American Lung Association (Toledo, Ohio) records

The American Lung Association collection contains minutes from Toledo/Lucas County, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Williams, and Wood County Associations. In addition, the Northwestern Tuberculosis and Respiratory Disease Association, assorted Toledo-based organizations, and other Ohio Tuberculosis Association minutes are included. The great bulk of minutes are those of the Toledo Public Health Association and later the Tuberculosis Society of Toledo and Lucas County. They also are the most complete and inclusive set of minutes in the collection, spanning over forty years of health service. The strength of these Toledo proceedings lie in their detailed coverage of Christmas seal campaigns in that city and their discussion of health camp activities, fresh air school, tuberculosis sanitorium construction and x-ray programs. In addition, the Fulton County minutes contain an interesting history of Christmas seals in that county as well as brief notes from the secretary's book dating back to 1909.

Included in this collection is a large assortment of correspondence, much of which pertains to Toledo. The Toledo Christmas seal and health association correspondence is separately filed and listed. However, the subject files contain additional correspondence related to the health camps, William Roche Hospital construction and many other assorted topics.

Both the subject files and the scrapbooks are the central core of the American Lung Association collection. The subject files again are related primarily to Toledo concentrating on the city health campaigns. Tuberculosis surveys of Toledo conducted as early as 1923 and graphs, charts, and statistical information focusing on tuberculosis in the city provide useful data. Health camp reports, manuals explaining the operating of x-ray equipment, tuberculosis and health related studies also form a significant part of the collection. In addition, there are a number of publicity folders focusing on radio, television and newspaper advertising for the Tuberculosis Society of Toledo and Lucas County. Curative techniques such as sun baths, open air schools, and of course nutrition programs for undernourished children are discussed along with emphasis on the role of sanatoria. Some Works Progress Administration materials can be located in the subject files and also are mentioned in the Toledo minutes and scrapbooks. The remainder of the subject files pertain to a few out-of-state health associations, health education programs and general fund-raising.

The collection's scrapbooks focus primarily on Toledo's tuberculosis and health activities and secondly on the Northwestern Ohio Lung Association. The scrapbooks consist almost entirely of northwestern Ohio news clippings, although some letters, pamphlets, and other printed material may be located within the scrapbooks. The Toledo scrapbooks span almost fifty years, dating from 1923 to 1973, with a five-year gap occurring between 1929 and 1933. They contain Toledo health camp news, information about Christmas seal drives, x-ray program announcements and organization activity updates. The other counties also have their respective scrapbooks. However, they are not as complete and well-organized. No Wood County scrapbook is contained in the collection, but information concerning the Wood County Tuberculosis and Health Association can be found in the Northwestern Christmas Seal Association and Northwestern Ohio Lung Association scrapbooks. In addition, articles pertaining to the northwestern Christmas Seal Association for June to December 1972 may be found under those dates in the scrapbook of the Tuberculosis Society of Toledo and Lucas County.

The collection's printed material consists primarily of Tuberculosis and Christmas Seal pamphlets along with assorted Christmas seals from 1923 to 1976. One of the folders in particular has an assortment of early diagnosis pamphlets for the prevention of tuberculosis while other printed materials tell the history of the Christmas Seal and discuss facts about tuberculosis. Another pamphlet examines the use of the sun cure at a Swiss Alpine Heliotherapic Resort. Two large tuberculosis posters also are part of the collection's printed materials and various certificates and flyers are located throughout the collection.

Miscellaneous photographs from the participating counties and health associations also are included, most of which pertain to Toledo. The subject material, however, is much the same for all the counties, focusing on groups stuffing Christmas seal envelopes, individuals receiving skin tests and chest x-rays, and photos of association officers. The photographs of the Toledo health camp children, many of which appeared in the Toledo newspapers, are another highlight of this collection.

There is a small amount of added material from Dr. William Hann, who had been a member of the Wood County Tuberculosis and Health Association which became part of the Northwest Ohio Lung Association and later representing that organization he was on the Board and Executive Committee of the Ohio Lung Association. While some of this duplicates material in the main body of the collection, there are also files with a specific focus on Wood County, such as anti-smoking campaign material, as well as reports and memos used by Hann in his duties in the statewide associations.