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Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Bureau of Archives and History
Pennsylvania State Archives
RG-23
Records of the DEPARTMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE
Series Descriptions
Office of Mental Retardation
Map Directory of State and Semi-State
Institutions of Pennsylvania,
1923.
{series #23.374}
Published by the Public Charities Association of Pennsylvania. Map gives locations for state general hospitals, tuberculosis sanatoriums, mental health clinics, mental hospitals, schools and villages for mental defectives, schools for deaf and blind, homes for soldiers and sailors or their orphans, state penitentiaries, and training schools.
Mental Health News,
1961, circa 1960s-1970s.
(2 folders)
{series #23.375}
One issue, July 1961 (volume 2, number 5),
of a publication of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Articles focus on state-wide
organizations and institutions whose efforts are devoted to mental health issues.
**Unprocessed materials in this series include: accession #2765, circa 1960s-1970s
(1 folder)**
Miscellaneous Photographs,
undated.
(2 folders)
{series #23.376}
Unarranged.
The first folder contains three black and white photographs of male college students volunteering with residents, as well as approximately thirty color photographs of a carnival for residents and what appears to be a conference.
Folder two contains four black and white 8x10 photographs of a bell chorus performing at the State Museum in Harrisburg.
Miscellaneous Reports,
1967-1997.
(6 folders)
{series #23.377}
Arranged randomly.
Reports from the Office of Mental Retardation relating to efforts for reforming Pennsylvania's mental retardation policies. Beginning with documents from 1967-1976 that record the move from institutional care to community-based living, these file also contain several published plans for programs from the Casey and Ridge administrations.
Documents and Correspondence Relating to Community Homes, 1967-1976. (1 folder)
Everyday Lives Plan Reports, 1991-1993. (1 folder)
Final Report of the Select Senate Committee for the Investigation of the Care of theMentally Retarded in Pennsylvania, 1982. (1 folder)Multi-Year Plan for Pennsylvania’s Mental Retardation Service System, 1997. (1 folder)
The Pennsylvania Journal on Positive Approaches, 1997. (1 folder)
Pennsylvania Message
from Pennsylvania Association of Retarded Citizens,
1966-1986.
(3 folders)
{series #23.378}
Arranged chronologically.
Quarterly issues of "a newspaper for those interested in the welfare of retarded children," published by the Pennsylvania Association of Retarded Citizens. Articles highlight mental health issues, as well as the organizational efforts of the national, state, and local ARC.
Folder one contains: March 1966, May 1967, April 1968-December 1969, April 1970, Autumn 1970, May 1971, Summer 1971, March 1972, June 1972.
Folder two contains: September 1978, December 1979-September 1980, March 1981-December 1982.
Folder three contains: April 1983-Winter 1984, Summer 1986, Winter 1986.
Scrapbooks,
1977-1983.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.379}
Books contain news clippings related to various state hospitals and mental health topics in general. Volume one covers 1977-1979, while volume two continues to 1983.
Altoona CenterA Community Decides: A Need and
Feasibility Study with Addendum,
1974.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.380}
Volume one is a joint report of nearly two-hundred pages submitted by the Community Ad-Hoc Committee on the Altoona Restoration Center, the staff of Pennsylvania Health Research Institute, and the Executive Director of the Comprehensive Health Planning Council of the Southern Alleghenies, Inc. acting as project coordinator. These three groups studied the problem of the most appropriate use for the Altoona Restoration Center, originally built by the state as an institution for mentally retarded patients in a period when Pennsylvania's mental retardation policies were moving away from institutional care.
Volume two, an addendum to the original report, is a financial feasibility study for funding the proposed plan.
Ebensburg CenterBrochure on the Ebensburg State
School and Hospital,
1970.
(1 folder)
{series #23.381}
A brochure describing admission policies, history, and organization of the school and hospital.
Court Documents for United States
V. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Ebensburg Center,
1996.
(1 folder)
{series #23.382}
Court brief summarizing issues and arguments
of case 95-3541 in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit,
involving a constitutional challenge to conditions at the Ebensburg Center.
Three issues were involved: residents' constitutional rights, failure of the
center to provide safe conditions, and provisions at the center for treatment
of seizure disorders.
Yearbook for employees covering the first four years of the school's operation. Contains photographs of staff, volunteers, and activities.
Ebensburg State School and Hospital
Guide for Parents,
1967.
(1 folder)
{series #23.384}
Guide for parents, dated July 1967, explaining admissions procedures and criteria, location of Ebensburg, services provided, and instructions pertaining to leave, visitation, clothing, monetary allowances, mail, counseling, and religious services.
Ebensburg State School and Hospital
Informational Data,
1969.
