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Thomas H. Burford Papers

Historical Note

Thomas H. Burford (1909-1977) received his M.D. degree from Yale University in 1936. After serving his internship at Barnes Hospital under Evarts A. Graham, Burford entered the U.S. Army Medical Corps. During World War II, he headed the 2nd Auxiliary Surgical Group in North Africa. After the war, he joined Washington University’s Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and succeeded Graham as division head in 1951. He was well known as an innovator in open-heart surgery. In the 1960s, Burford was widely quoted for his public statements on behalf of tobacco firms disputing findings that indicated connections between smoking and lung cancer.

Provenance

The Burford papers were the gift of Mrs. Thomas H. Burford, 1979.

Access and Use

The collection is open and accessible for research. Certain categories of documentation, however, carry restrictions on access. For detailed information, contact the Archives and Rare Book Section (arb@wusm.wustl.edu). The Library holds copyright.

Scope and Content

The Burford papers consist of six series. They contain information on chest and cancer surgery, other areas of surgical practice, the Washington University Department of Surgery, the university administration, the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and files gathered in tribute to Evarts A. Graham. The material includes correspondence, manuscripts, reports, reprints of articles, and films. The Library’s visual collections include photographs illustrating Burford’s career.

Organization of the Collection (Series List)

Series 1: Personal Files, 1946-1975.

Series 2: Military Service Records, 1940-1946, 1960.

Series 3: Involvement in Litigation on Behalf of Tobacco Companies, 1960-1970.

Series 4: General Files, 1946-1975.

Series 5: Notes for Addresses and Miscellaneous Papers, 1953-1961.

Series 6: Two Surgical Films, 1963 and no date.

Container List

Series 1: Personal Files, 1946-1975

A variety of documents assembled and saved by THB personally (i.e. apart from his office files).

Box 1

• Accolades, Burford Lecture 1971-72, 1:1.
• Congressional hearing statement on cancer and cigarette smokers, 1965, 1:2.
  • Probably a privately reproduced reproduction of Burford’s testimony before hearings on cigarette labeling, spring, 1965.
• Curriculum vitae, 1964, 1:3.
• Early letters, 1946-54, 1:4.
• Emeritus status, 1975, 1:5.
• Family correspondence, 1950-75, 1:6.
• Legal and business papers, 1961, 1:6a.
• Lost Mountain Ranch, 1953-67, 1:6b.
• Wyoming licensure, 1961, 1:7.

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Series 2: Military Service Records, 1940-1946, 1960.

Most of the files in this series contain documents that THB received pertaining to his active service with the U.S. Army in World War II. The last relates to his work in 1960 as a consultant to the Air Force.

Box 1

• Commendations and promotions, 1940-45, 1:8.
• Directives pertaining to THB’s service overseas in World War II, 1943-45, 1:9.
• Discharge papers, 1945-55, 1:10.
• Military record and report of separation, 1946, 1:11.
• Recommended for Legion of Merit, U.S. Army, 1945, 1:12.
• Service records with official envelope for forwarding to new assignments, 1942-46, 1:13.
• U.S. Air Force, 1960, 1:14.

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Series 3: Involvement in Litigation on Behalf of Tobacco Companies, 1960-1970.

Beginning about 1960, THB served as a medical expert witness for the defense in a series of trials involving suits again two leading cigarette manufacturers, Liggett & Myers and the American Tobacco Company. THB testified on the basis of his long experience as a thoracic surgeon that there was no causal relationship between smoking and cancers of the bronchus and the lungs. The series concludes with a copy of a scientific article making a more specific assertion of this view. See also THB’s Congressional testimony from 1965 in Series 1.

Box 1

• March-May, 1960, 1:15.
• April-November, 1960, 1:16.
• 1962-64, 1:17.
• 1965-70, 1:18.
• Thayer v. Liggett & Myers, including hospital records, 1969, 1:19.
• Thayer v. Liggett & Myers, medical records, 1969, 1:20.
• Thayer v. Liggett & Myers, death certificate, hospital records, 1969, 1:21.
• Copy of offprint, “Oat cell carcinoma of the lung: a review of 138 cases,” 1969, 1:22.

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Series 4: General Files, 1946-1975.

This file series seems to contain most of THB’s extant professional correspondence. It was compiled from the resumption of his civilian career after World War II until shortly before his death.

