William and Charlotte Kaufman Papers, 1911-2005 (majority within 1932-2002)

Summary

Creator:

Kaufman, William, 1910- and Kaufman, Charlotte

Abstract:

William Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D (Physiology), discovered that niacinamide (vitamin B-3) can effectively treat symptoms in arthritic patients. This collection documents Kaufman's niacinamide research, his work as an author of academic and popular medical articles, and his personal life. William's wife's, Charlotte (Schnee) Kaufman's papers are also included, especially those relating to the Family Life Film Center of Connecticut.

Extent:

38 boxes, 5 oversize drawers (approximately 45 linear feet)

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Sally Vermaaten

Background

Scope and Content:

The William and Charlotte Kaufman Papers document many facets of both William and Charlotte Kaufman's professional and personal lives. The collection has been arranged into fourteen series: Niacinamide, Other Medical Topics, Other Writings, General Correspondence, Professional Organizations, Personal, Charlotte Kaufman, Patient Records, Computer disks, Artwork, Audiovisual, Slides, Photographs and Negatives, and Realia.

William Kaufman's research in the therapeutic use of niacinamide and its effect on arthritis is documented by professional correspondence, correspondence with interested members of the public, patient records, published and unpublished writings, notes, photographs and negatives, and relevant writings by others. Kaufman's involvement in various medical organizations and his work as an author of popular and academic articles are also well represented. Drafts of plays and poems, an autobiography, sketchbooks, and paintings show William's creative work as an amateur artist, playwright, and poet. Papers relating to Kaufman's personal life are also present in the collection.

Material relating to Charlotte Kaufman mostly stems from her work as Executive Director of the Family Life Film Center of Connecticut, Inc. A wide range of materials document the workings of the Film Center: correspondence, leaflets, memos, discussion notes, training materials, posters, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Charlotte's activity in other community organizations and her personal life are represented by photographs, schoolwork, biographical material, creative writings, invitations, newspaper clippings, and correspondence.

Series Level Scope and Contents Notes:

The Niacinamide series consists of approximately 4.5 linear feet and provides insight not only into Kaufman's research and writing on niacinamide as a therapy for arthritis but also into his research's impact and general reception. This series includes data such as charts and summary results, but please note that some niacinamide study data is in other parts of the collection: forms recording individual patients' joint measurements are in the Patient Records series and are mostly restricted due to the presence of personally identifiable health information; a significant number of photos, slides, and negatives of Kaufman's patients who participated in the niacinamide studies are part of the Photographs and Negatives series and many of these visual materials are also restricted.

Niacinamide correspondence constitutes the largest group of material in the Niacinamide series and this correspondence is subdivided into three groups: professional correspondence and name files (exchanges with doctors and other health care providers, companies, government agencies, etc.); requests for niacinamide or arthritis advice or treatment testimonials from members of the public; and simple requests and delivery confirmations for Kaufman's articles and books on niacinamide. The professional correspondence includes exchanges between Kaufman and important medical figures such as Linus Pauling, Abram Hoffer, Jonathan Wright, Andrew Saul, and others. Researchers interested in Kaufman's niacinamide work may also want to consult the General Correspondence series as it contains a small amount of correspondence mentioning niacinamide.

The Niacinamide series documents Kaufman's niacinamide work in several other ways: through drafts, publications, notes, press notices on Kaufman's two monographs, material related to Kaufman winning the Tom D. Spies Award, as well as material related to Kaufman's role in a 1942-1943 study at the Bridgeport Brass Company, in which workers were given vitamin supplements and the effect on their overall health and mental state was assessed.

The Other Medical Topics series is composed of roughly 2 linear feet of material directly related to Kaufman's medical writings (those not about niacinamide). The writings cover a wide range of topics, from electrocardiography to psychosomatic eating problems and are intended for a wide range of audiences, from medical specialists to members of the public. Drafts, copies of Kaufman's publications, and notes make up the bulk of the series. There is also correspondence, published background material, drafts, and notes related to the Béla Schick Festschrift (1958) , which Kaufman edited, and about the Lowenfeld Mosaic Test (the test, which consists of a set of colored plastic shapes that the subject is supposed to arrange into a pleasing pattern, is part of the Realia series).

