William M. Landau Papers

Description

Reference code

FC119

Level of description

Collection

Title

William M. Landau Papers

Date(s)

  • 1951-2010 (Creation)

Extent

12.45 cubic feet (9 boxes, 6 volumes, 1 folder, 4 framed items)

Name of creator

(1924-2017)

Biographical history

William M. Landau was born just a few blocks from Washington University in 1924. He started college at the University of Chicago in 1941, but the United States' entry into World War II accelerated his college career, and after just two years, he returned to St. Louis to begin medical studies at Washington University School of Medicine. He was 18. Landau completed medical school in 1947 and joined the neurology faculty in 1954. He was named professor emeritus 58 years later and continued conducting research into his 90s.

Landau was a professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis from 1954 to 2012 and served as head of the Department of Neurology from 1970 to 1991. He was the longest-serving faculty member at the School of Medicine. Landau specialized in movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, but his interests ranged widely. With Frank Kleffner, PhD, of the Central Institute of the Deaf, he identified and described Landau-Kleffner syndrome, a rare disorder in which children lose the ability to speak and respond to language. He also studied how patients fared after being revived with CPR when their hearts had stopped beating, and concluded that the risk of severe, debilitating brain damage was underappreciated. He advocated for more limited use of the procedure.

https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/dr-william-landau-former-chief-neurologist-at-washington-university-dies-at-93/article_84b02ef8-ec94-553f-bade-e577103becf0.html

Scope and content

Accession 2017-037: William M. Landau Papers (FC119): 8 record cartons and 5 oversized framed items. Box 1-2, personal and professional correspondence, circa 1980-2010, Box 3, framed items, videos and audio recordings of lectures, Boxes 4-8 scientific equipment from Landau's and George Bishop's laboratories.

This small collection includes a few transcripts of speeches given by Dr. Landau at various meetings, reprints, and documentation regarding Dr. Landau’s role in PNHP in Missouri (Physicians for a National Health Program).  See also oral history numbers OH090 and OH107 for Dr. Landau's oral histories.

System of arrangement

Conditions governing access

The collection is open and accessible for research.

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Users of the collection should read and abide by the Rights and Permissions guidelines at the Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives.

Users of the collection who wish to cite items from this collection, in whole or in part, in any form of publication must request, sign, and return a Statement of Use form to the Archives.

For detailed information regarding use of this collection, contact the Archives and Rare Book Department of the Becker Library (arb@wusm.wustl.edu).

Preferred Citation:

Item description, Reference Code, Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives, Washington University in St. Louis.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

Finding aids

Custodial history

Immediate source of acquisition

Gift, 19 October 2017, Thomas Woolsey, Accession 2017-037: William M. Landau Papers (FC119): 8 record cartons and 5 oversized framed items. Box 1-2, personal and professional correspondence, circa 1980-2010, Box 3, framed items, videos and audio recordings of lectures, Boxes 4-8 scientific equipment from Landau's and George Bishop's laboratories.

Transfer, 10 October 2017, Thomas Woolsey, MD, former acting director of the Center for History of Medicine, Accession 2017-035: William M. Landau Papers: : 6 bound volumes of reprints, 1951-1962, 1963-1971, 1972-1985, 1986-1993, 1993-2003, 2004-2013. 1 large framed photograph of George Bishop which had hung in the Department of Neurology's Bishop Library. Photograph duplicate of VC034003 and has been discarded.

Transfer, 5 June 2015, Patti Nacci, Secretary, Neurology Department, Accession 2015-018: FC119 (William Landau Papers): Items are identified below: (1) “Rochester Paper” 06/06/1984 titled “The Unbecoming Becomingness of Neurological Practice, 1984”.(2) A copy of Dr. Landau’s speech given in Baltimore on 09/25/1972 titled, “Clinical and Physiological Significance of Manifestations of Spasticity”. (3) Email to WUSM student class presidents about the concept of “universal effective professional care”. (4) Invitation to speak at American Medical Student Association meeting, 06/13/2001. (5) Documentation regarding Dr. Landau’s role in PNHP (Physicians for a National Health Program).; (6) Speech given at the 1978 American Association of Electromyography and Electrodiagnosis meeting.; (7) Two reprints of articles authored by James O’Leary titled “Neurology in Office Practice” and “Diagnosis of Neurologic Disorders”; (8) Reprints authored by Dr. Landau.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

Accruals

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related archival materials

Specialized notes

Alternative identifier(s)

Rules or conventions

"Describing Archives: A Content Standard, Second Edition (DACS), 2013."

Sources used

Archivist's note

© Copyright 2019 Bernard Becker Medical Library Archives. All rights reserved.

Place access points

Name access points

Accession area