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Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center Historical Files


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
This series contains a wide assortment of records, compiled at Utica and Marcy State Hospitals, that were determined to possess historical value. The records document treatments and facility conditions, patient life, staff life and training, and facility expansion. Records cover a wide array of subjects related to the development, functions, and operations of the institution from its earliest days as the State Lunatic Asylum to its current identity as Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center.
Creator:
Title:
Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center historical files
Quantity:

20.25 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:
1849-1996
Series Number:
B1582

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record.

Administrative History

Marcy Division of the Utica State Hospital opened December 4, 1922. Effective July 1, 1931, Marcy Division was established by the legislature (Laws of 1931, Chapter 106) as a separate institution within the Department of Mental Hygiene, known as Marcy State Hospital. On July 1, 1931, 2,086 patients (1,230 men and 856 women) were transferred to Marcy State Hospital from Utica. Patients remaining at Utica numbered 1,764 (856 men, 908 women).

Marcy State Hospital became Marcy Psychiatric Center according to the Laws of 1974, Chapter 558. In 1985, the legislature (Laws of 1985, Chapter 913) amended the Mental Hygiene Law to consolidate the Utica Psychiatric Center and the Marcy Psychiatric Center into one facility, named the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center.

Scope and Content Note

B1582-97: This series contains a wide assortment of record types considered to be historical or archival in nature, which were collected by volunteer archivists of Utica State Hospital (later Utica Psychiatric Center). A small amount of records relate to Marcy State Hospital (later Marcy Psychiatric Center). The records were collected and preserved for their historical interest, to provide information to the public, or for research value in the areas of treatments and conditions, patient life, staff life and training, and facility expansion. The records cover a wide array of subjects related to the development, functions, and operations of the institution from its earliest days as the State Lunatic Asylum to its most current identity as Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center.

Types of documents include reports of committees to the superintendent; receipts for unclaimed bodies; letters of application; construction specifications; bids, proposals, and contracts; coal estimates; deeds and leases; legal documents; patients' accounts of their experiences; teaching material (lectures); newspaper clippings; photographs; maps; inspection reports; notes on Utica Psychiatric Center history; building descriptions; record disposition schedules; notes on history of psychiatry; brochures; programs; correspondence; audio tapes; and manuals.

Subjects include finance; construction; patient recreation and therapy; staff training; personnel events; history of psychiatry and treatment of the mentally ill; merger of Utica Psychiatric Center and Marcy Psychiatric Center; and past directors.

B1582-98: These historical records contain a variety of record types. A large portion of the records consists of Executive Committee meeting minutes (1977-1985) and files relating to the accreditation of the facility by the Joint Commission of Hospital Accreditation (1961-1986). Other files include photocopies of newspaper clippings of articles related to mental health issues (1987); Marcy State Hospital audit reports (1940-1963); plans and proposal for a new building (1984); minutes of various committees; and minutes of the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center Auxiliary (1982-1996).

B1582-01: This accretion contains twenty scrapbooks created at Utica State Hospital (later Utica Psychiatric Center). One volume pertains specifically to Marcy State Hospital (later Marcy Psychiatric Center). The scrapbooks primarily contain newspaper clippings relating to the facility, its staff, and patients. Notable events such as groundbreakings and the arrival of distinguished visitors are among the topics of the clippings. The scrapbooks also contain numerous programs dealing with many special events at the facility including graduation exercises; visitors' days; medical conferences; Christmas celebrations; May Day festivals; field days; and the laying of corner stones. A small amount of correspondence between staff and newspaper editors is also included (1899-1902). Several volumes contain black and white photographs depicting retirement parties, graduations, field days, and miscellaneous entertainment.

Acquisition Information

The records were transferred to the State Archives during May-September 1997 from Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center under RDA 19266.

Custodial History

B1582-97: Most of these records were collected by Lyle and Barbara Engell as unofficial archivists for Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center. The exact provenance of individual items is not known, but cursory review indicates segments of material have been maintained as separate collections for considerable time. Some of the records may have been part of the subject files of the superintendent.

Access Restrictions

Portions of these records are restricted in accordance with Mental Hygiene Law, Section 33.13, relating to confidentiality of clinical records. Access is permitted under certain conditions upon approval by the New York State Office of Mental Health.

