Lewis C. Robbins Collection

Biography

Lewis C. Robbins was born in Indiana. He received his M.D. in 1935 from the Indiana University School of Medicine and his M.P.H. in 1938 from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygeine and Public Health. After working for the Indiana State Board of Health, Robbins became a commissioned officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, where he was stationed in 50 states and 23 countries. In 1957, he became the first chief of cancer control for the U.S. Public Health Service, a post he held until 1965. One of Robbins’ major contributions was preparation of the surgeon general’s first warning on the health hazards of tobacco. This paper, which appeared in JAMA on November 28, 1959, under the signature of U.S. Surgeon Leroy R. Burney, marked the beginning of medicine’s campaign on the dangers of smoking.

Scope and Content

The Lewis C. Robbins Collection spans his entire public health career. Series include daily logs, correspondence, notes, publications, reprints, charts, evaluations, pamphlets, speeches, and photographs. Materials are organized alphabetically according to subject.

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