(1 folder)
{series #23.385}
Information provided includes statistics and scope of the state's mental retardation program, as well as specific information on Ebensburg pertaining to admission, location, and services. Dated October 1969.
Philosophy of Ebensburg State School
and Hospital,
undated.
(1 folder)
{series #23.386}
Description of Ebensburg's goals and positions within the state system of mental retardation assistance. Includes brief history of the institution and its construction.
Admission and Transfer Logs,
1955-1985.
(30 volumes)
{series #23.387} [RESTRICTED]
Admissions arranged numerically by registration number. Discharges and leave arranged chronologically.
Types of information found in admission lists typically include date of admission, sequential number of admission, registration number, name, city and county of residence, age, and ward; as well as (if applicable) veteran status; commitment type (court, "311", temporary, or voluntary); first admission, readmission, or transfer; previous hospital; and remarks, such as name of transferring institution. The volume for 1959 shows only registration number, name, and in most cases, the date of admission and ward assignment. Volumes from 1960 to 1963 and 1968 to 1970 include sex as a heading and resort to unlabelled alphabetical columns for listing commitment and admission type, as well as other applicable information. The 1962-1974 admission volumes show only registration number, name, date of admission, ward assignment, and commitment type. The 1976-1977 volume contains information on race and religion and resorts to numerical code for commitment type. There are only several admissions listed after 1978.
Data provided about discharges generally includes date of discharge, sequential number of discharge, name, city and county of residence, age; as well as, if applicable, veteran status; direct discharge, death, transfer, or leave; autopsy, no autopsy, or donation to "Anatomical Society"; recovery status; and remarks. Volumes from 1960 to 1963 drop autopsy and recovery remarks and add columns for status of discharge or death, whether during convalescent leave (CL), temporary leave (TL), or absent without leave (AWOL). After 1968 discharge lists show the length of hospital stay in months and days. Discharge entries after 1979 are simplified to date, name, county, registration number, type of discharge, and hospital stay in days.
Volumes from 1960 to 1963 and 1968 to 1970 include separate sections for those returning from convalescent leave, which shows the following informaiton: book number, date of return, name, registration number, sex, age, city and county of residence, sequential number of leave return, date of departure for leave, and remarks.
The 1977-78 volume of Admissions, Discharges, and Returns from Leave and those following it also contain a section titled "Trial Visits," a listing labeled chronologically with name, registration number, sex, and race.
Admissions and Discharges, 1955-1956. (1 volume)
Admissions, 1956-1974. (6 volumes)
January 1956-December 1957.
January 1958-December 1958.
January 1959-March 1962.
March 1962-June 1967.
July 1967-December 1972.
January 1973-December 1974.
Admissions, Discharges, and Leave Returns, 1960-1963. (3 volumes)*
June 1, 1960-May 31, 1961.
June 1, 1961-June 31, 1962.
July 1, 1962-June 31, 1963.
Admissions, Discharges, and Leave Returns, 1968-1970. (2 volumes)*
July 1, 1968-June 30, 1969.
July 1, 1969-June 30, 1970.
Admissions, Discharges, and Leave Returns, 1976-1985. (5 volumes)*
July 1, 1976-June 30, 1977.
July 1, 1977-June 30, 1978.
July 1, 1978-June 30, 1979.
July 1, 1979-June 30, 1983.
July 1, 1984-June 30, 1985.
*located at 17-2610
**Unprocessed materials in this series include: accession
#2765; 1956-1959, 1963-1968, 1970-1976 (13 volumes)**
Settlement Agreement for United
States V. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Embreeville Center,
1994.
(1 folder)
{series #23.388}
Settlement agreement for case number 93-CV-2094 from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Sets out terms for closure of Embreeville facility in 1997 and the condition of care for residents in Embreeville and surrounding community centers until that time.
Daily Census,
1952.
(1 volume)
{series #23.389}
Arranged chronologically.
Daily record of patients from July 4 to August 30, 1952. Entries list names of residents on leave by building and give a daily headcount broken down by sex for the entire facility.
Arranged chronologically by date of discharge or leave.
First volume covers July to December 1954. Information provided includes date, name of resident, the sequential number of the discharge, the type of discharge (direct, leave, expired, transfer, AWOL), and, after November, conditions after discharge (improved or unimproved).
Volume two dates from June 1955 to May 1956 and is grouped monthly by type of discharge (convalescent leave, extended care leave, direct discharge, transfer, returned from leave, and death). Most listings show date, name of resident, age, city of residence, date of admission, and registration number.
