IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 1538 A4
Held at: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Title: Presidents' records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Date(s): 1932-2003
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: 86 boxes
Name of creator(s): Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The President is one of the honorary officers of the College and is elected by Council for a maximum of three years from amongst the College Fellows. The president is ex officio chairman of all College committees and is empowered under the bye-laws to undertake emergency action where it is impossible to summon a meeting of Council or the appropriate committee to deal with such an emergency. Biographical details of the Presidents can be found by consulting Sir John Peel's book The Lives of the Fellows of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 1929-1969, Whitefriars Press Ltd, 1975.
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Records of the Presidents of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 1932-1999, comprising papers of successive presidents of the College, or of files maintained by the College administration and relating to the presidents' transactions with the College. During the early period of the College's history there was no established filing system, and papers of presidents may appear in other series (such as A1), or mixed with personal papers (see the S series). Papers relating to various individuals' activities as officers of the College in a different capacity, such as Honorary Secretary, may also be found mixed with their papers as President.
The files of the presidents cover an enormous field. As well as records concerned with the administrative running of the College, presidents dealt with examinations, overseas matters, fellowship and membership, liaison with other medical bodies and the Department of Health and specific medical concerns such as pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, anaesthesia, contraception, gynaecological conditions and maternity hospitals. There is usually a president's file on any subject of interest or concern to the College.
There are papers for William Blair-Bell, 1936; John Shields Fairbairn, 1932-1936; Sir Ewen John Maclean, 1935-1938; Sir William Fletcher Shaw, 1935-1959; Sir Eardley Holland, 1943-1947; Sir William Gilliatt, 1947-1948; Dame Hilda Lloyd, 1949-1952; Sir Arthur Gemmell, 1952-1955; Sir Charles Read, 1955-1957; Sir Andrew Claye, 1957-1960; Sir Arthur Bell, 1960-1963; Sir Hector Maclennan, 1962-1966; Sir John Peel, 1966-1969; Sir Norman Jeffcoate, 1968-1973; Sir Stanley Clayton, 1970-1976; Sir John Dewhurst, 1971-1978; Sir Anthony Alment, 1971-1981; Sir Rustum Feroze, Sir Malcolm MacNaughton and Sir George Pinker: records relating to overseas affairs, 1969-1989; Sir Rustum Feroze, Sir Malcolm MacNaughton and Sir George Pinker: general correspondence, 1975-1990; Sir Anthony Alment and Sir Rustum Feroze: miscellaneous papers, 1981-1982; Sir Malcolm MacNaughton's papers on the Warnock Report, 1984-1985; Sir Stanley Simmons and Professor Geoffrey Chamberlain: general correspondence, 1990-1995; Sir Stanley Simmons and Professor Geoffrey Chamberlain: records relating to overseas affairs, 1988-1996; circulated copies of Council minutes, Presidents' Letters (later RCOG News) and other documents circulated to Fellows and Members, 1935-1999.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
The records are arranged by president. The internal arrangement of each president's papers varies. For the early presidents almost all of the material is in the form of correspondence which was arranged in roughly alphabetical order by the surname of the correspondent. For later presidents the correspondence is supplemented by an increasing volume of additional material in the form of reports, minutes, agendas and other papers. In these cases, some of the correspondence has been arranged alphabetically according to the surname of the correspondent, whilst the rest has been filed by subject together with related material. Much of the material is of a routine nature (invitations to functions, arrangements for meetings and annual dinners, etc.).
Conditions governing access:
Open 20 years after last date on file.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copyright is vested in the College.
Physical characteristics:
Finding aids:
A general index to the files listed in the catalogue of the Archives of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is maintained in the College Archives; refer to the College Archivist.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Many of the early presidents' papers consist only of miscellaneous items left after the bulk of records were destroyed or placed in other series according to subject matter. Later presidents' correspondence file series were transferred in batches to the Archives over a period of years, appraised by the College Archivist and disposed of following discussions with the presidents' personal assistants and, later, in accordance with Disposal Agreement No 7 between the Archivist and the President's Office. The majority of the files have been extensively weeded to remove duplicates and ephemera.
Accruals:
Further accruals are expected.
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
The bulk of the records were transferred to the College Archives at regular intervals by the President's Personal Assistant.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists holds the bulk of Blair-Bell's correspondence as President in the artificially created series relating to the founding of the College (Reference: A1); personal papers, which may include some presidential papers, of Sir Stanley Clayton, President 1972-1975, (Reference: S11), of Sir Norman Jeffcoate, President 1969-1972, (Reference: S28) and of William Fletcher Shaw, President 1938-1943 (Reference: S34); photographs of presidential portraits (Reference: PH1P).
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Compiled by Clare Cowling, revised by Julie Tancell as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.
Date(s) of descriptions: November 2002