Guide to the Robert Fortuine papers
1934-2008
Collection number: HMC-0455.
Creator: Fortuine, Robert.
Title: Robert Fortuine papers.
Dates: 1934-2008.
Volume of collection: 14.6 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials in English.
Collection summary: Papers of an Alaskan public health physician.
Biographical note:
Robert Fortuine was a public health physician. He received his medical degree from McGill University in 1960 and his Masters of Public Health from Harvard University in 1968. Fortuine served with the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) from 1962 until his retirement in 1987. Fortuine first came to Alaska in 1963, and has held the following positions: service unit director for the USPHS Alaska Native Hospital in Kanakanak (1963-1964); service unit director for the USPHS Alaska Native Hospital in Bethel (1964-1967); director of the USPHS Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage (1971-1977); and deputy chief of family medicine (1980-1987). Doctor Fortuine has also been active in national and Alaskan medical professional associations, as well as the American Society for Circumpolar Health and the International Symposium for Circumpolar Health. He has published numerous articles on medicine and Alaskan and native medical history, and has authored books including: The Alaska diary of Adelbert von Chamisso: naturalist on the Kotzebue voyage, 1815-1818 (translator and editor, 1986), Alaska Native Medical Center: a history 1953-1983 (1986), Chills and fever: health and disease in the early history of Alaska (1989), and Must we all die: Alaska’s enduring struggle with tuberculosis (2005). Dr. Fortuine died in 2009.
Collection description:
The collection consists of research materials and drafts related to Robert Fortuine’s published and unpublished writings, as well as papers relating to circumpolar health organizations, correspondence, and approximately 2,500 35 mm color photographic slides.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged into 7 series: manuscripts and research materials, circumpolar health conference and organization records, publication records, 35 mm color photographic slides, correspondence files, instruction and curriculum files, and personal records.
Alternative formats: Final versions of Dr. Fortuine’s drafts may be available through multiple libraries or online through the Arctic Health website.
Digitized copies: Selected Alaskan images from the slides have been placed online in the Alaska’s Digital Archives.
Rights note: Some of the materials in the collection, primarily those not authored by Dr. Fortuine, may be subject to copyright restrictions.
Preferred citation: Robert Fortuine papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Index: A geographical index to the 35 mm photographic slides as created by Dr. Fortuine is appended.
Separated materials: A set of Dr. Fortuine’s publications is held by the Alaska Medical Library in the Consortium Library.
Acquisition note: Approximately half the collection was given to the Archives between 1996 and 2005 by Dr. Fortuine. In 2010, Sheila Fortuine, his wife, provided the remainder (correspondence files and notebooks) after Dr. Fortuine’s death to the Archives.
Processing information: This first portion of this collection was arranged and described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 1998. The photograph description was added in 2008 by Arlene Schmuland. With the large addition to the collection in 2010, the finding aid was revised, published materials were removed from the collection and given to the Alaska Medical Library, and description for the additional boxes was completed. The 2010 work was completed by Arlene Schmuland.
Container list:
Series 1: Manuscripts and research materials; 1956-1996. 5.2 cubic feet. Handwritten and typescript drafts of various works authored and co-authored by Robert Fortuine. Some publications were never published. Arranged mostly chronologically. Final versions of the drafts may be available through multiple libraries or online through the Arctic Health website.