Access Terms

Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):

Detailed Description

Dates Contents Box Folder

Accretion: B1582-97
1888 Committee Reports 1 1
1888 Reports: quarterly and monthly meetings 1 2
Superintendent's monthly reports to Board of Managers; 1 3
1889 Memoranda of meetings of Board of Managers 1 4
1890 Memoranda of meetings of Board of Managers 1 5
1891-1898 Receipts for unclaimed bodies from Albany Medical College 2 1
1890 Letters of Application for position of Woman Assistant Physician 2 2
1886 Reconstruction on Rear Cross Wing - approval of comptroller and abstract of specifications 2 3
Specifications for bakery and warehouse 2 4
Specifications for hose house 2 5
Specifications for bath house 2 6
1889 Specifications for new hay barn 2 7
1886 Specifications for amusement hall and approval of contracts 2 8
1886-1887 Proposal for electric lighting and contract with Edison Co. 2 9
Specifications for repairs to laundry 2 10
Contract for Electric clock; 2 11
Furniture bids 2 12
1889 Resolutions and proposals submitted at meeting of Building Committee 2 13
Specifications for repairs in wards nos. 1, 6, and 10 of the Male Department 2 14
Mason's specifications for building sun-rooms and corridor, connecting with westerly end of west front wing 2 15
Specifications for the erecting and finishing of a two-story brick building between the amusement hall and women's ward 2 16
Specifications for the proposed changes in the dining-room 2 17
1879 Coal estimates, heating plans, 1879 2 18
1831-1901 Deeds and leases 2 19
ca. 1930s Private legal documents of cases regarding hospital patients 2 20
1849 "The Asylum Souvenir" Amariah Brigham [typed copy] 3 1
1887-1890 "Chronicle of Entertainments" 3 2
1908 Patient's account of experiences leading to his present condition 3 3
1913-1924 Memoranda, directives, agency correspondence, 3 4
1917-1922 Minutes of the State Hospital Development Commission Insofar as They Apply to the State Hospital Commission 3 5
1927 Psychopathology lectures 3 6
1906, 1911 Lectures - typed Meyer & Hoch 3 7
Typescript "Meyers Mental Status" instructions/procedures 3 8
1892 Papers on appeal from Orders of the Supreme Court. Oneida Co. Supreme Court 3 9
1890 Letters of a Paranoiac 3 10
1884 Asylum Investigation Scrapbook 3 11
1939-1947 Log book of personnel events, visits, resignations and other events 3 12
Food supply photographs 3 13
1955 Clothing transfer book 3 14
Blueprint maps of Utica State Hospital (1957) and Marcy State Hospital (1940) 3 15
Photographs of hospital food supplies in storage 3 16
1958 Report of the Utica State Hospital by Central Inspection Board of American Psychiatric Association 3 17
1968 Daily absentee record 3 18
Notes on Utica State Hospital history 3 19
1983 Utica State Hospital buildings list, descriptions, and chronological essay 3 20
1959-1976 Occupational Therapy Dept: art exhibit photos and newspaper clippings 3 21
1966, 1989 Disposition schedule for Patient Case Records Destroyed 3 22
1978 Nursing School philosophy, objetives, and history 3 23
1993 "Not Above A Whisper" [Dorthea Dix] script 3 24
ca. 1984 Notes on history of psychiatry/Utica State Hospital 3 25
1988, 1993 Brochures 3 26
1994 "Day...Today," 3 27
ca. 1890 Approximately 1500 work request slips 4 1
1879-1890 Approximately 1300 receipts for coal delivered 4 2
1944-1960 Approximately 200 thank you letters from former patients and relatives of patients to director and staff of Marcy State Hospital 4 3
7" Audio tape, unidentified 4 4
7" Audio tape, "Comment" 15 minute TV appearance 1/11/72 and "Concern" - 30 minute TV special - Open House - Main Building 1/19/72 4 5
5" Audio tape, patient care cert. training 4 6
5 mini-cassette audio tapes, "Barb Engell," 4 7
