Walter Jarvis Barlow History of Medicine Collection Fund

Dr. Walter Jarvis Barlow was the founder of the Barlow Sanitarium for tuberculosis in 1902, a former president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) and an entrepreneur. His deep interest in medical education in Los Angeles is reflected in his twofold legacy to UCLA. The Walter Jarvis Barlow History of Medicine Collection Fund was established in 1958 with proceeds from the sale of the Barlow Library Building in downtown L.A. Although initially used to acquire rare materials, the Barlow Fund now supports the purchase of secondary historical material for the Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library History and Special Collections for the Sciences. The Barlow Medical Library Collection came to UCLA more indirectly. Begun in 1899, this collection is comprised of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century medical works and was originally donated to LACMA. When LACMA decided to close its library, the collection was transferred in 1992 to the Biomedical Library. The 14,000 volumes in this collection, along with the scholarly resources made possible by the Walter Jarvis Barlow History of Medicine Collection Fund, greatly enhance all of the disciplines relating to the impact of science and medicine on society.