Selman A. Waksman papers

This collection contains a number of documents in Russian relating to Waksman's early life prior and up to the time he emigrated to the U.S. (1886-1910). These include: personal documents and mementos (1911-1966); photographs (1919-1968), including those taken in Stockholm where he received the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine (1952); diaries kept during his many trips abroad (1924-1973) which: contain scientific data, comments on the scientific developments in various countries, especially France, Italy, Japan, and Israel, comments on the Jewish communities, reflections on his youth, and discussions with famous individuals, the most extensive being Marc Chagall and Vera Weizmann; the first public report of the activities of the Rutgers Research and Educational Foundation, entitled, Of Microbes and Men (1959); material about Waksman (1954-1974); two typescripts: "The Elusive Virus, A Fairy Tale" by Marsel Heilman, a pseudonym (?) (1961), and "Men and Molecules," a sequel to "My Life with the Microbes" (1962); a brochure entitled "Streptomycin : two decades of progress in the Antibiotic Era," containing an article by Waksman (1964); two typescripts, "Man's War Against Microbes" (ca. 1964), and "Antibiotics and Human Welfare" (ca. 1970); an address: "A Student at Rutgers," which he delivered shortly before his death (1973).

Also contains personal papers and documents belonging to his wife Deborah Bertha (Mitnik) Waksman (1908-1949); photographs and sketches she kept (ca. 1907-ca. 1970); material about herself and her husband (1949-1962); her notes of their travels abroad (1946-1953); and correspondence (1948-1974).