Historical background 5 1
Newspaper clippings (history) 5 2
Pamphlets on history of psychiatry 5 3
Study for rehabilitation of building 31 5 4
Building structure inventory 5 5
Landmark Society tour 5 6
Historical record inventory 5 7
"Umbrella" Spotlight on Main Building 5 8
Restraints 5 9
1938-1940, 1973-1975 "The Pillars" 5 10
Patient work programs 5 11
1936-1939 Family care for patients 5 12
Marcy School of Nursing newspaper clippings 6 1
1972-1984 Marcy Psychiatric Center newspaper clippings 6 2
Marcy State Hospital history 6 3
Dept. of Mental Hygiene orientation 6 4
1972 Task Force on Greater Community Involvement 6 5
1972-1990 Hospital Archivist correspondence 6 6
1870 "Two Years in the Lunatic Asylum at Utica," [copy] 6 7
1976 Utica Psychiatric Center/Marcy Psychiatric Center Merger Task Force 6 8
1975 Ad Hoc Committee to Save Utica Psychiatric Center 6 9
Correspondence, reference inquiries regarding former patients 7 1
Patients rights 7 2
Local hospitals 7 3
1973-1985 Local news items 7 4
1976 Dept. of Mental Hygiene investigation 7 5
1987 "Mental Health, United States, 1987," National Institute of Mental Health 7 6
Rome Development Center 7 7
Mental retardation 7 8
Utilization Review Committee 7 9
1970-1973 Volunteers 7 10
ca. 1974 Professional Standards Review Organizations (PRSO) 7 11
Energy/environment 7 12
1978-1980 Central New York Psychiatric Center newspaper clipping file 8 1
1984-1991 Local prison newspaper clipping file 8 2
1972 Photographs and newspaper clippings from open house 8 3
1976 WBIX editorial and response 8 4
1971-1973 Utica State Hospital newspaper clippings 8 5
1969-1993 Current events (press releases, programs, brochures, etc.) 8 6
Prints and photographs of past directors 8 7
1980-1993 Obituaries of Utica State Hospital employees 8 8
1954-1985 Retirements 8 9
1947 Richard H. Hutchings 8 10
Mental hygiene physicians 8 11
Amariah Brigham 8 12
1825-1886 John P. Gray, 1825-1886. 8 13
Board of managers pictures 8 14
1971-1986 Utica State Hospital newspaper clipping file 8 15
1973 November 10 Variety show 8 16
Utica State Hospital television program 8 17
1983 July 13 Main Building 140 Years: Schedule for picnic 8 18
1977-1979 Health Fair 8 19
1976 Bicentennial meetings 8 20
1976 May 30, June 5 Concern Show, aired 5/30, 6/5/76. 8 21
1962, 1968 Strike at state hospitals 8 22
1974 Diet Manual, Dept. of Mental Hygiene 9 1
1974 Admission Procedure Manual, Fulmont Unit, Utica State Hospital 9 2
1964 Interpersonal Behavior In Nursing, School of Nursing, Utica State Hospital 9 3
1971 Utica State Hospital Nursing Procedure Manual 9 4
1964-1965 Sick Leave Survey 9 5
1958 Dept. of Mental Hygiene, Institution Personnel Administration Manual 9 6
1956 Ward Manual, Pilgrim State Hospital 9 7
1984 Chaplain Procedures Manual, Marcy Psychiatric Center 9 8
1972-1974 Marcy/Utica Planning Committee Meeting Minutes 9 9
Subject/article files relating to history of Utica State Hospital 9 10
1911 Audit Report by the Audit Company of New York on the State Commission in Lunacy 10 1
1948-1966 Scrapbook - Marcy State Hospital newspaper clippings 10 2

Accretion: B1582-98
New building plans and maps 1 1
Unarranged Files 1 2
1960-1986 Accreditation 1 3
1940-1963 Marcy State Hospital Audit Reports 1 4
Consolidation subject files 1 5
1984 New buildings proposal 1 6
Senator Donovan Select Committee 1 7
1842 September 7 Board of Managers Minutes (photocopy) 1 8
1961-1986 Executive Committee meeting minutes 2 1
Planning 2 2
1978-1983 Utica Psychiatric Center - Patient Council minutes 2 3
1978 Medical Records Committee 2 4
Mortality Committee 2 5
Clippings 3 1
1974-1977 Schenectady County Fair files 3 2
1982-1996 Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center Auxiliary meeting minutes 3 3