| Box/Folder | Description | Date |
| 1/1 | Goethe’s Doctors in Fact and Fiction typescript draft. | 1956 May |
| 1/2 | Friedrich Schiller’s Medical Career handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1959 |
| 1/3 | The Crab: Ancient Concepts of Malignant Disease handwritten draft. | 1959 |
| 1/4 | Current Status of Animal-Borne Diseases Among the Eskimos handwritten draft. | 1961 |
| 1/5 | John Rae, Surgeon to the Hudson’s Bay Company typescript draft. | 1962 |
| 1/6 | Acute Purulent Meningitis in Alaska Natives: Epidemiology, Diagnosis & Prognosis typescript draft. | 1965 |
| 1/7 | Hemophilus aphrophilus edocarditis, with cerebral embolism, in an Alaskan Eskimo typescript draft. | 1966 |
| 1/8 | Health Conditions Among the Eskimos of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1966 |
| 1/9 | Unusual Occurrence of Neonatal Meningitis Due to Group B. Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci typescript draft. | 1966 |
| 1/10 | Georg Wilhelm Steller: Physician – Naturalist on the Bering Expedition to Alaska handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1967 |
| 1/11 | The Health of the Eskimos: A Classified Bibliography 1857-1966 typescript drafts. | 1967 |
| 1/12 | Characteristics of Cancer in the Eskimos of Southwestern Alaska three typescript drafts and related materials. | 1967 |
| 1/13 | Sir John Richardson, M.D.: Arctic Naturalist and Explorer handwritten and typescript drafts, plus research materials. | 1968 |
| 1/14 | The Availability and Utilization of Medical Services in an Alaskan Eskimo Community handwritten draft. | 1969 |
| 1/15 | The Health of the Eskimos, As Portrayed in the Earliest Written Accounts typescript draft. | 1971 |
| 1/16 | “Polar Hayes”: An Essay on the Life of the American Arctic Explorer, Isaac Israel Hayes, M.D. (1832-1881) handwritten draft. | 1970 |
| 2/1 | Medical Audit and the Problem-Oriented Record typescript draft. | 1972 |
| 2/2 | Book review of Federal Health Care (With Reservations!) typescript draft. | 1972 |
| 2/3 | Health and Disease of American Indians North of Mexico: A Bibliography, 1800-1969 bibliographies and notes. | 1972 |
| 2/4 | Twenty Years of Progress: A Brief History of the Alaska Native Medical Center typed draft. | 1974 |
| 2/5 | Book review of Discovery in Russian and Siberian Waters by L.H. Neatby, typescript draft. | 1974 |
| 2/6 | Health Care and the Alaska Native: The Search for a System of Health Care presented at the Annual Meeting of the Oklahoma Public Health Association, Tulsa, Oklahoma, typescript draft. | 1975 |
| 2/7 | The Hand-On Provider: Where Does He Input Decisions on Financing, Organizing, & Delivering Health Services? presented at the 6th Alaska Health Congress, Anchorage typescript draft. | 1981 |
| 2/8 | Traditional Surgery of the Alaska Natives handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1983 |
| 2/9 | Ships’ Surgeons and Naturalists in the Early History of Alaska. Part I. Voyages of Discovery, 1741-1786 handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1983 |
| 2/10 | Ship’s Surgeons and Naturalists in the Early History of Alaska. Part 2. Voyages of Trade and Science, 1786-1807 handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1983 |
| 2/11 | E.S. (“Stu”) Rabeau, M.D. (1920-1984) handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1984 |
| 2/12 | Ship’s Surgeons and Naturalists in the Early History of Alaska. Part 3. Voyages for Empire and the Northwest Passage, 1814-1854 handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1983 |
| 2/13 | Physicians and Alaska Place Names handwritten draft. | 1983 |
| 2/14-16 | Lancets of Stone: Traditional Methods of Surgery Among the Alaska Natives handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1983 |
| 2/17 | Communicable Disease Control in the Early History of Alaska. 1. Smallpox handwritten draft and typed outline. | 1983 |
| 2/18 | Communicable Disease Control in the Early History of Alaska. 2. Syphilis handwritten and typescript drafts and outline. | 1983 |
