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Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Pennsylvania State Archives
Records of the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Series Descriptions
The first building of what became the Marcy State Hospital, formerly known as the Pittsburgh City Tuberculosis Sanatorium, opened for patients on September 15, 1915. The Sanatorium was turned over to the State in 1957 and became affiliated with the Department of Health. In October 1974, the facility was reconstituted as a rehabilitation center for the mentally retarded and responsibility for the institution was placed under the Department of Public Welfare. The hospital closed on June 30, 1982.
1916.
(1 folder)
{series #23.209}
Contract to erect a sleeping pavilion for Pittsburgh's poor children suffering from tuberculosis.
Construction contract prepared by Pittsburgh City Architect John P. Brennan and entered into by the Haven of Rest Association and L.H. Fellabom, Contractor and Builder, on August 14, 1916 for construction of the first building of the tuberculosis sanitorium at Pittsburgh. This is a standard published contract labeled as one of the "The Standard Documents of the American Institute of Architects." Such contracts could be tailored to the particular requirements of any situation. Information given includes title and location of the project, the name and address of the architect, the name of the owner, the name of the builder, the date the contract was signed, the length of the contract, and conditions of the contract, and the agreed price to be paid for completion. Elevations, floor plans, and sewage arrangements are not included in this series.
1965, 1974-1982.
(1 folder)
{series #23.210}
Unarranged.
Articles, press releases, and newspaper clippings documenting both the opening and closing of the C. Howard Marcy State Hospital. The first building of the institution, formerly known the Pittsburgh City Tuberculosis Sanatorium, was opened for patients on September 15, 1915. When the Sanatorium opened, tuberculosis was among the leading causes of death. The Sanatorium was turned over to the State in 1957 and affiliated with the Department of Health. The accreditation of the Pittsburgh State Tuberculosis Hospital is found within these records. The certificate outlines all the criteria that the hospital had to meet to receive accreditation and was granted October 15, 1958. In October 1974, the facility became reconstituted as a rehabilitation center for the mentally retarded and responsibility for the institution came under the Department of Public Welfare. Though the records allude to the hospital closing, none of the materials contain information on the actual closing which occurred on June 30, 1982.
Human Sexuality Correspondence,
1976-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.211}
Unarranged
Correspondence of the Human Sexuality Committee that was responsible for outlining goals and programs that would assist staff in understanding, and thereby also assist patients in understanding, the sexual behavior of patients. The correspondence consists primarily of inter-office memoranda regarding the policies, organizational structure, activities, and training programs implemented by the Human Sexuality Committee. Some reports issued by or submitted to the committee are included as well. Human Sexuality Policy, 1980. (1 folder) {series #23.212}. A policy statement prepared by the Human Sexuality Committee declaring that the purpose of C. Howard Marcy State Hospital was to prepare mentally retarded adults for community living. The Human Sexuality policy outlines goals and programs designed to assist their staff in establishing guidelines to restrict the behavior of residents.
1979.
(1 folder)
{series #23.213}
A policy outline designed by the Infection Control Committee of the C. Howard Marcy State Hospital. It documents the names of personnel selected to serve on the Infection Control Committee, sets the number of required meetings per year, identifies the persons who recorded and kept the minutes, describes the responsibilities of the members, outlines the kind of communicable diseases reported and the methods used to report them, the committee's objectives for reducing the number of infections, and he policies concerning pre-employment and follow-up physical examinations required of health care workers.
Minutes of the Advisory Committee of the Haven of Rest,
1908-1916.
(1 folder)
{series #23.214}
Unarranged.
Minutes, correspondence, and written appeals for donations documenting the grassroots efforts by the citizens of Pittsburgh to provide for the growing number tuberculosis victims through the Haven of Rest. In addition to the minutes and correspondence of the advisory committee, there are also various lists containing the names of subscribers who donated money or participated in fund drives.
Minutes of the Human Sexuality Committee,
1977-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.215}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.Some records are out of order.
Minutes of the Human Sexuality Committee that was formed to assist staff members in recognizing and understanding the sexual behavior of residents so that the staff could better serve the resident population in dealing with the sexual behavior of residents. Information found includes the minutes, agendas, and summaries of discussions that took place in the committee. The committee established guidelines for sex education, set policies with regard to sexual topics, scheduled educational workshops including films and in-service training, and resolved problems involving inappropriate sexual behavior. Examples of issues discussed include birth control, respecting the privacy of residents, and disease prevention.