Other Writings consists of about 6 feet of mostly unpublished material directly related to Kaufman's writings that are neither medical nor niacinamide-related in subject. They are divided into four subseries: creative writing, money, autobiography, and miscellaneous.

The creative writing subseries consists of drafts, publications, and notes and fragments of Kaufman's short stories, poems, plays, and novels. This subseries also contains a small amount of correspondence and other material related to Kaufman's efforts to publish and publicize his creative writings.

Kaufman's interest in money led to the publication of a few articles, most notably "Some Emotional Uses of Money," primarily about what Kaufman termed "psycho-economic behavior." The money subseries contains drafts, publications, notes, source material for Kaufman's articles, and an unpublished book on money. The subseries also includes letters expressing readers' reactions to Kaufman's money pieces, as well as requests for advice.

Two draft versions and some notes and fragments of William Kaufman's autobiography, Snippets , make up the autobiography subseries. The miscellaneous subseries consists of drafts, notes, and publicity on writings of Kaufman's that don't fall into any of the above categories (i.e. are neither medical, nor creative pieces, nor money-related), for example, an opinion piece on writing obituaries .

The General Correspondence series (roughly 3 linear feet) is divided into two groups: personal correspondence between William and Charlotte Kaufman and general correspondence (correspondence that doesn't primarily concern niacinamide, the business of William's professional organizations, or William's employment) between William and others.

The correspondence between William and Charlotte Kaufman spans their relationship from their first meeting in Ann Arbor in 1936 until just before William's death in 2001. The early correspondence also includes a fair amount of attachments, including creative writings by both William and Charlotte, letters from others, and some sketches by William. The bulk of the letters date from 1938 and 1939, the years just before Charlotte and William were married. Their correspondence is arranged chronologically by, but not within, year.

The general correspondence subseries ranges in subject from personal to medical and includes correspondence with: Dave Brubeck, Luke Bucci, Rodrigo Carozo, William Crook, Thomas Dorman, Carlton Fredericks, John Fulton, Anna Freud, Bernard Halpern, David Harley, Fred Hodges, Paul Kallós, Heinz Karger, Sam Kaufman, John Leonard, Marshall Mandell, Theron Randolph, Samuel Schnee, Béla Schick, Nicholas Spinelli, Frank Wilson, and White House staff members during the Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower administrations.

The Professional Organizations series (approximately 1 linear foot) details Kaufman's involvement with various medical organizations, including as American Editor-in-Chief of the International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology , President of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, and in various posts in the American College of Allergists and other organizations. The series consists primarily of correspondence and memos. It also contains programs, menus, schedules, some newspaper clippings, and meeting minutes.

The Personal series consists of about 3 feet of papers that relate to William Kaufman's personal affairs. The material falls in nine groups: biographical, education, employment, family, finances, health, homes, inventions and copyrights, and articles and press releases.

A broad swath of material documents Kaufman's basic personal information. Included are passports, a diary, and Who's Who entry material. William Kaufman's academic achievements are well represented and span from Pottsville High to University of Michigan Medical School to continuing education courses. His academic life is reflected in grades, notes, yearbooks, newspaper clippings related to scholarships and honors, fraternity materials, student identification cards, financial records, graduation programs, and alumni correspondence and reunion materials.

Periods of William Kaufman's employment in hospitals and New York pharmaceutical advertising agencies are documented in memos, drafts of industrial writings (interpretation of FDA regulations, drug labeling, promotion and education, etc.), announcements and press about Kaufman's professional appointments, and other business papers. The family material documents particular episodes in the lives of the Schnee and Kaufman families. These papers were originally grouped together and have been retained in this order. Besides these few groups, all correspondence with members of the Schnee and Kaufman families is part of the General Correspondence and Charlotte Kaufman series.

The remainder of the Personal series is composed of two smaller groups: information related to the selling, buying, rezoning, taxation, and insuring of the Kaufmans' homes; and certificates of copyright, letters patent, legal paperwork, correspondence, and design plans related to the construction of Kaufman's joint measuring instruments.

