Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Linwood D. Keyser Papers, Ms1972-006, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Linwood D. Keyser Papers were donated to Newman Library following Dr. Keyser's death.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Linwood D. Keyser Papers commenced in July 2011 and was completed in August 2011.

Biographical Note

Linwood Dickens Keyser, the son of Ernest L. and Lillie Dickens Keyser, was born in Texas around 1893. The elder Keyser was a native of Virginia, and in 1900 returned with his family to Virginia, settling in Roanoke. Linwood Keyser graduated from the University of Virginia in 1914 and from Johns Hopkins University in 1918. Continuing his education, Keyser obtained a master's degree in pathology at the University of Minnesota and later studied at the Mayo Clinic. By 1920, Keyser was working at a hospital in New York. He later returned to Roanoke and established a surgical practice, specializing in urology, and contributed a number of articles on the subject to various medical journals. He was elected to the American College of Surgeons in 1928 and the American Board of Urology in 1935. Dr. Keyser died on October 12, 1952, and was buried in Roanoke's Evergreen Cemetery.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the papers of Dr. Linwood D. Keyser, a urologist in Roanoke, Virginia during the first half of the 20th century. The nature of these items suggests that nearly all of them had all been framed and hung in Dr. Keyser's office. The collection consists almost entirely of diplomas, certificates, photographs, and reproductions of artwork.

Dr. Keyser's activities and accomplishments are documented in a number of items, including diplomas from the University of Virginia, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Minnesota; a license to practice medicine in the state of Maryland; a Virginia State Board of Medical Examiners certificate, an appointment to the Medical Section of the Army Officers' Reserve Corps, and membership certificates in various professional organizations. Also included are membership certificates from three fraternal organizations and a certificate appointing Dr. Keyser's father, Ernest L. Keyser, the postmaster of Roanoke, Virginia.

The images in the collection consist largely of portrait-style photographs of other physicians, many of which have been inscribed to Dr. Keyser. Included is a photo of Dr. William Mayo wearing surgical garb in a surgical preparation room, and three photos of Dr. Keyser and other physicians in this same room. The collection also contains images of other famous and historical figures in medicine, obtained from magazines and other sources. Other images in the collection include photographs of various medical buildings as well as postcard sets depicting medical buildings of Rochester, Minnesota, and scenes from the history of anaesthesia. Also included is a 15-card Copley color card set containing images from Edwin Austin Abbey's Quest of the Holy Grail with captions.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by item type.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Folk, historical, and patent medicine
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Medicine

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Linwood D. Keyser Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).