Title:

Oral history interview of Michael DeBakey by Donald A. Schanche (tape 6)

Creator:

DeBakey, Michael E. (Michael Ellis), 1908-2008

Contributor:

Schanche, Donald A. (Interviewer)

Date:

15 June 1972

Description:

In 1972, journalist Donald A. Schanche (1926-1994) conducted a series of interviews with DeBakey as part of his research for a planned biography. Schanche worked on the project for several years, but the book was never completed. Several letters in the NLM DeBakey Papers indicate that Schanche, though a talented, experienced writer and editor, had difficulty drafting DeBakey's life story because of the sheer number and variety of DeBakey's interests and achievements. In 1976, Schanche joined the Foreign Division of the Los Angeles Times, and moved to Cairo. It appears that neither he nor DeBakey were able to follow up with the biography.. Topics covered in this interview include: Further discussion of DeBakey's wartime work; solving medical supply problems; working with Tracy Vorhees; working with statistician Gilbert Beebe on publications of the Surgeon General's office; proposing establishment of a Medical Follow Up Agency; serving on the Hoover Commission after the war, and recommending establishment of a National Library of Medicine as top priority; gathering support for NLM; getting the NLM bill through Congress; expanding his professional and political contacts during the war and post-war years; support for Medicare legislation, and relations with Presidents Kennedy and Johnson; becoming politically engaged.

Location:

Box: 2. Folder: 12

Rights:

Reproduced with permission of Anne Schanche Ferro.

Genre:

Oral histories (document genres)
Interviews
Transcripts

Format:

Text

Extent:

90 pages

Language:

English

Legacy Source Citation:

UI (NLM). FJBBWT. FJBBWT

Legacy ID:

FJBBTK

NLM ID:

101743405X313

Profiles Collection:

The Michael E. DeBakey Papers

Shareable Link:

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101743405X313