Third and fourth volumes cover only January of 1973 and 1975 respectively and list very few patients. They are grouped by type of discharge (convalescent leave, direct discharge, and death) and thereunder by sex. Listings include date, name of resident, registration number, ward assignment, and, in some cases, date of admission.
Log of Drug Addict Admissions and
Inventory of Philadelphia County Patients in Hospital,
1962-1967.
(1 volume)
{series #23.391} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically.
Most of this books consists of the Philadelphia patient inventory, which covers February 1962 to October 1965. Information is entered only every few days and lists the number of Philadelphia County admissions and/or discharges for that singular date, along with a daily tally of the total number of Philadelphia residents.
There is only one drug admission listing in the entire volume, with registration number, name, and date of admission. A separate, stapled list can also be found in the back listing entries with registration number, name, date of admission, and in some cases date of discharge. The purpose of this list is not evident.
Log of Patients by County,
1971-1972.
(1 volume)
{series #23.392} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged by county and thereunder grouped by sex.
Volume dates from November 1971 through February 1972. Entries include only names and date of death if applicable. Counties documented are Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Montgomery. There are also entries for transfers from other state institutions.
Miscellaneous Narcotics Inventories
and Records,
1952-1969.
(6 volumes)
{series #23.393}
Grouped by name of drug.
The inventories for barbiturates and dangerous drugs list, for the most part, only dates and serial numbers. Drugs include phenolbarbital, sodium amytal, benzedrine sulfate, thyroid, sodium pentobarbital, chloral hydrate, and others.
Records books and the perpetual inventory track the stock of certain drugs by noting when supplies were replenished as well as how much was given out to residents with the date, recipient (by prescription or some other number), and quantity.
Barbiturates and Dangerous Drugs Inventories, 1952-1965. (3 volumes)
Exempt Narcotics Record Book, 1953-1957. (1 volume)
Narcotics Record Book, 1957-1968. (1 volume)
Perpetual Narcotics Inventory, 1953-1968. (1 volume)
17-2630 Box 2
Photographs of Activities,
1974-1990.
(1 volume, 1 folder)
{series #23.394}
Arranged randomly.
Miscellaneous color photographs of residents,
staff, and volunteers participating in activities at the Embreeville Center.
Scenes include holidays, parties, carnivals, and trips.
**Unprocessed materials in this series include: accession #2765, circa 1970s-1980s
(1 folder)**
Record of Surgical Operations,
1962-1973.
(1 volume)
{series #23.395} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of operation.
Entries include case number, date of operation, age, sex, color, diagnosis of condition, operator, type of operation, assistant, operating nurse, anesthetist, anesthetic, complications, and results.
Register of Lancaster County Patients
Admitted as of October 1962 and Voluntary Commitments and Emergencies as of
1967,
1962-1970.
(1 volume)
{series #23.396} [RESTRICTED]
Census of Lancaster County patients arranged chronologically by date of admission. Commitments grouped by type of commitment, and thereunder arranged numerically by registration number.
Volume begins with a census of Lancaster County patients in the hospital from October 8, 1962 to October 22, 1965. Data, which was entered every several days, shows the number of admissions and discharges, along with the total.
Entries of commitments from 1967 through 1970 showing the registration number, name, and date of each admission.
Volume also includes a loose list of court commitments as of February 1970, grouped by sex and arranged by name.
Register of Veteran Data and Alien
Admissions,
1966-1967.
(1 volume)
{series #23.397} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged randomly.
Entries provide such information as name and registration number for admissions, as well as date of discharge, in some cases, for those on leave or AWOL.
Rendering of Maintenance Shops
and Automotive Storage,
[c. 1950].
{series #23.398}
*Level 5 (back left corner>second bay of map shelves> drawer 2-10 of second unit)
Pencil drawing by Schell Lewis. Clayton J. Lewis, architect (Harrisburg) and H. F. Lenz, project engineer (Johnstown)
Report of Ten Years at Embreeville
State Hospital,
1955-1965.
(1 folder)
{series #23.399}
Report includes financial, personnel, and resident statistics; statement of philosophy; a brief history and summary of current operations; quotes from patients about conditions; and summaries of newly developed programs and information on medical staff, research, and methods of treatment.
Hill-Site News,
1966, 1970.
(1 folder)
{series #23.400}
Three issues (January 1966, March 1966, October 1970) of a bi-monthly newsletter published by Hamburg State School and Hospital. Included are obituaries, birthday announcements, editorials, information on special programs and activities, and departmental news.
List of Residents by County,
1975.
(1 folder)
{series #23.401} [RESTRICTED]
Grouped by county and arranged thereunder alphabetically by name of resident.
Simple listing of residents by county on January 31, 1975. Counties represented are Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Bradford, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Montgomery, Northhampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York.
