Call Number:

003.02

Repository:

Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center

Extent:

71.8 linear feet

Language:

English, German, Italian, Spanish; Castilian, Chinese, and Hebrew

Date:

1817-2024 (inclusive) and 1967-2023 (bulk)

Form:

Awards, Correspondence, Electronic records (digital records), Ephemera, Minutes (administrative records), Mixed Media, Notebooks, Photographs, Publications, Reports, and Slides (photographs)

Abstract:

Arthur Frank, MD, PhD, is an authority in occupational lung diseases associated with asbestos. He has spent most of his professional activity working in occupational medicine as a physician, researcher, lecturer, medical-legal expert witness, and a professor in higher education. Dr. Frank's papers document his personal and professional activities 1967-2023. This mixed format collection contains depositions of asbestos-related cases from around the United States and related medical-legal case reports; teaching and research materials; presentations, writing; correspondence; and objects, ephemera, photographs and artwork. Research strengths include asbestos-related diseases-especially in connection to medical-legal cases, cancer, environmental exposures, global or international health, history of public health, occupational health, agricultural safety and health, toxicology, and environmental justice.

Arthur Frank, MD, PhD, is an internationally renowned authority in occupational lung diseases associated with asbestos. He has spent most of his professional activity working in occupational medicine-as a physician, researcher, lecturer, medical-legal expert witness, and a professor in higher education.

Arthur Leonard Frank was born in Sacramento, California in 1947. Six weeks before his birth, Frank's father was murdered in the workplace. In an oral history interview, Frank cites this event as motivation for later specializing in workplace related incidents. After his father's death, four-month old Frank and his mother moved to New York City, where the Frank family originally settled after emigrating from Germany.

Frank received his M.D. degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He studied under Dr. Irving Selikoff, a leading asbestos expert. Selikoff encouraged Frank to stand apart in the field of occupational medicine by enrolling in diverse courses, participating in asbestos studies, and pursuing a Ph.D. degree in biomedical sciences. Selikoff also sponsored Frank's travels around the country to meet with leaders in their field. During his residency at Mount Sinai, Frank served as a commissioned officer in the Public Health Service, where he conducted research at the National Cancer Institute.

Over his career, Frank has held academic and administrative appointments with Mount Sinai, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and the University of Texas School of Public Health. In his most recent position, Frank is a professor of environmental and occupational health at Drexel University.

In partnership with Drexel, Frank serves as an expert witness on medical-legal cases involving asbestos exposure. He consults on over 550 cases per year.

Frank has published on asbestos and its impact on cell culture, animal studies, and population based research. His research activities center on occupational lung diseases associated with asbestos as well as agricultural safety and health. Frank has served as an advisor and lecturer in the United States and abroad on occupational health issues. He also helped found the Collegium Ramazzini, an independent, international academy specializing in occupational and environmental health studies.

This collection documents the personal and professional activities of Arthur Frank, MD, PhD, an internationally respected expert on asbestos-related diseases and a professor of environmental and occupational health at Drexel University. The dates range from 1817-2023, with the bulk of the dates from 1967-2023. A majority of the 19th century material comprises literature reprints used for medical-legal cases involving asbestos exposure.

This mixed material collection of papers, audio, video, and data media, objects and ephemera, visual material, and e-records contains depositions (with coinciding literature, medical records, and correspondence); medical-legal case reports; academic and administrative material (including Frank's medical student notebooks and coursework, awards, certificates, and licenses, correspondence, research grants, finances, and Frank's students syllabi, papers, and exams); meeting material (including correspondence, memoranda, minutes, agenda, promotional material, and literature); health risk assessments; publications; PowerPoint presentations; Frank's writings and personal correspondence; objects and ephemera (including scrapbooks); and photographs, posters, and artwork.

The Arthur Frank papers would appeal to a wide range of researchers, such as asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers, public health historians, and public health students and professionals. Research interests include asbestos-related diseases-especially in connection to medical-legal cases, cancer, environmental exposures, global or international health, history of public health, occupational health, agricultural safety and health, toxicology, and environmental justice.

