 1907
3. University of St. Andrews Celebration of
the Five Hundredth Anniversary
of the Foundation:
1. Bennett, Andrew,
Letter signed, 1911 July 19,
St. Andrews, Scotland, to
William W. Keen, Philadelphia, Pa.
(1 folder) 1911
2. Programs and printed material
(4 folders) 1911
3. Newsclippings (1 folder) 1911
4. Dinner given by Henry G. Bryant to Captain
Roald Amundsen, Rear Admiral R. E. Peary,
U.S.N., Sir Ernest H. Shackleton, C.V.O.:
Program (1 folder) 1913
Box Ser.
2 4 5. Banquet in Honour of the Visiting Foreign
Delegates to Arrange for the Celebration of
the 100th Anniversary of Peace among
English Speaking Peoples:
1. An impossible war : address, typescript,
1913 May 13, (4 p.). (1 folder) 1913
2. Printed material and newsclippings
(1 folder) 1913
3 6. First Baptist Church of Philadelphia
Celebration of Ninetieth Birthday of
William W. Keen:
1. God's unseen guidance in human life :
address, typescript, [1927 January 19],
(11 p.). (1 folder) [1927]
2. Resolution of congratulation
(1 folder) 1927
7. Miscellaneous printed material (3 folders) 1869-1926
5 PHOTOGRAPHS AND PICTORIAL MATERIAL, 1902 and 1919
1. Professor William W. Keen's Clinic,
Jefferson Medical College Hospital,
Philadelphia, Pa.,
E. N. Fought,
1902 December 10
bw print mounted, 8" x 9.5" (1 item) 1902
2. Sponsor party of U.S.S. Relief, Hospital
Ship, U.S. Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pa.,
Replogle,
1919 December 23
bw print, 8" x 10" (1 item) 1919
3. Keen, Charles B.
"Glen Haven, N.Y., or The Flume, White Mts.",
[undated]
pencil sketch, 7.75" x 10.5" (1 item) [n.d.]
6 RELICS, 1900
American Medical Association president's
badge, [1900 June 7] (1 folder) 1900 [MISSING AS OF 5/27/2015]
Badge transferred to Mutter Museum, 4 May 1990.
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia Repository
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