Payroll Records for Hamburg State
Sanatorium,
1925-1951.
(1 volume)
{series #23.402}
Unarranged.
Information found on these 5"x8" pages is name, title, date employed, address, monthly rate for salary, and indication of payment for each month, often over several years. Records include only surnames that begin with A or B.
Rendering of Hamburg State Sanatorium,
undated.
{series #23.403}
*Level 5 (back left corner>second bay of map shelves> drawer 2-10 of second unit)
Colored depiction of building and grounds. Mentions Samuel G. Dixon, MD as the commissioner and the architectural firm Welsh, Strudevant, and Poggi (Wilkes-Barre).
Reports of the Superintendent of
Hamburg State Hospital,
1960-1961.
(1 volume)
{series #23.404}
Arranged chronologically.
Series of departmental reports indicating news, conditions, and needs for each department (medical, nursing, education, patient activities and training, personnel, maintenance, dietary, accounting, and sales. Dates of reports range from October 1960 to December 1961.
Hamburg State Sanatorium Cemetary
Record,
1915-1930.
(1 folder)
{series #23.405}
Arranged numerically by burial number.
Entries include name, date of discharge, date of admission, and date of death. Also included is a hand-drawn map of the cemetery and its graves.
Postcards of Laurelton State Village,
[ca. 1950 and undated].
(1 folder, 1 item)
{series #23.406}
A fold-out pack of 10 postcards depicting various
buildings of Laurelton State Village.
**Unprocessed materials in this series include: accession #2805 (1 item)**
Admission and Discharge Log,
1959-1960.
(1 volume)
{series #23.407} [RESTRICTED]
Grouped by type of action (admission, return from convalescent leave, AWOL, convalescent leave, and discharge) and thereunder arranged chronologically.
Information typically includes sequential number of admission or discharge (by month, calendar year, and fiscal year), date, name, registration number, sex, age, city and county of residence, veteran's status, and remarks. Discharge entries also indicate the type of discharge.
Annual Fiscal Report,
1934-1935.
(1 volume)
{series #23.408}
Prepared by the Auditor-General's Office. Standard financial information documenting assets, liabilities, capital, income, expenses, and deficit.
Order and Order of Reference for civil action
74-1345 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Order includes a summary of the suit brought against Pennhurst for overcrowding,
understaffing, and lack of programs for its residents.
**Unprocessed materials in this series include: accession #2765, 1977 (1 folder)**
Daily Census,
1930-1967.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.410}
Arranged chronologically.
Daily census of male and female patients on the rolls and a count of those actually in the institution. First volume dates from January 1930 to May 1952. Volume two continues through to May 1967.
Numerical Index to Patient Roster,
1908-1977.
(1 volume, 1 binder)
{series #23.411} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by admission date.
Information provided about each patient includes
admission date, name, registration number, and county of residence.
**Unprocessed materials in this series include: accession #2765, 1908-1977 (1
binder)**
Patient Register,
1908-1961.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.412} [RESTRICTED]
Arranged chronologically by date of admission.
Information compiled in August 1961. Entries show date of admission, name, number, county of residence, current status, and date of discharge, death, or transfer. Volume one dates from November 1908 to January 1941. The second volume continues through April 1961.
Pennhurst Community Bank Scrip
and Scrip Savings Book,
1973.
(1 folder)
{series #23.413}
Four $5 bills of Pennhurst State School Scrip, "for use only on school grounds." Also two account books for keeping track of scrip.
Proceedings of the Thirty-First
Annual Meeting of the Association of Trustees and Medical Superintendents of
State and Incorporated Hospitals for the Insane and Feeble-Minded,
1918.
(1 volume)
{series #23.414}
Program and minutes from May 16, 1918 meeting between the Pennhurst Board of Trustees and medical staff.
Annual and Biennial Reports of
State Institution for Feeble-Minded of Western Pennsylvania,
1897-1928.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.415}
Arranged chronologically.
Included are reports from trustees and institution department heads; financial, personnel, and residential statistics; and information on facility improvements. First volume covers 1897-1911 and is published annually until 1904, when it becomes biennial. Volume two begins with 1912 and ends in 1928.
Clay Modeling in the
Schoolroom,
1892.
(1 volume)
{series #23.416}
"A manual of instruction in clay modeling for the kindergarten and school, based on the curved solids." by Ellen Stephens Hildreth, Springfield MA: Milton Bradley Co.
Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce
Gold Shovel Award,
1989.
(1 folder)
{series #23.417}
Award certificate given to the Polk Center on February 23, 1989 for "the Administration building facelift, and other renovations made on grounds."
