Please Note: the history lecture has been rescheduled for March 19, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
Virgil P. Sydenstricker, MD, was the Professor and Chairman of Medicine in the Medical College of Georgia from 1922 to 1957. He was nationally and internationally known in the fields of hematology and nutrition. In 1939 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research regarding the use of nicotinic acid in the treatment of pellagra. During World War II, he served as the head of the European Nutritional Section of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration. In this capacity he was the medical officer in charge of rehabilitating the malnourished victims of the Nazi Bergen-Belsen concentration camp when it was liberated 70 years ago in April 1945.
The Historical Collections and Archives holds the Virgil P. Sydenstricker Collection. This collection includes Sydenstricker’s scrapbook documenting his service during the war and what he personally witnessed as well as letters he wrote to his wife and daughter. Also in this collection are re-prints of articles he wrote and images (photographs and slides) from his research regarding pellagra and sickle cell anemia. For more information regarding this collection and a brief biography, please see the finding aid. An exhibit featuring Sydenstricker is on display on the second floor of the Greenblatt Library.
But for a more personal and in-depth look at who Sydenstricker was, be sure to attend Dr. Joseph Bailey’s presentation on Sydenstricker on Thursday, February 19, March 19, 2015 at 12:00 noon. Dr. Bailey is one of the few remaining physicians who trained under Dr. Sydenstricker. This will be part of the History of the Health Sciences Lecture Series at Greenblatt Library and will be held in the Historical Collections and Archives Room (AB-225). The lecture is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch. Items from the Sydenstricker Collection will be on display for attendees to view.
For more information, please contact Renée Sharrock at 706-721-3444 or rsharrock@gru.edu