Minutes of Infection Control Committee,
1975-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.216}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.
Minutes of the meetings of the Infection Control Committee documenting efforts to record and tabulate all hospital infections affecting patients and personnel, to correct failures in the hospital's isolation procedures promptly; and to establish policies for preventing the outbreak of infections. Information found in the minutes includes the names of committee members, a summary of the business transacted, reports on communicable disease outbreaks, and summaries of discussions concerning strategies for preventing and controlling outbreaks.
Minutes of Internal Management Review Committee,
1977-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.217}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting. Some records are out of order.
Minutes of the Internal Management Review Committee that was established as an internal auditing entity having purview of all aspects of the hospital's operation with the assistance and involvement of professionals from a number of disciplines. The minutes include the names of the members present, the date and time of the meeting, a summary of the discussions concerning violations of regulations and similar topics. Also present are supporting memoranda and reports prepared by the committee.
1975-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.218}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting. Some records are out of order.
Minutes of the labor management meetings conducted by an interdisciplinary committee concerning issues arising between management and staff. Information found includes the names of the committee member present, date and time of the meeting, the location of the meeting, the agenda, and a summary of the discussion and business transacted. The types of issues discussed include union involvement, vacations, holidays and sick days, job classifications and reclassifications, workman's compensation, absenteeism, position vacancies, the hospital budget, furloughs and bumping procedures, and other issues effecting the employees.
1975-1980.
(1 folder)
{series #23.219}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.Some records are out of order.
Minutes of the Library Committee that was formed to establish, maintain and enhance the hospital library for the enjoyment and education of the residents. Topics discussed included the availability federal grant money; construction and renovation to provide space for the library; the acquisition of reading, video, and audio materials, methods of staffing the library, and the purchase of supplies and furniture.
Minutes of the Linen Control Committee,
1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.220}
Minutes of the Linen Control Committee that was formed to develop a program to maintain tighter control over the hospital's linens. Information provided includes the names of committee members present, the date and time of the meeting, and a summary of the discussions.
Minutes of the Medical Appraisal Committee,
1975-1979.
(1 folder)
{series #23.221}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.Some records are out of order.
Minutes of the committee established to evaluate, update, design, and enforce the proper use of medical records at C. Howard Marcy State Hospital. Records were monitored to guarantee that they were maintained accurately and concisely by means of periodic random reviews of patients' charts at the meetings. The minutes include the names of the committee members, the date and time the meeting was held, and a brief narrative description of the proceedings.
Minutes of the Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee,
1974-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.222}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.
Minutes of the committee concerned with monitoring the use of medication, maintaining accurate medical charts, ascertaining the types of medication that cause problems, distributing medicine to patients in a timely manner, and administering the dispensing of medication through the pharmacy. The type of information that can be obtained from the records includes the names of members on the committee, the date and time of the meeting, the where the meeting was held, and a narrative description of the discussion.
Minutes of the Research Committee,
1976-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.223}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting. Some records are out of order.
Minutes, memoranda, research guidelines, and policies of the Research Committee that was established to promote academic investigation and also charged with the obligation of safeguarding the rights of the resident population with regard to research involving patients. Approval had to be granted by this committee before any academic investigation involving either direct or indirect use of human subjects was conducted. Information found includes the names of members attending the meetings, a summary of discussions concerning research proposals and of other business transacted.
Minutes of the Resident Food Committee,
1976.
(1 folder)
{series #23.224}
Minutes of the Resident Food Committee that was established to provide residents an opportunity to offer suggestions as to their dietary preferences. Information found includes a list of members' names and an account of the topics discussed at the meeting.
Minutes of the Safety Committee,
1974-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.225}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.
Minutes of the Safety Committee that was created to ensure a safer environment for employees and patients by recognizing potentially hazardous situations, recommending remedial actions, and maintaining a continued interest in safety by all employees. Information provided includes the names of the members of the committee present, the number of accidents that occurred during the preceding month, reports on initial and updated accident investigations, discussions concerning both potential and actual accidents, and a description of the actions taken to correct safety problems.
Minutes of the Utilization Review Committee,
1975-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.226}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of meeting.
Minutes Patients of the Utilization Review Committee that was created to recommend more effective treatment programs. Some patients were recommended to be transferred to other institutions. This series is not a written narrative, but a listing of patients affected by the utilization review process and provides the names of the committee members and their titles, the case numbers of residents reviewed, the case numbers of residents discharged from the hospital, the total number of deaths and the total number of residents used in the Medical Care Evaluation Studies.
