Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1924-1968 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
369 boxes, 100 books from his library and 81 boxes of collected reprints
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Adelaide, Australia, 1898; educated at Kyre College, Adelaide, St. Peter's Collegiate School, Adelaide, and Adelaide University Medical School; worked his passage to England as ship's surgeon to take up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, 1921-1922; did research work at the invitation of Charles Sherrington at Oxford, 1923; subsequently medical officer to the third Oxford University Arctic Expedition; John Lucas Walker Student, University of Cambridge, 1924; Rockefeller Travelling Fellow in America, studying microsurgical techniques, 1925; Freedom Research Fellow, London Hospital, 1926; Huddersfield Lecturer in Special Pathology, University of Cambridge, 1927; Fellow, Gonville and Caius College; Director Medical Studies, Gonville and Caius; began to study lysozome (discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1922), 1929; Joseph Hunter Professor of Pathology, University of Sheffield, 1932-1935; Professor of Pathology, University of Oxford, 1935-1962; Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford, 1935; continued research on lysozome, leading to the development of use of penicillin by 1942; Nuffield Visiting Professor to Australia and New Zealand, 1944; involved in the foundation of the Australian National University, Canberra, especially with the design and organisation of the John Curtin School of Medical Research; Knight, 1944; Provost of Queen's College Oxford and resigned Chair of Pathology, 1962; Chancellor of the Australian National University, 1965; received many honours and awards both nationally and internationally; elected Fellow of the Royal Society, 1941; received the Royal Medal, 1951; gave the Croonian Lecture, 1954; Vice President of the Royal Society, 1951-1953; President, 1960-1965; Nobel Prize (Physiology or Medicine) jointly with Ernst Chain for his work on penicillin, 1945; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, 1951; Honorary Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford, 1962; Lister Medal, Royal College of Surgeons, 1945; Berzelius Medal in Silver, Swedish Medical Society, 1945; Albert Medal, Royal Society of Arts, 1946; Medal in therapeutics from the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, 1946; Royal Society of Medicine Gold Medal, 1947; USA Medal of Merit, 1948; British Medical Association Gold Medal, 1964; Lomonosov Medal, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1965; Life Peer, 1965; appointed to the Order of Merit, 1965; married, firstly, 1926, Mary Ethel Hayter Reed (d 1966), 1926; married, secondly, Mrs Margaret Jennings, daughter of T F Fremantle, 3rd Baron Cottesloe, 1967; suffered from angina, and died of a heart attack, 1968.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0117 HF 1924-1968 Collection (fonds) 369 boxes, 100 books from his library and 81 boxes of collected reprints Florey , Howard Walter , 1898-1968 , Baron Florey , pathologist
Born in Adelaide, Australia, 1898; educated at Kyre College, Adelaide, St. Peter's Collegiate School, Adelaide, and Adelaide University Medical School; worked his passage to England as ship's surgeon to take up a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, 1921-1922; did research work at the invitation of Charles Sherrington at Oxford, 1923; subsequently medical officer to the third Oxford University Arctic Expedition; John Lucas Walker Student, University of Cambridge, 1924; Rockefeller Travelling Fellow in America, studying microsurgical techniques, 1925; Freedom Research Fellow, London Hospital, 1926; Huddersfield Lecturer in Special Pathology, University of Cambridge, 1927; Fellow, Gonville and Caius College; Director Medical Studies, Gonville and Caius; began to study lysozome (discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1922), 1929; Joseph Hunter Professor of Pathology, University of Sheffield, 1932-1935; Professor of Pathology, University of Oxford, 1935-1962; Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford, 1935; continued research on lysozome, leading to the development of use of penicillin by 1942; Nuffield Visiting Professor to Australia and New Zealand, 1944; involved in the foundation of the Australian National University, Canberra, especially with the design and organisation of the John Curtin School of Medical Research; Knight, 1944; Provost of Queen's College Oxford and resigned Chair of Pathology, 1962; Chancellor of the Australian National University, 1965; received many honours and awards both nationally and internationally; elected Fellow of the Royal Society, 1941; received the Royal Medal, 1951; gave the Croonian Lecture, 1954; Vice President of the Royal Society, 1951-1953; President, 1960-1965; Nobel Prize (Physiology or Medicine) jointly with Ernst Chain for his work on penicillin, 1945; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, 1951; Honorary Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford, 1962; Lister Medal, Royal College of Surgeons, 1945; Berzelius Medal in Silver, Swedish Medical Society, 1945; Albert Medal, Royal Society of Arts, 1946; Medal in therapeutics from the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, 1946; Royal Society of Medicine Gold Medal, 1947; USA Medal of Merit, 1948; British Medical Association Gold Medal, 1964; Lomonosov Medal, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1965; Life Peer, 1965; appointed to the Order of Merit, 1965; married, firstly, 1926, Mary Ethel Hayter Reed (d 1966), 1926; married, secondly, Mrs Margaret Jennings, daughter of T F Fremantle, 3rd Baron Cottesloe, 1967; suffered from angina, and died of a heart attack, 1968.