Box 2

• A, 2:1
• Abruzzini, Pasquale, 1957-66, 2:2.
• Aguilar, Hernan D., 1973-74, 2:3.
• Alanis-Guajardo, Mario, 1965-74, 2:4.
• American Association for Thoracic Surgery, 1961-74, 2:5.
• Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 1966, 2:6.
• Armer, M.B., 1959, 2:6a.
• B, 2:7
• Bailey, Charles P., 1958-65, 2:8.
• Barnes Hospital, 1959-73, 2:9.
• Bartley, Thomas D., 1958-68, 2:10.
• Berry, Frank B., 1957-65, 2:11.
• Bessone, Luis N., 1966-71, including ms. “Chylothorax: a collective review”, 2:12.
• Bigelow, W.G., 1977, 2:13.
• Blades, Brian, 1946-73, 2:14.
• Boards (Surgery), 1965-66, 2:15.
• Brewer, Lyman A. 3rd, 1959-72, 2:16.
• Brock, Sir Russell C., 2:17.
• Brown, Howard S., 1966-71, 2:18.
• Burbank, Alan I., including ms. “CO2 flooding of the chest in open heart surgery …,” 1958-70, 2:19.
• Burbank, Benjamin, 1946-68, 2:20.
• Burke, William, 1964-69, 2:21.
• Byers, Louis T., 1969-74, 2:22.
• C, 2:23.
• Camp, Frank A., 1963-69, 2:24.
• Cardiothoracic surgery service, 1973, 2:25.
• Carney, Andrew L., 1968-69, 2:26.
• Coates, Col. John Boyd (see also Elizabeth M. McFettridge file), 1957-63, 2:27.
• Cole, Warren H., 1957-58, 2:28.
• Compton, Arthur H., 1949, 2:29.

Box 3

• Conn, Howard F., 1972, 3:1.
• Cornett, Victor E., 1961-72, 3:2.
• D, 3:3.
• Davis, Loyal, 1972, 3:4.
• Dean, Office of (WUSM), 1955-63, 3:5.
• DeBakey, Michael E., 1957-73, 3:6.
• E, 3:7.
• Elam, James O., 1949-50, 3:8.
• F, 3:9.
• Fellows, Thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 1968, 3:10.
• Ferguson, Thomas B., 1952-74, 3:11.
• Foster, Hugh M., 1963-70, 3:12.
• G, 3:13.
• Gabbard, James G., 1955-57, 3:14.
• Gibbon, John H., Lewis A. Conner Memorial Lecture; Heart-Lung Pump, 1955-68, 3:15a.
• Goldman, Alfred, 1973, 3:15b.
• Graham, Evarts A., including curriculum vitae, 1951, 3:16.
• Graham, Evarts A., addresses in memoriam, reprint of eulogy by THB, 1957-58, 3:17.
• Graham, Evarts A., tributes and memorials, 1951-65, 3:18.
• Graham, Evarts A., retirement, 1951-52, 3:19.
• Graham, Evarts A., award (Graham medal), 1952-58, 3:20.
• Graham, J.C., 1955-62, 3:21.
• Graham, Patrick, 1964-69, 3:22.

Box 4

• H, 4:1.
• Hahn, P.F., 1958, 4:2.
• Hardy, James D., 1965-70, 4:3.
• Hartford, John A. Foundation, 1960-62, 4:4.
• Health consequences of smoking: Public Health Service Review, 7/1/69, 4:5.
• Heart-lung pump, 1956-65, 4:6.
• Herrera, Pascual, 1958, 4:7.
• Hershey, Falls, 1958, 4:8.
• Holman, Emile, 1957- 62, 4:9.
• Hudson, Loyde H., 1957-61, 4:10.
• “Injuries of the thorax and its contents,” ms., 4:11.
• J, 4:12.
• K, 4:13.
• Kato, Yutaka, 1965-73, 4:14.
• Kelley, Robert W., 1966-67, 4:15.
• King, M. Kenton (Dean), 1965-66, 4:16.
• Kirklin, John, 1965-68, 4:17.
• Kline, John L., 1956-64, 4:18.
• Knoxville Academy of Medicine, 1957, 4:19.
• Korean fellows, 1954-56, 4:20.
• L, 4:21.
• Lamb, Francis Patrick, 1958, 4:22.
• Lawrence, George Hugh, 1955-74, 4:23.
• Lekkas, Peter K., 1960-65, 4:24.
• Londe, Stephen, 1962-74, 4:25.
• Love, Jack W., 1960-74, 4:26.
• Luke, Herbert K.N., 1958, 4:27.
• Lyons, Champ, 1965, 4:28.

