Iowa Medical Society Auxiliary records

Collection

Identifier: IWA0871

Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Iowa Medical Society Auxiliary records are divided into six series: Administrative, Annual Meeting, Meeting Minutes, Newsletter, Scrapbook, and Miscellaneous.

The Administrative series (1932-1977) includes copies of the Auxiliary's constitution and by-laws, drafts and revisions of these documents, a memorial album about deceased Iowa Medical Society (IMS) and Auxiliary members, and a notebook containing the early records of the Boone County branch.

The Annual Meeting series (1936-2006) contains materials pertaining to the organization and planning of the state-level annual conference, as well as minutes and programs from past conferences.

The Meeting Minutes series (1929-1998) includes both generic and board-specific meeting minutes, as well as a binder of materials from the Councilor of the Seventh District: Jackson, Clinton, Dubuque, Jones, Cedar, Johnson, Linn, Delaware, and Buchanan counties. Medical societies divided their states into districts for administration and representation purposes. A councilor was elected each year to serve as a delegate to the local auxiliaries from the state-level IMS Auxiliary and board of directors.

The Newsletter series (1938-1980) materials are largely in a bound-volume format. Included are copies of the monthly newsletter of the IMS Auxiliary under its various names over time, as well as annual reports.

The Miscellaneous series (1935-1994) includes materials regarding the debate surrounding the medical licensure of osteopaths and an award plaque from the AMA- Educational and Research Foundation in the shape of the state of Iowa [shelved in the plaque case].

The Scrapbooks series (1929-1980) documents the members, leadership, and activities of the Auxiliary, including such undertakings as luncheons, lectures, balls, and charity sales. One 1970s event program offered wine and cheese tasting, an auction, and disco. Three topical scrapbooks concern the Future Nurses Clubs and the Auxiliary's Press and Publicity Committee; the latter are loosely organized by county.

Dates

Creation: 1929-1998

Creator

Iowa Medical Society Auxiliary (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

The papers are open for research

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

However, copyright status for some collection materials may be unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owner. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility and potential liability based on copyright infringement for any use rests exclusively and solely with the user. Users must properly acknowledge the Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, as the source of the material. For further information, visit https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/sc/services/rights/

Biographical / Historical

The Iowa State Medical Society Women's Auxiliary was organized in May 1929 by thirty-five wives of doctors belonging to the Society. They presented their case for a Woman's Auxiliary to the State Medical Society, which passed a motion establishing the auxiliary. The first official meeting of the Woman's Auxiliary was held in May 1930.

The Auxiliary existed to advance health and health education, and to support medical families and healthy families through advocacy and volunteer work. Areas of focus have included traffic safety, safe communities, the depiction of violence in entertainment, mental health issues, and immunization drives. Encouraging young people interested in health-related careers was also one of the group's activities; the Auxiliary sponsored high school Future Nurses clubs and health-science career days.

In the 1970s male spouses were allowed to join and the word "Woman's" was dropped from the organization's name. The American Medical Association Auxiliary became the American Medical Association Alliance in 1992, and the Iowa Medical Society Auxiliary followed its example in 1993, becoming the Iowa Medical Society Alliance. Membership was later opened to families, spouses of any gender, and physicians themselves.