Received by the Royal Society in 1968 from Lady Florey, widow.
Extensive papers of Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey, relating to almost every aspect of his career in science and public life. The scientific materials include a complete run of laboratory notebooks, 1924-1968, files on the work for which Florey is best known, penicillin and antibiotics, 1940-1962, together with papers, research notes and photographs on mucus secretion, traumatic shock and electron microscopy. Florey's writings are preserved in the form of drafts and proofs of published items, together with relevant correspondence. His correspondence indicates the depth of his involvement in the affairs of particular organisations, notably the Oxford University School of Pathology and the Royal Society. The work of Ethel Florey (née Hayter) and Margaret Augusta Florey (née Fremantle) is also present.
The collection has been divided into three sub-fonds:
HF/1 Howard Walter Florey's papers
HF/2 Lady M Ethel Florey's papers
HF/3 Documents relating to deposit of Florey archive and related material
Open.
No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.
English
A hand list outlines the structure and extent of the collection. There is also a detailed card catalogue.
Medical Research Council and the Noel Butlin Archives Centre hold correspondence and papers; Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University, USA hold his lectures for 1965; Nuffield College Library, Oxford University holds his correspondence with Lord Cherwell; the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Texas, USA holds his correspondence with Sir Julian Huxley; Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine holds his correspondence with Ernst Chain.
Description produced by the Royal Society and revised by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Source: Who Was Who. Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. Created 9/10/2001, modified 20/06/2002, revised Sep 2002 Academic teaching personnel Archive management Associations Drugs Educational personnel Experimental methods Experiments Florey , Howard Walter , 1898-1968 , Baron Florey , pathologist Florey , Margaret Augusta , 1904-1994 , née Fremantle , formerly Jennings , pathologist x Fremantle , Margaret Augusta x Jennings , Margaret Augusta Florey , Mary Ethel Hayter , d 1966 , née Reed , physician x Florey , Ethel x Reed , Mary Ethel Learned societies Medical personnel Medical profession Medical research Medical sciences Organizations Pathology Personnel Pharmacology Photographs Physicians Publishing Publishing industry Research work Royal Society Scientific methods Scientific personnel Scientists Surgery Teachers University of Oxford , School of Pathology x Oxford University , School of Pathology Visual materials Women scientists People by occupation People
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Received by the Royal Society in 1968 from Lady Florey, widow.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Extensive papers of Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey, relating to almost every aspect of his career in science and public life. The scientific materials include a complete run of laboratory notebooks, 1924-1968, files on the work for which Florey is best known, penicillin and antibiotics, 1940-1962, together with papers, research notes and photographs on mucus secretion, traumatic shock and electron microscopy. Florey's writings are preserved in the form of drafts and proofs of published items, together with relevant correspondence. His correspondence indicates the depth of his involvement in the affairs of particular organisations, notably the Oxford University School of Pathology and the Royal Society. The work of Ethel Florey (née Hayter) and Margaret Augusta Florey (née Fremantle) is also present.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The collection has been divided into three sub-fonds:
HF/1 Howard Walter Florey's papers
HF/2 Lady M Ethel Florey's papers
HF/3 Documents relating to deposit of Florey archive and related material
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open.
Conditions governing reproduction
No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
A hand list outlines the structure and extent of the collection. There is also a detailed card catalogue.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Medical Research Council and the Noel Butlin Archives Centre hold correspondence and papers; Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University, USA hold his lectures for 1965; Nuffield College Library, Oxford University holds his correspondence with Lord Cherwell; the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Texas, USA holds his correspondence with Sir Julian Huxley; Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine holds his correspondence with Ernst Chain.
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Educational personnel » Teachers » Academic teaching personnel
- Archive management
- Organizations » Associations
- Pharmacology » Drugs
- Educational personnel
- Scientific methods » Experimental methods
- Research work » Experiments
- Organizations » Associations » Learned societies
- Medical profession » Medical personnel
- Medical profession
- Medical research
- Medical sciences
- Organizations
- Pathology
- Personnel
- Pharmacology
- Visual materials » Photographs
- Medical profession » Medical personnel » Physicians
- Publishing industry » Publishing
- Publishing industry
- Research work
- Scientific methods
- Scientific personnel
- Scientific personnel » Scientists
- Medical sciences » Surgery
- Educational personnel » Teachers
- Visual materials
- Scientific personnel » Scientists » Women scientists
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English