Box 5

• M, 5:1.
• McFettridge, Elizabeth M., 1959-67, 5:2.
• Meyer, Edward C. 1959-67, 5:3.
• Mosby, C.V. Company, 1961-74, 5:4.
• N, 5:5.
• O, 5:6.
• Ochsner, Melville A., 1959-71, 5:7.
• O'Leary, James L., Heart, cancer, stroke amendment, 1965, 5:8.
• P, 5:9.
• Panhorst, Harry, 1959-65, 5:10.
• Peters, Richard M., 1955-72, 5:11.
• Pilling Co. surgical instruments, 1949-71, 5:12.
• Pursel, Stewart E., 1960-69, 5:13.
• Pneumonectomy list, Barnes Hospital, 1945-54, 5:14.
• R, 5:15.
• Roper, Charles L., 1960-71, 5:16.
• Rosser, Edward, 1955-73, 5:17.
• S, 5:18.
• Sabiston, Davic C., 1969-73, 5:19.
• St. Louis Medical Society Ethics Comm., 1966-68, 5:20.
• Samson, Paul C., 1946-74, 5:21.
• Sapirstein, Wolf, 1965, 5:22.
• Sasser, William F., Jr., 1966-71, 5:23.
• Satterfield, John V. 3rd, 1962-73, 5:24.

Box 6

• Schmidt, Herbert W., Training requirements for broncho-esophagology, 1964, 6:1.
• Schwartz, Henry G., 1964-66, 6:2.
• Scudder, John, including reprint “Safer transfusions through appreciation of variants in blood group antigens …,” 1960, 6:3.
• Senate subcommittee on air and water pollution, 1967, 6:4.
• Shek, John L., 1970, 6:5.
• Sheiner, Nathan M., 1960-64, 6:6.
• Snyder, Mark A., 1967-70, 6:7.
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 1968-73, 6:8.
• Southern Railway System, 1965-66, 6:9.
• Spahr, Christian C.F., 1963-68, 6:10.
• Stern, Harold, 1955-69, 6:11.
• Stiles, Quentin R., 1970, 6:12.
• Sugg, Winfred L., 1961-74, 6:13.
• Surgery, WUSM Department of, curriculum, 1964-70, 6:14.
• Swan, Henry, 1954-63, 6:15.
• T, 6:16.
• Thayer, Harold E., 1971-72, 6:17.
• Tennessee Valley Medical Assembly, re lecture, 1972, 6:18.
• Tocker, Alfred M., 1964-65, 6:19.
• U, 6:20.
• V, 6:21.
• Veterans Administration, 1956-63, 6:22.
• Von Hippel, Arndt, 1960-61, 6:23.
• Volland, Alfred W., 1964, 6:24.
• W, 6:25.
• Wandell, Hans H., including cc of ms. “Hemolysis in dog blood- in vitro experiments,” 1960, 6:26.
• Webb, Watts R., 1961-70, 6:27.
• Weldon, Clarence S., 1971-75, 6:28.
• Wheat, Myron W., 1957-72, 6:29.
• Williams, Kirkley R., 1959-64, 6:30.
• Yore, Richard W., 1954, 6:31.

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Series 5: Notes for Addresses and Miscellaneous Papers, 1953-1961

Materials in this series concern mainly THB’s professional speeches and publications.

Box 7

• American College-Board of Thoracic Surgery, n.d., 7:1.
• Benign esophagus lesions, offprint: “Complete functional restitution of the food passages …,” September 1961, 7:2.
• Charts concerning bronchogenic carcinoma, n.d., 7:3.
• Chest injuries, n.d., 7:4.
• Dysphagia, n.d., 7:5.
• Dallas, Texas, April 1957, 7:6.
• Diaphragm, address, n.d., 7:7.
• Directories, 7:8.
• Heart surgery, n.d., 7:9.
• Illinois Heart Association, May 24, 1960, 7:10.
• Lung cancer address, n.d., including JAMA reprint: “Solitary circumscribed lesions of the lung,” July 25, 1953, 7:11.
• Lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, address, n.d., 7:12.
• Notes, n.d., 7:13.
• Notes, n.d., 7:14.
• Notes for address, n.d., 7:15.
• Notes for slides, n.d., 7:16.
• Surgery of tuberculosis, address, n.d., 7:17.
• Topics, n.d., 7:18.
• Trauma, address, manuscript, notes, n.d., 7:19.
• Outline, “War wounds of chest”, n.d., including reprint from Lancet, March 4, 1944, 7:20.

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Series 6: Two Surgical Films, 1963 and no date

Box 8

• Heart-lung surgery. One seven inch reel, 16mm film, no soundtrack (1963?); one three-quarter inch videotape copy, n..d.

Box 9

• Surgery of cardiac valves. One seven inch reel, 16mm film, no soundtrack ; one three-quarter inch videotape copy, n.d.
• Hypothermia. One seven inch reel, 16mm film, n.d.

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