The Charlotte Kaufman series is 7 linear feet of Charlotte Kaufman's files. The bulk of the series arises from Charlotte Kaufman’s role as Executive Director of the Family Life Film Center of Connecticut (established February 22, 1967). The Family Life Film Center papers overlap with Charlotte’s involvement with other citizens’ groups championing causes such as better schools and better police-community relations. Charlotte’s original topical folder organization, where present, was retained and most folder labels are hers. All dates assigned to the folders are rough bulk dates and not necessarily comprehensive. There is a significant amount of material related to a grant given to the Family Life Film Center by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Social & Rehabilitation Service to conduct a pilot program designed to raise awareness of career options for handicapped individuals.

Also included in the Charlotte series are materials relating to Charlotte's other community activities (such as her involvement with the Alliance Française du Comte de Fairfield), correspondence between Charlotte and other individuals (not related to niacinamide--those letters have been included in the Niacinamide series), and personal materials, which include biographical material, papers relating to Charlotte's education, employment, family, and health. A highlight of the personal Charlotte material is a folder of material about her 1939 trip to Alaska and Charlotte's interest in Alaska becoming a place for resettlement of refugees from Hitler's Europe.

The Patient Records series (one linear foot) consists primarily of joint measurements of and case histories of patients, most likely collected as part of William Kaufman's niacinamide studies in the 1940s. A few patients have more extensive files that may include correspondence or additional charts. Due to the presence of personally identifiable health information, much of the material in this series is closed to researchers and consultation with Special Collections staff is required before accessing this series. Original binder and folder titles have been retained where present. This series contains a few photographs, but most patient photos have been transferred to the Photographs and Negatives series.

The Computer Disks consists mostly of 3.5 inch floppy disks that contain backups of emails and files the Kaufmans had on their home computer. The majority of the disks are indexed and organized in binders and their original order and housing has been retained. The series also includes 3 CDs.

The Artwork series is comprised of William Kaufman’s drawings, sketches, and paintings. This includes a series of mostly black-and-white drawings of imaginary creatures titled “Kaufman’s Kritters.” Documents complementing the artwork are also in this series and include Kaufman’s efforts get his artwork published and his entries into various shows and contests.

The relatively small Audiovisual series is comprised of cassette tapes, including a 1978 interview William Kaumfan did with Carlton Fredericks, and film in various formats including 16mm motion pictures reels, microfilm, and canisters of 36mm film. Among the films is a short film, A Day in the Life of P. T. Barnum, that Charlotte Kaufman produced.

The Slides series consists of a few thousand color slides, including a small number of glass-plate slides. The patient studies slides, which are mostly images of mouths, tongues, eyes, and, to a lesser extent, other body parts, make up the largest part of the series. It is very likely that these slides were produced as part of William Kaufman's niacinamide studies. The patient studies slides are divided into three groups: boxed, sleeved, and glass-plate. All three groups are organized alphabetically by patient name. Most of these patient slides are closed due to the presence of personally identifiable health information. Researchers interested in the slides should consult Special Collections staff. Additionally, there are a small number of personal and other slides.

The Photographs and Negatives series is divided into three subseries: Photographs, Negatives, and Photographs and Negatives (the Photographs and Negatives subseries, while redundant, is used because some photographs were bundled together with their original negatives and these were kept together). All three subseries contain a variety of sizes and formats. The Photographs subseries and the Negatives subseries both include a substantial number of patient images, mostly demonstrating the flexibility of a particular joint. While some of these photographs are restricted (please consult with Special Collections staff if interested), some do not contain personally identifiable information and are open for research. All three subseries contain personal images (which include portraits, images of homes and artwork, as well as travel and conference pictures). The Negatives subseries also encompasses color transparencies, many of which are images associated with the Lowenfeld Mosaic Test .

Finally, the Realia series contains three dimensional artifacts, mostly metal medical instruments that William Kaufman invented and used in his niacinamide studies. In particular, many of the objects are goniometers, or instruments for measuring flexibility. The Lowenfeld Mosaic Test , in its original green case, is also part of this series.