Payroll Vouchers, Salary Schedules and Appropriations,
1916-1947.
(1 folder)
{series #23.227}
Arranged chronologically by date.These records are not inclusive.
Payroll vouchers, salary schedules, and budget appropriations documenting the salaries of the staff at the City of Pittsburgh Tuberulosis Hospital. The payroll vouchers provide the name and position of the employee, the monthly or daily pay rate, the gross and net earnings, and any deductions. The salary schedule lists the annual salary paid for each hospital position. Budget appropriations reveal the amounts allocated to each account number and cover the years 1946 and 1947. Also included is an Appropriation Schedule for the City of Pittsburgh for 1946 that includes the amounts allocated to the various offices, bureaus, departments and divisions.
1959.
(1 folder, 1 flat box)
{series #23.228}
Arranged by size. The two oversized prints are contained within a flat box, while the 8"x10" and 3.5"x 3.5" are stored in a folder.
Black and white photographs of the C. Howard Marcy State Hospital. Among the items found are thirty-three 8"x10"prints depicting the staff going about their duties and resident activities around the hospital and views of the buildings, grounds and community. Twenty-one 3.5"x3.5" prints and negatives depict buildings and the grounds surrounding the facility. There is one oversized print of a ca.1930s aerial view of the buildings and grounds that is labeled "compliments of Meadow Gold Dairies, Inc. V.L Hubbard, Pres." An undated oversized panoramic print depicting some of the hospital's buildings and courtyard bears the caption "opened September 1915".
1919-1968.
(4 volumes)
{series #23.229}
Arranged chronologically by date of publication.
This series contains the following volumes:
* Public Health Laws of the City of Pittsburgh, School of Law, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,1950. An published annotated compilation of the laws, regulations and ordinances of the State of Pennsylvania and the City of Pittsburgh governing the administration of public health in Pittsburgh.
* The Administrative Code of 1929. Published by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Legislative Reference Bureau, Bulletin no. 36 (revised). Act of April 9, 1929, P.L. 177, and Amendments, including laws of 1957, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1957.
* Isolation in a Tuberculosis Hospital, [ca. 1961]. A Manual submitted to the Division of Tuberculosis Control Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from C. Howard Marcy State Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
* Tuberculosis Control, Allegheny County Health Department, 1969. A Manual for nurses in the Tuberculosis Control program.
Resident Worker Committee Policies,
1979.
(1 folder)
{series #23.230}
The contents of this folder are missing. A slip of paper dated 1979 says that the contents were removed by a Marcy State Hospital staff member and it appears that they were never returned.
Safety Committee Correspondence,
1975-1981.
(1 folder)
{series #23.231}
Arranged in reverse chronological order by date of correspondence.
Correspondence concerning efforts to promote a safer environment for employees and patients. The Safety Committee sought to identify potentially hazardous situations, recommended remedial action, and promoted a continued interest in safety by all employees. The correspondence primarily consists of inter-office memoranda, procedures concerning the proper use and repair of equipment, staff safety training, and policies concerning proper attire. Pittsburgh State Tuberculosis Hospital Accreditation, 1958. (1 item) The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals of the United States and Canada has accredited Pittsburgh State Tuberculosis Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which has complied with the standard for hospitals of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. The certificate outlines all the criteria that hospital had to meet to receive accreditation. The certificate was granted on October 15, 1958.
In 1804 the overseers for the city of Pittsburgh established the first home for the care of paupers located on the south side of the city. In 1818, an increase in the size of the indigent population resulted in the construction of the Allegheny City Almshouse that continued in operation until 1848. On September 1, 1846, the overseers of the city of Pittsburgh purchased 102.5 acres of land along the Monongahela River at Homestead in Mifflin township. The City Poor Farm at Homestead constructed upon this tract opened in 1852 and by 1879 a separate building was erected for treatment of the insane. Once again, overcrowding forced the hospital to relocate and in 1892 construction on a new institution named Marshalsea began in South Fayette Township at Upper St. Clair. In response to the need for adequate medical care for inmates, a general hospital was also erected at this site in 1909. Allegheny City, located on Pittsburgh's North Side, also maintained an institution for the poor and insane at Claremont that later became known as Blawnox. When Allegheny City became part of the city of Pittsburgh on December 6, 1907 the patients of Claremont were transferred to Marshalsea. By 1916, the State Legislature gave its consent to change the name of the hospital from Marshalsea to the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital at Mayview. In accordance with an act of 1938 that required the state to take over all institutions for the care of the mentally ill,the State of Pennsylvania took control of the mental section (Mayview State Hospital) in 1941. The City of Pittsburgh continued to operate the Pittsburgh City Home at Mayview that served the indigent. In March 1973, the Department of Public Welfare made plans to move patients judged to be criminally insane from Fairview State Hospital to Mayview. In 1982, an adolescent center was transferred from Woodville State Hospital to Mayview. During the closing of Dixmont State Hospital in 1984, the deaf unit was transferred to Mayview. As of 1998, Mayview State Hospital is still in operation.
