Held at: Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center [Contact Us]
2900 West Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Andromache "Mary" Papanicolaou [1890-1982] was the wife and lab technician of Dr. George Papanicolaou [1883-1962], a cytopathology researcher known for developing the Pap Smear. Mrs. Papanicolaou was instrumental in Dr. Papanicolaou's discovery of the cervical screening method due to the fact that she volunteered as a test subject for Dr. Papanicolaou's cervical screening experiments almost daily. The Pap Smear is considered one of the leading breakthroughs in cancer detection, and is used to detect cervical cancer at treatable stages. The Pap Smear is also used for the detection of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and was vital to the creation of an HPV vaccine. Dr. Charles Cameron [1908-1998] was an influential early member of the American Cancer Society, and worked closely with Dr. Papanicolaou in organizing the First National Cytology Conference in 1948 where Dr. Papanicolaou presented, standardized, and trained others in delivering and reading the results of a Pap Smear. Dr. Cameron joined the American Cancer Society in 1948 as the Medical and Scientific Director and served as Vice President of the American Cancer Society before he left in 1956. In 1956 he was appointed Dean of Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, and later went onto become President and Chairman of the Board of Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. Contains in the Cameron files are a listing of his other files, a biography, correspondence, publication clippings. Contained in the Papanicolaou files are Nobel Prize nomination letters, letter to Cameron, biography, letters from Papanicolaou, Cancer Research Institute dedication address, brochures, letters, and centennial material (1983).