Biographical / Historical:

In the 1940s and 1950s, William Kaufman conducted research showing that megadoses of niacinamide, a form of vitamin B-3, are an effective treatment for some symptoms of arthritis. Linus Pauling would later call Kaufman a "pioneer in vitamin therapy for rheumatism and arthritis" in his book, How to Live Longer and Feel Better . Kaufman was also prolific author who, in addition to his two published monographs, wrote over 80 articles, some for scientific and medical journals and others for popular magazines such as McCall's.

William Kaufman was born December 30, 1910 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania to Leon and Marie Kaufman. Kaufman attended Pottsville Pubic High School and graduated in 1928. In his senior year, he was awarded a Competitive State Examination Scholarship, which he used to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a B.A. in premedical studies in 1931. In the same year, Kaufman began graduate work at the University of Michigan, where would earn three degrees: an M.A. (1932); a Ph.D. in Physiology (1937); and an M.D. cum laude (1938).

While at the University of Michigan, William met his future wife, Charlotte Schnee. Charlotte Schnee was born March 8, 1918, in Bridgeport, Connecticut to Samuel N. and S. Elizabeth (Cohen) Schnee. At the time William and Charlotte met, Charlotte was studying for her B.A. in Journalism, which she earned in 1938. William and Charlotte were married on May 9, 1940.

After receiving his M.D., Kaufman worked as an intern and medical resident, first at Washington University Medical School's Barnes Hospital (1938-1939), then at Mt. Sinai Hospital (1939-1940) in New York City. From 1940 to 1942, Kaufman carried out physiology research at Yale as a Dazian Foundation Fellow and an Emmanuel Libman Fellow. Kaufman then began a private practice in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

It was in his 22 years of private practice that Kaufman conducted the research on niacinamide that he is best known for. Kaufman self-published 2 monographs on niacinamide and arthritis: The Common Form of Niacin Amide Deficiency Disease: Aniacinamidosis (1943) and The Common Form of Joint Dysfunction (1949). The studies were greeted with much enthusiasm in the popular press, but the reaction in the medical community, for whom vitamin therapy was a completely new field, was generally more cautious. Later in his career, when he was awarded the Tom D. Spies Memorial Award by the International Academy of Preventative Medicine, Kaufman revisited and summarized his niacinamide research in the article and lecture, "Niacinamide: A Most Neglected Vitamin."

Throughout his professional life, Kaufman was also active in many medical organizations and served as editor for many years for the International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology . He also served as President of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and as chairman or member of committees in organizations including the American College of Allergists and the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum.

As an author of articles for medical journals and popular magazines, Kaufman addressed a wide range of topics, most notably nutrition, allergies, and psychosomatic illnesses, especially "money sickness," or the mental and physical ills that money anxiety can cause. Kaufman was also an amateur creative writer, penning plays, poems, and short prose pieces.

In 1964, William Kaufman left his private practice to begin a new career as a medical advisor for pharmaceutical advertising companies L. W. Frohlich and Co./Intercon International, Inc. and, afterwards, Klemtner Casey Inc. (later Klemtner Advertising, Inc.). Kaufman retired from his advertising agency work in 1981.

Charlotte Kaufman assisted her husband in his private practice and niacinamide research, participating in patient care as well as aiding William with his writing and research. After William began his medical advertising work in 1964, Charlotte became more active in various local organizations and politics. From 1965 to 1967, Charlotte served as Director of Public Relations for Parents and Friends of Retarded Children in Bridgeport, CT. In 1967 she founded and became the Executive Director of the Family Life Film Center of Connecticut, Inc., which became affiliated with Fairfield University. During her tenure as Executive Director, Charlotte Kaufman developed techniques for discussion of educational films as a means to encourage communication about social issues and to foster understanding between different communities. She also conducted workshops in group dynamics and produced four public service programs and one short film about a Bridgeport public housing complex.

