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The Office of NIH History & Stetten Museum at the National Institutes of Health

The Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum at the National Institutes of Health advances the historical understanding of the biomedical research conducted at the National Institutes of Health by documenting, preserving, and interpreting records and artifacts. The office creates exhibits and other products, and helps scholars and researchers to navigate the rich history of the National Institutes of Health.

Mission Statement

The Office of NIH History at the National Institutes of Health exists to advance historical understanding of biomedical research within the NIH and the world. Through preserving records of significant NIH achievements, innovative exhibits, and educational programs, the Office of NIH History explores the past to enhance present understanding of the health sciences and the National Institutes of Health.

The History of the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum

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The Cloisters at NIH

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Courtesy NCI Visuals Online

The NIH Office of History and Stetten Museum is located in Building 60, The Cloister. Formerly the Home of the Sisters of Visitation of Washington DC, currently serves NIH as the Mary Woodward Lasker Center for Health Research and Education. Constructed in 1923, the building predates the NIH in Bethesda.

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In the early 1950s, Louise Endicott, a long-time member of the National Institutes of Health Scientific Reports Branch, asked to be appointed as an unofficial agency historian. Ms. Endicott retired in 1956 and in 1962, Dr. Wyndham Miles was appointed as the first professional historian for the National Institutes of Health. He served until 1974, when he moved to the History of Medicine Division at the National Library of Medicine.

During the years leading up to the National Institutes of Health centennial commemoration, Dr. DeWitt Stetten, Jr., NIH Deputy Director for Science (emeritus) proposed establishment of a museum of medical research instruments to preserve the material heritage of biomedical research. In October 1986, the museum, combined with a revived NIH History Office, was created, and Dr. Victoria A. Harden was appointed NIH Historian and Curator. In May 1987, the museum was renamed in honor of Dr. Stetten. In 2002, the organization was renamed the Office of NIH History with two components, the Historical Research Unit and the Stetten Museum. Dr. Harden retired in 2006 and Dr. Robert Martensen served as director from 2007 through 2012.

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C. Everett Koop in Surgeon General uniform, at Windows into NIH History

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Opening of the DeWitt Stetten Museum with C. Everett Koop in uniform

Oversight

The Office of NIH History is a component of the Office of Intramural Research (OIR) in the Office of the Director. OIR is responsible for the budget and operational authority of the Office of NIH History. In planning for the work of the office, the Deputy Director of Intramural Research and the Director of the Office of NIH History are advised by a committee of Federal scientists and officials appointed by the NIH Director and by non-NIH historians on an ad-hoc basis.

Related Pages

Visit the Virtual Exhibits page for an index of current and past exhibits.

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