The Vivien T. Thomas Collection spans his entire career at Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins. Constituting the bulk of the collection is the manuscript and its various drafts for the memoir which was eventually published by The University of Pennsylvania Press, titled Pioneering Research in Surgical Shock and Cardiovascular Surgery: Vivien Thomas and His Work with Alfred Blalock (1985), later republished as Partners of the Heart: Vivien Thomas and his work with Alfred Blalock (1998). Also included is a large volume of correspondence between Thomas and numerous Hopkins medical staff, predominantly on professional topics. The most prolific correspondent is Mark Ravitch, a doctor who became Thomas’ mentor and editor during his writing of the memoir. Additionally, the collection includes material related to the experimental animal surgery of Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins, reprints of seminal medical articles, biographical material and ephemera Thomas collected over his lifetime related to the hospital and cardiac surgery.
Additional Information about the Collection
A Web-based exhibit on the "blue baby" operation contains further information about the development of the procedure and Thomas' role.