In their retirement, the Kaufmans remained active. William Kaufman continued to correspond with medical professionals and members of the public interested in his niacinamide research. Kaufman also carried on his life-long interests in creative writing, photography, painting, and drawing. In 1989, the Kaufmans moved to Winston-Salem, where Charlotte founded a local community access channel, CAT-TV. In 1997, William and Charlotte established the Dr. William and Charlotte S. Kaufman Endowment Fund at the University of Michigan. William Kaufman died at the age of 90 in Winston-Salem, August 24, 2000. Charlotte Kaufman passed away on February 13, 2005.

Sources:

• Pauling, Linus. How to Live Longer and Feel Better. New York: Avon, 1987, 273-275, 325.
• "William Kaufman," in Marquis Who's Who on the Web, Marquis Who's Who, http://search.marquiswhoswho.com (accessed 9 November 2007).

Acquisition Information:

This collection was donated to the University of Michigan by Charlotte Kaufman from 2002-2004.

Processing information:

processing info

Arrangement:

The William and Charlotte Kaufman Papers largely had no original order. The major exception to this was Charlotte Kaufman's set of alphabetical subject and correspondence files relating to the Family Life Film Center, which has been kept in its original order.

The William and Charlotte Kaufman Papers have been arranged into fourteen series: Niacinamide, Other Medical Topics, Other Writings, General Correspondence, Professional Organizations, Personal, Charlotte Kaufman, Patient Records, Computer disks, Artwork, Audiovisual, Slides, Photographs and Negatives, and Realia.

Summary Contents List:

• 1. Niacinamide – Boxes 1-5, 37, oversize drawer
• 2. Other Medical Topics – Boxes 5-7, 37, oversize drawer
• 3. Other Writings – Boxes 7-13, 37
• 4. General Correspondence – Boxes 13-16, 37
• 5. Professional Organizations – Boxes 16-17, 37, oversize drawer
• 6. Personal – Boxes 17-20, 37
• 7. Charlotte Kaufman – Boxes 20-26, 37
• 8. Patient Records – Boxes 26-27, 37
• 9. Computer disks – Boxes 27-28, 37-38
• 10. Artwork – Box 28, 38, oversize drawers
• 11. Audiovisual – Box 28, 38
• 12. Slides – Boxes 29-32, 38
• 13. Photographs and Negatives – Boxes 33-35, 38, oversize drawer
• 14. Realia – Box 36

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Educational films.
Economics--Psychological aspects.
Deficiency diseases--Diagnosis
Deficiency diseases--Avitaminosis--Vitamin B deficiency.
Joints--Diseases--Arthritis.
Medicine, Psychosomatic.
Medicine--Geriatrics--United States--20th century.
Medicine--Clinical medicine--Therapeutics--Orthomolecular therapy--Vitamin therapy.
Medicine--Diseases--Immunologic diseases--Allergy.
Medicine--Health--Nutrition.
Medicine--Societies, etc.
Physiology--Nutrition.
Vitamin B complex--Niacin--Nicotinamide.

Formats:

Audio cassettes.
Clippings.
Compact discs.
Correspondence.
Drafts.
Drawings.
Manuscripts.
Medical Records.
Photographs.
Photography--negatives.
Slides (photographs).

Names:

Family Life Film Center of Connecticut.
Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine
American College of Allergists
Fairfield University
Family Life Film Center of Connecticut
L. W. Frohlich
Paul Klemtner & Company.
University of Michigan
Brown, Ethan Allen
Brubeck, Dave
Bucci, Luke
Carozo, Rodrigo
Crook, William
Dorman, Thomas A.
Fredericks, Carlton
Fulton, John F. (John Farquhar), 1899-1960
Freud, Anna, 1895-1982
Halpern, Bernard
Harley, David
Hodges, Fred Jenner, 1895-
Hoffer, Abram, 1917-
Jonas, Wayne B.
Kallós, Paul
Karger, Heinz
Kaufman, Samuel
Leonard, John P.
Mandell, Marshall
Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994
Peshkin, Murray, 1925-
Randolph, Theron G.
Saul, Andrew W.
Schnee, Samuel N.
Schick, Béla, 1877-
Spinelli, Nicholas
Wilson, Frank
Wright, Jonathan V.

Places:

Bridgeport (Conn.)