This collection has been arranged into the following six series; the records are organized conceptually and chronologically. The mixed media and e-records are intellectually arranged through integrated description in each series.

Series I: Expert Testimony and Consulting - This series of papers, e-records, and mixed media, focuses on Frank as an expert witness for asbestos-related litigation cases, 1817-2023; includes depositions, with coinciding literature, medical records, and correspondence. There is also an extensive amount of Frank's medical legal case reports. The paper and mixed media materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Subseries A: Libby - This subseries of papers, e-records, and mixed media, documents Frank's work on the Libby, Montana asbestos cases for the United States Department of Justice, 1907-2022; includes depositions, with coinciding literature, medical records, and correspondence. The paper and mixed media materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Series II: Academic and Administrative Material - This series of papers, e-records, and some data media, focuses on Frank as a student (including notebooks and coursework), professor, faculty member, and mentor, 1934-2023. A greater part of the series contains paper and e-records of email and memoranda, syllabi, student papers and exams, grant proposals, and invoices. There is also a smaller selection of awards, certificates, and licenses, alumni material, and data media of archived emails. The paper and mixed media materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Subseries A: Awards, Certificates, Licenses - This subseries of papers and e-records documents Frank's professional achievements, 1968-2023; awards for his outstanding role as a medical student, professor, researcher, mentor, and leader; certificates for his continuing medical education course credits; and medical licenses he obtained in multiple states throughout his career. The paper materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Subseries B: Correspondence - This subseries of papers, e-records, and some data media documents Frank's correspondence (including emails, memoranda, and letters) with colleagues, students, and law firms in his academic appointed roles at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, University of Kentucky, University of Texas, and Drexel University, 1978-2023. The paper and mixed media materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Subseries C: Research Grants - This subseries of papers, e-records, and some data media documents Frank's work on numerous research projects (including applications and papers) as an independent researcher or in conjunction with his students' final theses, 1968-2022. The paper and mixed media materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Subseries D: Finances - This subseries of papers and e-records includes the discretionary budget reports for the School of Public Health at Drexel University, invoices for Frank's medical-legal consultant work as well as receipts for his travel expenses, 1994-2023. The paper materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Series III: Professional Affiliations - This series of papers, e-records, and mixed media focuses on Frank's numerous affiliations, and often leadership roles, in the United States and abroad for environmental and occupational health organizations, 1933-2023. A greater part of the series contains meeting material (including minutes, agenda, promotional material, and literature), correspondence and memoranda, health risk assessments, publications, and an extensive selection of material related to Frank's speaking engagements (including PowerPoint e-records, 35 mm slides, and audio, video, and data media). The paper and mixed media materials are organized alphabetically, then chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically. Series IV: Writings and Correspondence - This series of papers and e-records focuses on Frank's writings and personal correspondence, 1930-2023. A greater part of the series contains Frank's paper and e-record publications (including abstracts, articles, book reviews and chapters, and writings by others) on asbestos and its impact on cell culture, animal studies, and population based research. There is also a smaller selection of paper and e-records of affidavits, curriculum vitae, clippings by or about Frank, and personal correspondence with family and friends. The paper materials are organized chronologically; e-records are organized conceptually, then alphabetically.

Series V: Objects and Ephemera - This series focuses on the objects and ephemera connected with Frank's academic and professional career, 1967-2023. A greater part of the series contains Frank's weekly planners, various public health, asbestos awareness, and travel ephemera and objects (including a hard hat and laborer statue), medical bag, and a medical school yearbook.

Subseries A: Scrapbooks - This subseries documents Frank's years as a medical student and resident with school acceptance letters, transcripts, booklets, and photographs, 1967-1978. The scrapbooks are organized chronologically.

Series VI: Visual Material - This series of photographs, posters, artwork, and some e-records, visually documents Frank's academic and professional career, with a glimpse into his family life, 1968-2019. Series also highlights Frank's interest in occupational safety awareness photography and artwork, including the work of photojournalist Earl Dotter and artist Guillermo. Frank's sense of humor plays out with the small selection of comic strips that lightly prod at environmental and occupational health issues. The visual materials are organized chronologically.