Max B. Lurie papers
Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, personal papers, addresses,
and writings, 1926-1967, of Max B. Lurie, documenting his life,
professional career, and research into genetic resistance to
tuberculosis.
Lurie's professional correspondence, 1928-1966, is preserved
in Series 1. Principal correspondents are Lurie's colleagues
or collaborators in tuberculosis research, many of them associated
with the Henry Phipps Institute of the University of Pennsylvania,
including Samuel Abramson, Marvin J. Allison, Arthur M. Dannenberg,
Jr., A. G. Heppleston, Hsiu Sheng Hsu, Esmond R. Long, Valy
Menkin, Stuart Mudd, Eugene L. Opie, Max Pinner, Sidney Raffel,
Paul B. Sawin, Abram B. Stavitsky, Emanuel Suter, Charles Weiss,
and Peter Zappasodi. The subjects of the correspondence are Lurie's
research and career at the Henry Phipps Institute, particularly
his work with a rabbit colony bred to demonstrate inherited
and innate resistance to tuberculosis; his published writings;
evaluations and recommendations of student assistants; information concerning
the exchange of tubercle bacilli strains between laboratories
for research; and funding for Lurie's research and projects.
Series 1 also contains correspondence, 1935-1959, from Emanuel
Gamoran, Lurie's brother in law, who was Director of the Department
of Education of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations,
and Lurie's correspondence, 1940-1956, with the General Electric Company,
describing his work on the sterilization of air using ultraviolet
light.
Lurie's personal papers, 1926-1967, are contained in Series
2. The series includes correspondence containing biographical
and genealogical information; evaluations of his physical condition,
including Lurie's own record of his observations of prothrombin;
a typescript biography, circa 1958, by Dianne Epstein; and three photographs
of Lurie taken by his colleague Peter Zappasodi in 1952.
Series 3 contains typescripts of three of Lurie's addresses
concerning his work with resistance to tuberculosis, 1952-1960.
Typescript and holograph manuscripts of several of Lurie's
published articles, 1946-1965, including drafts of a paper describing
his work with the rabbit colony at the Phipps Institute, along
with related correspondence, bibliographies, andjbook
reviews, are preserved in Series 4.
Dates
- Creation: 1926 - 1957
Creator
- Lurie, Max B. (Max Bernard) (Person)
Biographical / Historical
Max Bernard Lurie, tuberculosis researcher, was born on 12
September 1893 in Telshee, Lithuania. He came to the United
States in 1907. He married Rose Gamoran in 1922; the Luries
had one son, Abraham A. ("Avi") Lurie. Max B. Lurie died in
Philadelphia on 23 September 1966.
Lurie received an A.B. from the College of the City of New
York in 1917, then an M.D. from Cornell University in 1921.
At this time, he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis, entered
the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives, was cured, and
began his research career. In 1926, he joined the Henry Phipps
Institute of the University of Pennsylvania as a Fellow in Pathology,
and worked closely with Eugene L. Opie, director of the Institute.
Lurie spent the rest of his career at the Phipps Institute.
After his fellowship, he was an Assistant Professor of Experimental
Pathology, then Associate Professor, and, finally, full Professor,
from 1955 until his retirement in 1962, when he was granted Emeritus
status.
Lurie is best known for his research and contributions to
the study of innate and genetic resistance to tuberculosis.
Most of his research at the Phipps Institute was based on a
colony of rabbits which Lurie bred to illustrate hereditary
resistance and susceptibility to the disease. He also isolated
the roles of the cortico adrenal hormones and thyroid hormone
derivatives in response to infection, worked on the destruction
of tubercle bacilli by the human macrophage, and, in conjunction
with W. F. Wells, used ultraviolet light to sterilize air.
Lurie published many articles and described his later work in
Resistance to tuberculosis: experimental studies in
native and acquired defensive mechanisms which was
published in 1964.
Lurie received several honors for his work, including the
Dearbolt lectureship, the Claude Bernard Medal, the Trudeau
Medal, and the Philadelphia Tuberculosis and Health Association
Award. He was elected to fellowship in the College of Physicians
of Philadelphia in 1947, was a fellow of the New York Academy
of Sciences, and a member of the Association of Pathology and
Bacteriology, the Association of Immunology, and the Society of
Experimental Biologists.
Full Extent
3.5 Linear feet (9 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
The Max B. Lurie Papers were donated to the Historical Collections of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia by the Estate of Max B. Lurie, circa 29 November 1969. A preliminary survey was made, probably in the 1970s. The collection was processed and catalogued in June 1990.
Subject
- Gamoran, Emanuel -- Correspondence (Person)
- General Electirc Company -- Correspondence (Organization)
- Henry Phipps Institute (Organization)
- University of Pennsylvania (Organization)
- Title
- Max B. Lurie papers
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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
