Finding Aid of the Valerie Friedman McNown Oral History, May 1989

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center
New Mexico Health Historical Collections
Health Sciences Library
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001
USA
Email: archivist@salud.unm.edu
URL: http://hsc.unm.edu/library/resources/spc/index.html



© 2008

The University of New Mexico



Collection Summary

Title Valerie F. McNown Oral History
Dates (Inclusive) May 1989
Dates (Bulk)
Creator McNown, Valerie Friedman, 1916-2004 and Spidle, Jake W., 1941-
Abstract This interview surveys the life and career of Dr. Valerie Friedman McNown (1916-2004), a longtime New Mexico pediatrician of the Espanola valley.
Collection Number HHC172
Size 1 folder and 1 audio cassette
Repository
Languages English

Biography / History

Valerie Friedman McNown was born in Messina, New York in 1916. Raised in the United States and Canada, she graduated from Michigan State University in 1938. Dr. Friedman graduated from McGill University with an M. D. in 1945. After pediatrics residencies at Children's Memorial Hospital (Montreal, Canada) and Children's Hospital (Columbus, Ohio), she spent from 1948-1950 as a contract physician with the U. S. government at Los Alamos, New Mexico. She opened a private practice and worked for the state's health department at the end of her government contract.

Dr. Friedman practiced in northern New Mexico for forty years. After her retirement in 1987, she opened an antique shop. She and her architect husband, Allen, moved to Nambe, New Mexico.


Scope and Content

This interview surveys the life and career of Dr. Valerie Friedman McNown (1916-2004), a longtime New Mexico pediatrician of the Espanola valley. Coming to Los Alamos as a Federal government physician in 1948, Dr. Friedman from her Espanola base served the children of the Espanola valley for 39 years until her retirement in 1987. Among the subjects discussed in this interview are Dr. Friedman's personal and professional backgrounds; her practice in the Espanola valley and the major problems encountered there; the physician community of the area and the pediatricians of the state generally; public health services; and the Santa Fe medical community.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of print materials allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.


Preferred Citation

Valerie Friedman McNown Oral History, New Mexico Health Historical Collection, UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center.


Processing Information

The oral history was processed by Janet Johnson.


Access Terms

Espanola (N.M.)

Espanola Hospital (Espanola, N.M.)

Hotopp, Marion, 1900-1987

Infant mortality-New Mexico

McNown, Valerie Friedman, 1916-2004

Physicians, Women-New Mexico

Public health-New Mexico

Spidle, Jake W., 1941-


I. Oral History   1989

Description Container

HHC172.1 
Oral history transcript.   1989

FL 1206

HHC172.2 
Audio cassette (1).   1989

FL 1206

HHC172.3 
Miscellaneous clippings.   1991

FL 1206