The Institutional Records of
The Harriet Lane Home
Brief History
Scope of the Records
Record Group 1. Founding Documents and Related Papers
Record Group 2. Records of Administrative Bodies
Record Group 3. Patient Related Records. 1939-1941; 1950-1951
Record Group 4. Historic Materials Assembled by Drs. Park and Taussig
Brief History of the Harriet Lane Home
By her last will, Mrs. Harriet Lane Johnston, of Washington, D.C.,
left a sum of over $400,000 to establish in Baltimore the Harriet Lane
Home for Invalid Children as a memorial to two sons who had died in
childhood. Harriet Lane, the niece of President James Buchanan, was
the First Lady of the White House during the Buchanan administration.
She married Henry Johnston, a Baltimore banker, who had bequested in
his will that a sum of $400,000 be held in reserve and that upon her
death it be used to establish a home for invalid children.
In 1906 the Trustees of the Harriet Lane House decided to build the
Home at the Johns Hopkins Hospital with the Hospital supplying the
land and agreeing to furnish the necessary medical staff and nursing
force. In 1909 construction began with Viennese pediatrician Clemens
von Pirquet overseeing the operation. In 1912 John Howland succeeded
Pirquet as Professor of Pediatrics of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine and as Pediatrician-in-Chief of the Harriet Lane
Home.
In October 1912 the Harriet Lane Home officially opened its doors. It was the
first children’s clinic in the United States that was associated with
a medical school. Eventually treating over 60,000 children a year, the Harriet
Lane Home became a pioneer treatment, teaching, training and research clinic.
From 1930 to 1963 Helen Taussig, who helped to develop the blue baby operation,
headed the pediatric cardiac clinic. Child psychiatrist Leo Kanner did
studies of autistic children. Lawson Wilkins established an endocrine clinic
that developed procedures used universally to treat children with certain glandular
disorders, including dwarfism. John E. Bordley and William G. Hardy
broke ground in detecting hearing impairments in very young children. Above
all John Howland and Edwards A. Park, who directed the Home from 1927-1946,
allowed the many specialty clinics to flourish and train pediatricians who
became prominent throughout the country.
In 1972 the Harriet Lane Home closed giving way to the modern Edwards A. Park
Building. The Harriet Lane Home building itself was demolished in 1974.
Scope of the Records
Few of the administrative records of the Harriet Lane Home have survived, particularly
from the early years. Much of the early correspondence was destroyed in an
effort to conserve filing cabinet space.
Most of this collection comes from the files of Edwards A. Park, who wrote
articles on the history of the Home. It represents material which Park
collected while doing his research. There are some administrative minutes,
a couple of patient log books, biographical material on Harriet Lane Johnston,
and notes, manuscripts and correspondence of Park concerning the Home.
Record Group 1. Founding Documents and Related Papers.
(6 inches).
This record group contains three items crucial to the establishment of the
Harriet Lane Home. First, there are abstracts from the last will and testament
of Harriet Lane Johnston giving money to the Harriet Lane Home for Invalid
Children. Second, there is a copy of “A Preliminary Report Concerning
the Construction of Hospitals for Children” presented in 1906 to the
Managers of the Harriet Lane Home by Charles P. Emerson of Hopkins. It
is a survey of children’s facilities in hospitals in Canada, England,
Scotland, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Italy. Finally there
is a copy of agreement between the Harriet Lane Home and the Johns Hopkins
Hospital to build the home on the grounds of the Hospital in East Baltimore.
Record Group 2. Records of Administrative Bodies.
(1 foot, 2 inches).
In this record group are the surviving items from the governing body and committees
of the Harriet Lane Home. There is a minute book of the Board of Managers of
the Home, material on the various funds which helped to support the Home-particularly
the Robert Garrett Fund for the Surgical Treatment of Children, and minutes
from the Harriet Lane Care Committee.
Series a. Board of Managers’ Minutes, 1903-1950.
1 volume (2 inches).
This volume contains all the minutes of the Board of Managers of
the Harriet Lane Home for the above noted dates. Included are minutes
of some executive committee meetings and a few supporting papers. The
Board met annually, usually in May
of each year.
Series b. Special Funds, 1946-1965.
1 box (6 inches).
This series contains items on funds which helped endow the Harriet Lane Home,
such as the Jennie Beck Fund, Earle P. Charlton Trust Fund and the Howland
Memorial Funds. In addition, this series contains documents on the Robert Garrett
Fund
for Surgical Treatment of Children founded by Mary F. Jacobs which contributed
to the maintenance of the children’s surgical ward in the Halsted wing
of the Hospital and helped finance the erection of the Children’s Medical
and Surgical Building.
Series c. Harriet Lane Home Care Committee Minutes, 1962-1964.
1 box (6 inches).
These are the minutes of the Harriet Lane Home Care Committee which
took up
questions of patient care in coordination with the Hospital.
Record Group 3. Patient Related Records. 1939-1941; 1950-1951.
2 volumes (4 inches).
This small record group contains volumes 4 and 12 of Harriet Lane Home
histories listing simply the patient’s name, date and history
number. No mention is made of the type of treatment. These are the
only two volumes of these books
that have survived.
Record Group 4. Historic Materials Assembled by Drs. Park and Taussig.
(6 feet).
From 1927 to 1946 Edwards A. Park directed the Harriet Lane Home. After
he retired he collected historical material on the Home with the intention
of writing a history. This record group is composed of items Park assembled
for his study. There is biographical material on Harriet Lane Johnston and
Park’s historical notes. In addition, this record group contains
material on Park himself which Helen Taussig collected.
Series a. Biographical Material on Harriet Lane Johnston.
1 box (6 inches).
This series contains material on Harriet Lane Johnston. Most of the
items are photostats printed material Park collected on Harriet
Lane from such places as Harper’s
Weekly and the Ladies Home Journal to be used for his history.
Series b. Park’s Notes on His History of the Harriet
Lane Home.
5 boxes (2.5 feet).
This series contains notes and drafts, both handwritten and typed,
that Park wrote for his history of the Harriet Lane Home. There
are notes on individuals associated with the Home, particularly
John Howland, as well as on the major events
which led to its creation.
Series c. Helen Taussig’s Notes on the History
of the Harriet Lane Home.
6 boxes (3 feet).
After Park died in 1969, Helen Taussig added to and edited
his historical work. Her revised drafts are part of this series. Much
of Taussig’s additions
are material she collected on Park including drafts of addresses on his
career and recollections of colleagues who knew the distinguished pediatrician.
