University of Oregon Medical School: Wall Prize, 1894

The Esther Pohl Lovejoy papers house the personal and professional records of Dr. Lovejoy. This collection, which dates from 1870 to 1995, consists of manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, artifacts, publications, and biographical data pertaining to the life and work of Esther Pohl Lovejoy. These papers document Dr. Lovejoy’s prominent role in advancing the work of women in medicine, as well as her leadership of transnational medical and humanitarian relief organizations. Additionally, her manuscripts and correspondence provide tremendous insight into Lovejoy’s writing process and professional relationships. Dr. Lovejoy’s notebooks and photographs offer a rare glimpse into her personal life, allowing us a richer understanding of her life. Researchers interested in the early work of women in medicine, the relationship between medicine and literature, and the work of medical relief organizations will find this collection to be a valuable resource.

The “Service and Education” series, which dates from 1887 to 1980, includes records and photographs documenting Lovejoy’s service with the Portland Board of Health, as well as her leadership of the American Women’s Hospitals Service and the Medical Women’s International Association. This series also contains records pertaining to her work with the Red Cross during World War I and her run for Congress in 1920. Additionally, this series documents her education at the University of Oregon Medical School and her involvement as an alumna.

The “Writings” series, which dates from 1870 to 1979, contains a large number of manuscripts, including her unpublished biography, Saltwater and Sawdust. Also included are published works, short stories, speeches, and essays. This series contains a broad selection of research files, which provide insight into her writings.

The “Correspondence” series, which dates from 1908 to 1995, contains letters between Lovejoy and colleagues, as well as letters from Lovejoy to family members. Letters of particular interest include Lovejoy’s correspondence with women’s suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt and her longstanding correspondence with Bertha Hallam, the first librarian at the University of Oregon Medical School. This series also contains letters to and from Estelle Fraade, Dr. Lovejoy’s personal secretary and executrix of her estate. These letters provide detailed biographical information on Dr. Lovejoy and describe Mrs. Fraade’s work to preserve Lovejoy’s legacy.

The “Personal” series, which dates from 1891 to 1967, contains Dr. Lovejoy’s personal and family records, photographs and personal notebooks, as well as copies of her will and obituaries. Of special interest are her personal notebooks, which offer unguarded reminiscences of her personal life and experiences. This series also contains Lovejoy’s copies of various poems and stories, including The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and Rudyard Kipling’s “The Islanders.”