| 3/1 | Alaska’s First Hospital for presentation at the 6th International Symposium on Circumpolar Health, Anchorage, Alaska (1984), handwritten draft. | 1983 December |
| 3/2 | Portrait of Alaska Native Health, 1800 For presentation at the 6th International Symposium on Circumpolar Health, Anchorage, Alaska (1984), handwritten draft. | 1983 December |
| 3/3 | Alaska Through the Eyes of a German Poet: The Diary of Adelbert von Chamisso, Naturalist on the Kotzebue Voyage handwritten draft. | 1984 |
| 3/4-8 | The Alaska Diary of Adelbert von Chamisso, Naturalist on the Kotzebue Voyage, 1815- typescript and handwritten drafts, galley proof, research materials, correspondence, and photographs. | 1985-1986 |
| 3/9-10 | A History of the Alaska Native Medical Center, 1953-1983 handwritten draft of volume 1. | 1985-198 |
| 4/1-3 | A History of the Alaska Native Medical Center, 1953-1983 handwritten draft of volume 2, typescript draft. | 1985-1986 |
| 4/4 | Early Evidence of Infections Among Alaska Natives handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1983-1984 |
| 4/5 | Empirical Healing Among the Alaska Natives: An Historical Perspective presented at the Seventh International Conference on Circumpolar Health, Umeå, Sweden, typescript draft. | 1987 |
| 4/6 | Scurvy and Its Influence on Early Alaskan History presented at the 7th International Conference on Circumpolar Health, Umeå, Sweden, typescript draft. | 1987 |
| 4/7 | ASCH Members Contribute Papers to 7th ICCH typescript draft. | 1987 July 4 |
| 4/8 | Arctic Medical History and Traditional Medicine presented at the 7th International Conference on Circumpolar Health, Umeå, Sweden, typescript draft. | 1987 July 6 |
| 4/9 | Scurvy and the Exploration and Settlement of Alaska, 1741-1807 handwritten draft. | 1988 |
| 4/10 | Medicinal Plants monograph handwritten draft. | 1987 |
| 5/1-2 | The Use of Medicinal Plants By the Alaska Natives hand-edited typescript draft and final typescript draft. | 1987 |
| 5/3 | Empirical Healing Among the Alaska Natives: An Historical Perspective handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1987 |
| 5/4 | Scurvy and Its Influence on Early Alaskan History typescript draft. | 1987 |
| 5/5-9/4 | Chills and Fever: Health and Disease in the Early History of Alaska drafts, galley proofs, data, notes. | 1982-1989 |
| 9/5-7 | Footprints across the snow: Learning from arctic medical history handwritten and typescript drafts. | 1990 |
| 9/8 | Book review of Remarks and observations on a voyage around the world from 1803-1807 by Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff, translated and annotated by Victoria Moessner, edited by Richard A. Pierce, typescript draft. | 1983 |
| 9/9 | Educating medical students for Alaska typescript drafts and abstract. | 1996 |
| 9/10 | C. Earl Albrecht and the struggle against tuberculosis in Alaska typescript drafts and abstract. | 1996 |
| 9/11 | Book review of Frontier physician: The life and legacy of Dr. C. Earl Albrecht, by Nancy Jordan, typescript draft. | 1996 |
| 10 | Medicine and the bible (proposed title?) research notes. | Undated |
| 11 | Other research files. Includes research on medicine and literature, art, and music, and the Public Health Service. | Undated |
| 12 | Must we all die: Alaska’s enduring struggle with tuberculosis edited draft, correspondence, and research notes. | 1999-2004 |
Series 2: Circumpolar health conference and organization records: 1984-1996. 0.3 cubic feet. Arranged by conference or organization, thereunder chronologically.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 13/1-9 | International Congress on Circumpolar Health records. | 1984-2000 |
| 13/10 | American Society for Circumpolar Health records. | 1980-1991 |
Series 3: Publication records; 1958-2004. 0.1 cubic feet. This series includes correspondence and notes pertaining to some of Dr. Fortuine’s published writings as well as three journal covers which include photographs taken by Dr. Fortuine.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 13/11 | Publication correspondence. | 1958-1996 |
