5. 1943 May 13, 1943

File — Box: 4, Folder: 5

Scope and Contents

From the Record Group: The records of the Babies' Hospital of Philadelphia, spanning 1911 to 1960, consist of minutes and committee reports; correspondence of Philip Dechert, President of the Babies' Hospital; a history of the Babies' Hospital with a typescript staff manual; and printed annual reports. The collection documents the history of the hospital from its inception in 1911 to its dissolution in 1948, and provides detailed records of its finances, activities, and programs.

Series 1.1 contains an minute book, spanning 1912 to 1916, from the Ladies' Committee of the Babies' Hospital.

Series 1.2 consists primarily of minutes from the Board of Managers, spanning 1912 to 1950, and minutes of the Executive Committee, spanning 1912 to 1921. These minutes contain reports from various committees, including the Finance and Property Committee, the Social Service Committee, and the Publicity Committee. Also present are reports and minutes of the Comprehensive Plans Committee, which was responsible for selecting and purchasing a lot for the construction of the new Health Center Building.

In January 1918, a Special Re Organization and Scope Committee elected to change the by laws and re structure the organization. New committees were formed, including the Finance and Purchase Committee, the Entertainment and Publicity Committee, the Medical Administration Committee, the Property and Building Committee, and the Business Administration Committee. Series 1.2 includes both minutes and reports from these committees.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the minutes of the Board of Managers become more extensive and highly statistical. The minutes from each month contain an extensive financial report from the treasurer, the Report of the Superintendent, and Hospital and Dispensary Reports, which provide detailed statistics on the hospital and its programs. Also included in Series 1.2 are minutes and notes from 1944 that probably belonged to Philip Dechert; the minutes are marked with Dechert's holograph notes.

Series 1.3 contains minutes from annual meetings of the corporation, always held in May, and typescript copies of the annual reports for the years 1939 to 1948.

Series 2 contains the 1944-1945 correspondence of Philip Dechert, President of the Babies' Hospital of Philadelphia. Included are original incoming letters and typescript carbon copies of Dechert's outgoing letters. Dechert corresponded with officers of the Babies' Hospital, including Superintendent Emily P. H. Talbot; Vice President Howard A. Loeb; Secretary and Treasurer George E. Nehrbas; Chairman of the Medical Administration Committee, Norris W. Vaux; and Henderson Supplee, Jr. In addition to general topics concerning the Babies' Hospital, the correspondence includes materials relating to a study of public health nursing services rendered in Southern Philadelphia.

Series 3 contains published annual reports (1916, 1922, and 1925) of the Babies' Hospital. The reports contain numerous manuscript notes; it appears that these copies were marked in order to plan the annual report for the following year. Series 3 also includes a typescript history of the hospital with a staff manual, probably designed for visiting nurses.