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  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | National Institutes of Health

The Office of NIH History & Stetten Museum

Welcome to the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum! Discover the scientific, legislative, and social history of the National Institutes of Health.

—About the Featured Image

A Note About Visiting Us

Our exhibits are located in several buildings across the NIH campus. Visitors and researchers can contact us for more information at: history@nih.gov

Highlights

A Short History of the NIH 

How NIH grew from a one-room laboratory to become the largest biomedical research agency in the world.

  • a cropped image of the Nirenberg exhibit to represent exhibits generally

    Exhibits

    The DeWitt Stetten Jr. Museum of Medical Research, established in 1986, preserves and interprets the material culture of the scientific work of the NIH. In conjunction with the broader Office of NIH History, the Stetten Museum collects biomedical research instruments, photographs, videos, journals, oral histories, and objects related to the general history of the NIH, including architectural artifacts, artwork, and clothing.

  • a cropped image of a box indexing archived slides

    Collections

    The Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum holds many collections: objects, images, and documents, and books. We have over 3,100 objects and thousands of photographs related to NIH history. There are many ways to search our collections.

  • FDR speaking at the NIH

    Archives

    The Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum was established to increase historical understanding of the National Institutes of Health and biomedical science among NIH staff, scholars, and the general public. The Office serves as a source of information for NIH history by maintaining a subject and biographical ready-reference collection.

Cover of 2022 report with blue background with microscopes on it


ONHM 2022 Annual Report

Learn about the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum's most recent projects, exhibits, and acquisitions, while finding out more about our history too.  (15 MB)

Caroline Hannaway, PhD (1943 to 2024)

ONHM was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Caroline Hannaway, PhD., an historian and editor in our office from 1992 until 2008. ONHM owes her an enduring debt of gratitude for her many contributions to this office and to the history of NIH itself.

Welcome our new Senior Curator!

ONHM is delighted to welcome Dr. Loren E. Miller as its new Senior Curator. She succeeds Founding Curator Michele Lyons, who retired in December 2023. Dr. Miller holds a PhD in U.S. History from American University and comes to ONHM from the Smithsonian, where she contributed to several exhibitions, publications, and public programs. As curator and historian at the National Library of Medicine from 2012 to 2017, she co-developed a wide range of highly successful exhibits, teaching plans, and digital content. We’re looking forward to her help in bringing NIH history into the future!
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