| 13/12 | University of Alaska Press correspondence. | 1999-2004 |
| 13/13 | Journal covers. | 1974-1977 |
Series 4: 35 mm color photographic slides; 1961-1987. 1.0 cubic feet. Images taken by Dr. Fortuine. The listings below do not include all locations represented in the slides. An index to the locations in the slides is available in the Archives research area.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 14/1 | Slide numbers 6108K37-6310bB12. Outside Alaska: Belcourt (North Dakota), Gallup (New Mexico), Phoenix (Arizona), Fort Apache (Arizona), Whiteriver Reservation (Arizona). Alaska: Anchorage, Kanakanak, Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon, Ekwok, Kokhanok, Aleknagik, Koliganek, Levelock, Pilot Point, Port Heiden, Chignik, Perryville. | 1961-1963 |
| 14/2 | Slide numbers 6310bB13-6407B10. Perryville, Ugashik, Clark’s Point, Ekuk, Egegik, Goodnews Bay, New Stuyahok. | 1963-1964 |
| 14/3 | Slide numbers 6407B01-6605bP5K10 Alaska: Bethel, Napaskiak, Russian Mission, Holy Cross, Anchorage, Kwigillingok, Hooper Bay. | 1964-1966 |
| 14/4 | Slide numbers 6605bP5K11-6705aK17. Hooper Bay, Mountain Village, Emmonak. | 1966-1967 |
| 14/5 | Slide numbers 6705aK19-6708R3K08. Alaska: Emmonak, Bethel, Kwethluk, Hooper Bay, Kalskag, Russian Mission, Ft. Kalmakoff, Tuluksak, Akiak, Anchorage, Juneau, Inside Passage between Juneau and Sitka, Sitka. | 1967 |
| 14/6 | Slide numbers 6708hR3K09-6907bD1K20. Alaska: Sitka. Outside Alaska: Belcourt (North Dakota), Rapid City (South Dakota), Pine Ridge (South Dakota), Rosebud (South Dakota), Phoenix (Arizona), Sacaton (Arizona), Tucson (Arizona), Pendleton (Oregon), Sante Fe (New Mexico), Dulce (New Mexico), Jicarilla (New Mexico), Cherokee (North Carolina), Philadelphia (Mississippi). | 1967-1969 |
| 15/1 | Slide numbers 6908.15-7104dH3K09. Outside Alaska: Tulsa (Oklahoma), Tahlequah (Oklahoma), Anadarko (Oklahoma), Bandolier National Monument (New Mexico), Aztec (New Mexico), Mesa Verde (Colorado), Shiprock (New Mexico), Fort Defiance (Arizona), Window Rock (Arizona), Kinlichee (Arizona), Canyon de Chelly (Arizona), Tucson (Arizona). | 1969-1971 |
| 15/2 | Slide numbers 7104dH3K19-7206bP6K02. Outside Alaska: Montezuma’s Castle (New Mexico), Crystal (Arizona), Fort Defiance (Arizona), Red Lake (Arizona), Canyon de Chelly (Arizona), Zuni (New Mexico), Phoenix (Arizona). Alaska: Anchorage. | 1971-1972 |
| 15/3 | Slide numbers 7206bP6K08-7210eP4K02. Anchorage, Unalaska, St. Paul Island, Hope, Seldovia, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Denali National Park, Cold Bay. | 1972 |
| 15/4 | Slide numbers 7210eP4K03-7707bW5K05. Alaska: Dutch Harbor, Anchorage, Whittier, Valdez, Juneau, St. Paul Island, St. George Island, Cold Bay, Bethel, Glacier Bay, Gustavus, Tanana, Homer, Fairbanks, Barrow, Wasilla. | 1972-1977 |
| 15/5 | Slide numbers 8012P09K01-8602P9K32. Alaska: Tok, Tetlin, Northway, Tanacross, Tatitlek, Anchorage, Unalakleet, Birchwood, Bethel, Kenai, Kachemak Bay, Hatcher Pass, Eklutna. | 1980-1986 |
Series 6: Correspondence files; 1934-2007. 7.4 cubic feet. Personal and professional correspondence. Arranged chronologically by year or year grouping.
| Box | Date span |
| 22 | 1934-1952 |
| 23 | 1952-1960 |
| 24 | 1960-1970 |
| 25 | 1970-1980 |
| 26 | 1978-1980 |
| 27 | 1980-1988 |
| 28 | 1989-1999 |
| 29 | 2000-2007 |
Series 7: Instruction and curriculum files; 1994-2007. 0.4 cubic feet. Materials related to lectures and courses delivered by Dr. Fortuine, primarily with the WWAMI medical education program and the University of Alaska Anchorage Biomedical program.
| Box | Description | Dates |
| 30 | Lecture notes, invitations, and course syllabi. | 1994-2007 |
Series 8: Personal records; 1964, 1997-2007. 0.2 cubic feet. Personal genealogical research writings authored and collected by Dr. Fortuine, certificates of study, and photographs of graduate groups.
| Box | Description | Dates |
| 31 | Genealogical writings, certificates, photographs. | 1964, 1997-2007 |