Leo E. Sattler Memorial Award Plaque,
1952.
{series #23.418}
Award "presented to the children of Polk State School commemorating the service they rendered to Humanity in the development of the Salk Polio Vaccine, November 11, 1952."
Photographs
undated and ca. 1900-ca.1940
(2 folders)
{series #23.419}
*Oversized photographs are on Level 5 (back left corner>second bay of map shelves> drawer 2-10 of second unit)
Unarranged.
Subjects on oversized prints include a baseball game, women's ward, children's playroom, marching band, boys' classroom, administrative buildings (1978), and a panoramic scene of the entire school. Mounted and loose black and white prints are of activities and facilities at Polk State School, dating to the early 20th century and possibly earlier.
Miscellaneous Programs,
1938-1965.
(1 folder)
{series #23.422}
Four programs: Sunday Chapel Service, December 4, 1938; Christmas Entertainment, 1949; An Evening at Melody Ranch, May 8 and 9, 1962; Winter Concert, February 8, 1965.
Monthly
Trial Balance Sheet,
1897-1911.
(1 volume)
{series #23.423}
*17-2626
Arranged chronologically.
Monthly account book with debits and credits, dating from September 1897 to September 1911.
Paper and Scissors in the Schoolroom,
1893.
(1 volume)
{series #23.424}
"Planned to give a practical and systematic course in paper folding and cutting for all grades in the public and private schools." By Emily A. Weaver, Springfield MA: Milton Bradley Co.
Plaque
of Newspaper Clipping,
1897.
{series #23.425}
*17-2626
News clipping from the September 24, 1897 Oil City Derrick affixed to wooden backing and varnished. Headline: "A Brilliant Assemblage: The School for Feeble-Minded Formally Opened."
Voucher
Record,
1897-1900.
(1 volume)
{series #23.426}
*17-2626
Arranged chronologically by date of payment.
Payment ledger from April 1897 to December 1900. Transaction information includes date of payment, voucher number, name in favor of (recipient of payment), reason for transaction, amount of credit, date paid, maintenance category, and any special appropriations.
Wages
Account Record,
1897-1900.
(1 volume)
{series #23.427}
*17-2626
Grouped monthly and arranged thereunder by department.
Register of wages paid from May 1897 to August 1902. Entries provide such information as name, position of employment, date, rate per month, when discharged, amount paid, departmental total, and signatures.
Chatterbox,
1985.
(1 folder)
{series #23.429}
Summer 1985 issue of Selinsgrove Center newsletter with articles by ward and department heads.
Miscellaneous Loose Photographs,
[ca. 1960s-1970s].
(4 folders)
{series #23.430}
Unarranged.
All folders contain black and white images of residents and activities at Selinsgrove, some dating to the mid-1960s. Folder two contains several 8x10 and 5x7 photographs. Folder four also has some 8x10 photographs and several color prints.
Mounted Photographs,
1965.
(1 folder)
{series #23.431}
Unarranged.
Contains images of a carnival in August 1965 held for residents of Selinsgrove. Photos are 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 and mounted on index cards.
Photograph Album,
undated.
(1 volume)
{series #23.432}
Unarranged.
3 1/2 x 3 1/2 black and white photographs. Images depict resident activities (Boy Scouts, fishing, dances, etc.), as well as some headshots and pictures of young patients in classrooms and wards.
Photographs of Toymakers at Work,
undated.
{series #23.433}
*Level 5 (back left corner>second bay of map shelves> drawer 2-10 of second unit)
Two black and white photographs.
Selinsgrove State School Softball
Schedule,
1960.
(1 folder)
{series #23.434}
School league schedule from the Patient Activities Department for the summer of 1960.
Western Center
Picture History of Youth Development
Center,
1966.
(1 volume)
{series #23.435}
Photocopied, spiral-bound pages of early 20th century images from this state hospital in Canonsburg, PA.
Miscellaneous Loose Photographs,
undated.
(1 folder)
{series #23.436}
Unarranged.
Early 20th century prints of facilities at White Haven.
Poco Notes Newsletters,
1975-1976.
(2 volumes)
{series #23.437}
Arranged in reverse chronological order.
Spiral-bound monthly newsletters for White Haven State School and Hospital. Articles contain information on different departments and programs, highlighting certain staff and patients. Also included are articles on contemporary mental health issues. Volume one dates from June to January 1975, while volume two covers December to July 1976.
White Haven State
School and Hospital News,
1966.
(1 volume)
{series #23.438}
First issue of newsletter "published for the families of our residents
by the members of our news staff." Contains news from the school's various
departments and information on upcoming events. The center page depicts residents
in workshops.
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