Admission Book of the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home,
1911-1916.
(1 volume)
{series #23.232}
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Admissopn book documenting admissions to the Insane Department of the Pittsburgh North Side City Home. Information given is the patient's name, age, race, gender, social class, place of birth, marital status, former place of residence, previous register number, name of the person who ordered the commitment, the nature of the mental disorder, the date of admission, the date of discharge and/or death, and the reason for discharge where applicable.
1925-1941.
(3 volumes)
{series #23.233} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Registers documenting the admission of patients into Mayview State Hospital. Information includes the patient's name, case number, age, gender, date of admission, and the name of the person who ordered the commitment. Additional information found in the register entries dated prior to September 24, 1929 is race and marital status.
1876-1884.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.234} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Registers documenting the admission of destitute people to the almshouse. Information given includes the person's name, age, gender, marital status, place of birth, any foreign countries in which they may have traveled, religious affiliation, race, occupation, former address, date of admission, date of discharge or death, the name of facility from which transferred, length of residence in the Pittsburgh area, the number and ages of any dependents, and the circumstances surrounding their arrival at the Alms House.
Alphabetical Admission and Discharge Register,
1850-1881.
(1 volume)
{series #23.235} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged alphabetically by surname of patient and thereunder chronologically by date of admission.
Register documenting admissions and discharges of the hospital. Information includes the patient's name, age, place of birth, and admission and discharge dates. A remarks column occasionally provides information regarding the circumstances of the admission and discharge. There is no column designated for race but such annotations as "col'd" identify African-American patients.
Case Book of Allegheny City Farm,
1884-1887.
(1 volume)
{series #23.236} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of patient.
Case book documenting the history of patients from the time of admission until the time of release at Allegheny City Farm. The book contains a series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a consistent fashion and primarily consist of observations of the results rather than descriptions of the treatments applied. Information generally given includes the patient's name, age, gender, color, place of birth, marital, status, date of admission; condition upon admittance, and the presumed cause of illness.
Case Books of Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital,
1879-1912.
(23 volumes)
{series #23.237} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Case books documenting the history of patients from the time of admission until the time of release from the Pittsburgh City Home and Hospital. The books contain a series of entries made on different dates charting the medical progress of patients. The entries are not made in a regular fashion and primarily consist of observations of results rather than descriptions of treatments applied. Information generally given includes the patient's name, age, gender, date of birth, race, place of birth, occupation, marital status, patient case number, names and nativity of parents, an assessment of the patient's physical and mental condition, and a statement of diagnosis.
1939-1956.
(3 volumes)
{series #23.238} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of death.
Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of patient.
Death registers containing certificates of death issued for patients at Mayview State Hospital. Information provided may include name, age, usual residence, gender, race, marital status, date and place of birth, occupation, names of parents, length of time at the hospital, age of spouse, date and cause of death, and date and place of cremation, burial or removal.
1879-1884.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.239} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Patient history books documenting the medical history of patients and their families. Information may include patient's name, age, gender, nativity, race, place of residence, educational level, marital status and length of time married, number of children, age of youngest child, occupation, religious affiliation, parent's place of residence and nativity, the reason for the commitment, the duration of the insanity, details concerning the attacks, personal habits, dates of admission and discharge, and the name of the person who committed the patient.
Register of Discharges and Deaths,
1950-1958.
(1 volume)
{series #23.240} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of discharge or death.
A record of persons who were discharged from or died in the Mayview State Hospital. Information found includes the patient's name, gender, case number, discharge and/or death number, condition at time of discharge, any observed results of treatment, and disposition notes regarding the discharge of patients. Totals are given for each month and year.
| PA State Archives | Hours, Directions, & Fees | Research Topics | Finding Aids for Collections | Land Records |