James Law papers

Collection

Identifier: 24-1-3329

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Correspondence relating to James Law's duties as Dean of the New York State Veterinary College. Significant topics include standards for entrance requirements to veterinary colleges, state licensing regulations, and bovine tuberculosis control. Significant correspondents include William Henry Kelly, in his role as the New York State Veterinary Medical Society's representative to the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners; James Russel Parsons, Jr., Director of the Examination Department of the University of the State of New York; and Charles P. Lyman, Dean of Harvard University's veterinary college.

Includes paper-mache horse leg that was produced by Louis Thomas Jerome Auzoux, a pioneer of three dimensional teaching models. It was used by Professor Law in teaching the anatomy of the horse.

Also Law's microscope (1862) and woodcuts from 1876 book "The Farmer's Veterinary Advisor: A Guide to the Treatment of Disease in Domestic Animals."

Dates

1862-1914-(bulk 1895-1908)

Creator

Law, James, 1838-1921. (Person)

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

James Law was one of the first faculty members of Cornell University, the first dean of the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, and a pioneer in veterinary medicine and public health in the United States.

Law was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, February 13, 1838. He was educated at Edinburgh's Veterinary College and the medical school at Edinburgh University. He received additional training in France at the veterinary schools in Alfort and Lyons. When Andrew Dickson White approached him in 1868 to join the faculty at newly founded Cornell University, Law was an experienced teacher and practitioner with a firm belief in sound scientific training for veterinarians. Law brought his beliefs to fruition at Cornell through high entrance requirements, rigorous courses, and exacting state licensing requirements.

Law was also a leader in public health. His work on tuberculosis, foot and mouth disease and other epizootics had a profound effect on animal and human health in America. His fight against superstitious animal care practices rampant in rural America also had significant influence. His Farmer's Veterinary Advisor was read widely by practitioners and lay people alike for its practical and medically sound advise on the treatment of common ailments.

For more biographical information about James Law, see the essay in American National Biography as well as Ellis Leonard's description in A Cornell Heritage.

Extent

4 cubic feet. (4 cubic feet.)

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence relating to James Law's duties as Dean of the New York State Veterinary College.

COLLECTION ARRANGEMENT

Divided into incoming and outgoing correspondence, then arranged chronologically.

PROVENANCE

This collection was removed from the Veranus A. Moore papers during processing in 2003-2004. See the Collection Arrangement note in that guide for further explanation.

RELATED MATERIAL

RMC Collection # 24-1-119. Veranus A. Moore papers

RMC Collection # 2541. New York State Veterinary Medical Society records

RMC Collection # 6370. Letters to Samuel Campbell, 1869-1871.

Physical Description

Correspondence.

General

Contact Information:: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:: Laura Finkel
Date completed:: March 2004
EAD encoding:: Laura Finkel, 2004
Date modified:: Marcie Farwell, March 2017