Thomas Salmon MD Papers, 1897 - 1963

Summary

Creator:
Salmon, Thomas W. (Thomas William), 1876-1927
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of Thomas Salmon, who was a leading pioneer in the field of mental hygiene. The collection is missing information, including series, and needs to be reprocessed.
Extent:
7 boxes 3.71 linear feet
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the papers of Thomas Salmon, who was a leading pioneer in the field of mental hygiene. The collection is missing information, including series, and needs to be reprocessed.

Biographical / historical:

Thomas William Salmon (1876-1927) was born in Lansingburg, New York, on January 6, 1876. After graduating from Lansingburg Academy, he taught school for two years and then attended Albany Medical College, receiving his degree in 1899. He practiced medicine until his untimely death on August 13, 1927 in a drowning accident while sailing on the Long Island Sound. Surviving were his wife of more than 27 years, Helen Potter Ashley, and their six children.

Dr. Salmon was a leading pioneer in the field of mental hygiene. His first position was as bacteriologist studying an epidemic of diphtheria at Willard State Hospital for the Insane in Ovid, New York. His interest in psychiatry was kindled at Willard while working with Dr. William L. Russell, already a leader in the field. In 1903, Dr. Salmon accepted a commission in the United States Marine Hospital Service (the present United States Public Health Service) and became especially interested in the sailors who were patients at the U.S.M.H.S. general hospitals, which led him to advocate for a hospital for deep sea fishermen.

One of his most notable achievements on the P.H.S. was the establishment of the Ellis Island psychiatric service for immigrants. In 1905, Dr. Salmon was assigned to the immigration service and worked there for the next six years. In 1911, at the request of the New York State Commission in Lunacy, he was given a leave of absence from the service in order to serve as chief medical examiner of the New York State Board of Alienists. Because of his work with immigrants and the New York State Board, Dr. Salmon became director of special studies of the National Committee for Mental Hygiene in 1912. In 1915, the National Committee could afford to hire him permanently, so Dr. Salmon resigned from the Public Health Service, from which he had been on leave since 1912, and became the medical director of the National Committee.

During the First World War, Dr. Salmon did what he considered to be his most important work. He developed a plan for, and then implemented, the organization of neuropsychiatric units for the Army and the Navy. The goals of these units were the prevention or early treatment of mental disorders in the military services and the elimination of mentally disordered recruits.

After the war, Dr. Salmon became involved in academic psychiatry. He accepted a position as professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. As a professor, he carried through the plans of creating a psychiatric institute in conjunction with the University by founding the State Psychiatric Institute at Columbia. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Salmon was a member of leading national and New York societies of neurology and psychiatry and was a president of the American Psychiatric Association and the New York Psychiatrical Society. He was the author of one book and numerous journal articles.

Acquisition information:
Unknown.

Access and use

Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions on this material.

Terms of access:

Written permission must be obtained from the Oskar Diethelm Library and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Location of this collection:
DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry: History, Policy and the Arts
Weill Cornell Medical College
525 East 68th Street, Box 140
New York, NY 10065, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
212-746-3728