George Papanicolaou, MD, PhD Collection

Collection

Identifier: US-NNCORMA-RGPPM-001

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Scope and Contents

The George Papanicolaou, MD, PhD Papers consist of papers, publications, reprints, awards, glass plate slides, audiovisual material, and memorabilia related to his career and research, primarily during his tenure at Cornell University Medical College.

See the individual series descriptions for more information.

Dates

1910 - 2004

Creator

Papanicolaou, George (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Historical records in the Medical Center Archives are protected by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), internal policies requiring protection and confidential handling of PHI (protected health information), FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), or other institutional polices regarding internal or confidential records, and may require additional permissions prior to access. Some records in this collection are restricted and require additional permissions prior to access.

View the Contents List for more information and visit the Medical Center Archives website for the most updated policies and procedures regarding access to historical materials containing restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright holder of this collection is Weill Cornell Medicine or is unknown. Materials from this collection cannot be reproduced outside the guidelines of United States Fair Use (17 U.S.C., Section 107) without the advance permission of the Medical Center Archives of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine or the copyright holder. In the event that anything from the collection become a source for publication, a credit line indicating the Medical Center Archives of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine is required.

Historical records in the Medical Center Archives are protected by HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and internal policies which require protection and confidential handling of all protected health information (PHI). Materials containing PHI, personally identifiable information (PII), and/or student information (protected under FERPA) have been restricted and require additional permissions prior to reproduction and use.

Please visit the Medical Center Archives website for the most updated policies and procedures regarding reproduction and use.

Biographical / Historical

1883: Born on May 13 in Kymi, Greece 1904: Doctor of Medicine degree, University of Athens 1910: Doctor of Philosophy degree (Zoology), University of Munich, September 10 married Andromaque (Mary) Mavroveni 1911: Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, Director of Physiology 1912-13: Greek Army Physician in Balkan War 1914: September, joins Cornell University Medical College (CUMC) as a Research Biologist in the Department of Anatomy 1916: Instructor, Department of Anatomy, CUMC 1923: Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, CUMC 1925(et.): Tests vaginal smear technique on patients of Woman’s Clinic, New York Hospital 1928: Delivers paper on “New Cancer Diagnosis” at Third Race Betterment Conference 1939-1940: Begins to devote full time to study of cytologic methods with Dr. Herbert F. Traut, Department of Ob/Gyn 1941: Commonwealth Fund gives first grant for $1,800 1943: Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear, published with Dr. Traut, Dr. Traut leaves to become Head of Ob/Gyn at University of California, Dr. Andrew Marchetti (Og/Gyn) begins work on the project 1947: Dr. Marchetti leaves for Georgetown University, Dr. Papanicolaou becomes Professor of Clinical Anatomy 1948: The Epithelia of Woman’s Reproductive Organs by Dr. Papanicolaou, Dr. Traut, and Dr. Marchetti is published 1951: Becomes Emeritus Professor of Clinical Anatomy, devotes teaching time to course in Exfoliative Cytology 1954: Atlas of Exfoliative Cytology is published, with supplements in 1956 and 1960 1961: October, moves to Miami, Florida, to become Director of the newly-renamed Papanicolaou Cancer Research Clinic 1962: February 19, Dr. Papanicolaou dies of a myocardial infarction at his home in Miami, Florida 1978: His research was honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a 13-cent stamp 1982: October 14, Mary Papanicolaou dies in Miami, Florida

Awards and Honors:

Borden Award (1948) Amory Award (1950) First Award of the Order of AHEPA (1951) Wien Award of Exfoliative Cytology (1953) Cross of the Grand Commander of the Royal Order of Phoenix, from the King of Greece (1953) Modern Medicine Award for distinguished achievement (1954) The Bertner Award (1955) The Passano Award (1956) The Lasker Award of the American Public Health Association (1950) The Clement Cleveland Award (1960) The Royal Order of George I from the Greek Government (1957)

Extent

16.21 Linear Feet (12 Boxes, 2 Loose Artifacts)

Language of Materials

English

Spanish; Castilian

Greek, Modern (1453-)

Additional Description

Abstract

Dr. George Papanicolaou (Georgios Nikolaou Papanikolaou) was a Greek physician and researcher who conducted pioneering research on the physiological and cytological characteristics of the female reproductive system, leading to the development of the cervical cancer screening procedure commonly known as the “Pap smear.” The George Papanicolaou, MD, PhD Papers consist of papers, publications, reprints, awards, glass plate slides, and memorabilia related to his career and research, primarily his tenure at Cornell University Medical College.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into the following series: 1. Papers, 1910-1961 2. Collected Files on George Papanicolaou, MD, PhD, 1928-1998 3. Glass Plate Slides, circa 1914-1939 4. Memorabilia and Awards, circa 1948-1978 5. Audiovisual Material

See the individual series descriptions for more information.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Series 3: Glass Plate Slides require advance permission to access, given their fragility. Series 5: Access to audiovisual material is available on-site in the Medical Center Archives reading room.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This artificial collection was assembled by the Medical Center Archives from a series of separate donations and institutional documents at an unknown date. Materials related to the Course of Cytologic Diagnosis of Cancer given by Dr. Papanicolaou, biographical information, photographs (now part of the Photograph Collection), cytology lab files, and reprints were donated to the Medical Center Archives by Dr. John Seybolt. In 1973 the glass plates slides formerly stored in the Department of Anatomy’s storerooms were donated to the Medical Center Archives by Roy C. Swan, the Hinsey Professor and Chairman in the Department of Anatomy at Cornell University Medical College. The microscope belonging to Dr. Papanicolaou while at Cornell University Medical College was donated by Dr. Irene Koproska in 1978. The remainder of the collection was donated by various offices at the medical center or was gathered by the Medical Center Archives team at unknown dates.

Related Materials

Photographs of Dr. Papanicolaou were moved to the Photograph Collection in the Medical Center Archives at an unknown date.

Additional biographical information on Dr. Papanicolaou collected by the medical center (particularly items printed after 1998) can be found in the biographical files of the Medical Center Archives.

Various films and videos produced about Dr. Papanicolaou life and career after his death (including “The Odyssey of Dr. Pap” produced by the American Cancer Society in 1969) are located with the audiovisual material in the Medical Center Archives.

Related Materials

Processing Information

The George Papanicolaou, MD, PhD Papers were originally processed by an unknown staff member at an unknown date. In 2021, Medical Center Archives Assistant Rebecca Snyder reviewed the collection for restrictions. In 2021 Head Archivist Nicole Milano rehoused and rearranged the collection, updating the finding aid provenance note, scope and contents note, and contents list, and adding an abstract, restrictions, series notes, arrangement note, and processing note. Reprints relating to cancer and cytology by Drs. Nathan Chandler Foot and Irena Koprowska were removed from the collection at this time. In 2025, Amanda Garfunkel added audiovisual material and oversized items that had previously been separated.