Overview
Papers relating to the life of Leo Alexander including documents from his involvement in the Nuremberg Doctors' Trial in Nuremberg, Germany (1946-1947) and his personal and professional life in Vienna, Peiping and Boston (1905-1985.)
Dates
- Creation: 1883-2001
Conditions Governing Access
Access to these papers is governed by the rules and regulations of the Harvard Law School Library. This collection is open to the public, but is housed off-site at Harvard Depository and requires 2 business-day advance notice for retrieval. Consult the Historical and Special Collections staff for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Harvard Law School Library holds copyright on some, but not all, of the material in our collections. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be directed to the Historical and Special Collections staff. Researchers who obtain permission to publish from the Harvard Law School Library are also responsible for identifying and contacting the persons or organizations who hold copyright.
Extent
13.5 linear feet (30 boxes)The papers of Leo Alexander span the years 1883-2001. However, most of the items in this collection fall between the years 1929 and 1947.
The collection includes correspondence, memoranda, trial documents, articles, news clippings, medical research, financial statements, legal documents, telegrams, translated documents, drafts of documents, handwritten notes, personal writings, off-prints, video tapes, photographs, reports, a diary, blueprints, and school notebooks and documents. Many of the documents are in German, with most of the correspondence being in English.
The papers of Leo Alexander relate primarily to his work as a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the Boston City Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Duke University and Peiping Union Medical College. Also included are documents and correspondence from his position as a key medical advisor to the prosecution during the Nuremberg Doctors' Trial. There are also items relating to his personal life in Austria, China and the United States.
The collection includes a visual materials component. For more information, please contact the Curator of Modern Manuscripts.
Historical/Biographical Information
- 1905Born in Vienna, Austria Hungary
- 1929Received doctorate in medicine from University of Vienna
- 1932Moved to Peiping, China to teach psychiatry and neurology at Peiping Union Medical College
- 1933Emigrated to the United States of America
- 1934Appointed to positions at Boston City Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Boston State Hospital.
- 1936Married Phyllis Harrington
- 1941-1946Associate Professor Neuropsychiatry at Duke University
- 1942Appointed Colonel, Medical Corps, US Army, 8th Air Force Medical Intelligence - active duty
- 1946-1947Acted as US Medical Consultant to Secretary of War and US Chief Counsel for War Crimes during te Nuremberg Doctors' Trial, Nuremberg, Germany
- 1972Received the Gold Medal Award of the Society of Biological Psychiatry
- 1985Died in Weston, MA
- 1905
- Born in Vienna, Austria Hungary
- 1929
- Received doctorate in medicine from University of Vienna
- 1932
- Moved to Peiping, China to teach psychiatry and neurology at Peiping Union Medical College
- 1933
- Emigrated to the United States of America
- 1934
- Appointed to positions at Boston City Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Boston State Hospital.
- 1936
- Married Phyllis Harrington
- 1941-1946
- Associate Professor Neuropsychiatry at Duke University
- 1942
- Appointed Colonel, Medical Corps, US Army, 8th Air Force Medical Intelligence - active duty
- 1946-1947
- Acted as US Medical Consultant to Secretary of War and US Chief Counsel for War Crimes during te Nuremberg Doctors' Trial, Nuremberg, Germany
- 1972
- Received the Gold Medal Award of the Society of Biological Psychiatry
- 1985
- Died in Weston, MA
Series List/Description
- Series I> Nuremberg Materials, 1939-1947
- ___Subseries A. Trial Documents, 1942-1947
Includes documents used as evidence, photographs and a VHS copy of the trial. Items are arranged alphabetically by title.
- ___Subseries B. Correspondence, 1939-1947
Includes letters and memoranda from family, fellow members of the prosecution team and various Nazi officials involved in the trial. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent's last name.
- ___Subseries C. Articles and Memoranda, 1945-1947
Includes articles, off-prints and a diary, all of which are related to the Nuremberg Doctors' Trial, wartime Germany or human experimentation. Arranged alphabetically by title.
- Series II> Personal, 1883-1999
- ___Subseries A. Personal Life, 1927-1996
Includes school documents, vacation information, notebooks, family records and personal financial records. Arranged alphabetically by subject andthen chronologically.
- ___Subseries B.Correspondence, 1931-1944
Includes letters to and from family and close friends. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent’s last name.
- ___Subseries C. Photographs, undated.
Includes photographs taken during his years in Vienna, Austria, his military service and family life. Arranged by subject.
- Series III. Professional, 1927-1999
- ___Subseries A. Correspondence, 1927-1996
Includes letters and memoranda from fellow doctors and professional organizations. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent's last name.
- ___Subseries B. Research, 1931-1944
- ___Subseries C. Photographs, undated
Includes miscellaneous medical research photographs and medical school faculty photos. Arranged chronologically.
- ___Subseries D. Miscellaneous, 1929-1999
Includes business cards, professional conference programs, medical school course offerings and staff as well as a publications list. Arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.
- Series IV. Articles and Clippings, 1905-20011905-2001
Includes articles, newspaper andmagazine clippings and off-prints regarding medical research in thefields of neurology, psychology, human experimentation and medicalethics. Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Physical Location
Harvard Depository
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Cecily Alexander Grable in 2007.
Processing Information
Processed by Allison Thompson, December 2011
Topical
- Human experimentation in medicine--Law and legislation--Germany.
- Human experimentation in medicine--Germany--History--20th century
- Medical sciences--Research--Moral and ethical aspects
- Neurology--Research
- Neuropsychiatry--Research--Germany
- Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946
- War crime trials--Germany--Nuremberg--History--20th century.
- Zhongguo xie he yi ke da xue (Peiping Union Medical College)
- Title
- Alexander, Leo. Papers, 1883-2001: Finding Aid
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- law00257
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard Law School Library, Historical & Special Collections Repository
Harvard Law School Library's Historical & Special Collections (HSC) collects, preserves, and makes available research materials for the study of the law and legal history. HSC holds over 8,000 linear feet of manuscripts, over 100,000 rare books, and more than 70,000 visual images.
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