TABLE OF CONTENTS


Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement Note

Conditions of Access and Use

Administrative Information

Search Terms

Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Professonal Correspondence and Project Files. 1953-1979.

Series B. Personal. 1944-1983.

A Finding Aid to the Leon Felson papers. 1944-1983.

Manuscript Collection No. 349


Introduction

Repository: The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
Creator: Felson, Leon, 1918-1979
Title: Leon Felson Papers
Dates: 1944-1983
Quantity: 2.0 linear feet (5 Hollinger boxes)
Abstract: Correspondence, biography, reports, newsclippings and other materials.
Collection Number: MS-349
Language: Collection material in English.

Biographical Sketch

Leon Felson

Leon Felson was born in 1918 to Mr and Mrs. Saul Felson, Russian immigrants living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the youngest of eight children and graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1941 in pre-med. Felson left medical school to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. He rose from the rank of private to first lieutenant and was assigned as the regimental communications officer for the Fifteenth Marine Artillery Regiment.

Following his return from the war, Felson earned first his BS in Mathematics from Ohio State University in 1951 and his Masters of Science in Hospital Administration from Northwestern University in 1954. He served in Kansas City, Missouri before becoming the chief executive officer of Mount Sinai Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1963. He served there until 1970 when he became the first lay director of St. Mary's Hospital, also in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Felson pioneered several ideas including a hospital plan that responded to city disasters and a computerized cooperative system for patient data and hospital administrative information. He also became deeply involved in youth protests over a curfew in a park next to St. Mary's.

In 1972, Felson moved to Chicago, Illinois to direct an expanding HMO at Ravenswood Medical Center. He also served as a consultant for Blue Cross and the State of Illinois. Shortly after taking a new job in 1979, Felson was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away later that year.

Felson was married and had one son, David Felson.


Scope and Content Note

The Leon Felson Papers describe the professional career and activities of Leon Felson, a pioneer in healthcare administration and the development of health management organizations (HMOs). Felson was a longtime administrator both in Wisconsin and Illinois. The collection consists of correspondence, biography, reports, newsclippings and other materials.


Arrangement Note

This collection is arranged in two (2) series:

Series A. Professional Correspondence and Project Files. 1953-1979.
Series B. Personal. 1944-1983.

Conditions of Access and Use

Terms of Access and Use

The Leon Felson Papers are open to all users. The original manuscript collection is available in the Barrows-Loebelson Reading Room of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives.

Property and Literary Rights

Mrs. Leon Felson, by the act of donating the Leon Felson Papers to the American Jewish Archives, assigned all property rights to the American Jewish Archives. Literary rights are retained by Leon Felson and his heirs. Literary rights may also be retained by specific creators of materials.

Questions concerning rights should be addressed to the Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives. For more information see the American Jewish Archives copyright information webpage.


Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Leon Felson Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:

[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-349. Leon Felson Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Provenance

The Leon Felson Papers were received from Mrs. Leon Felson, Evanston, Illinois, in 1983, 1988, and 1990. Additioanl materials were recieved from Virginia Felson in 2007.

Processing Information

Processed by American Jewish Archives staff. Additional processing by Michelle Wirth Detroit, December, 2011.


Box and Folder Listing

Series A. Professonal Correspondence and Project Files. 1953-1979. [3.5 Hollinger boxes]
Scope and Content Note: This series consists of correspondence, clippings, programs, presentations and notes relating to Felson's career as a health care administrator. Earlier hospital positions such as St. Mary's, Menorah Hospital and Mount Sinai include more information on community relations, computer use, patient education programs and home health care. Later material such as Ravenswood and the State of Illinois focus entirely on the development of Health Management Organizations.
Arrangement Note: The series is arranged in chronological order of jobs held (with some overlap as all job material was kept together).
Box Folder
1 1 Northwestern University (student). 1953-1954, undated.
1 2 Appointment to Kansas City Medical Hospital. 1956.
1 3 Menorah Hospital. Kansas City, Missouri. 1957-1963.
1 4 Mt. Sinai Hospital. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Correspondence, nearprint, and programs. 1962-1965.
1 5 Mt. Sinai Hospital. Correspondence, nearprint, and programs. 1966-1969.
1 6 Mt. Sinai Hospital. Correspondence, nearprint, and programs. 1970.
1 7 Mt. Sinai Hospital. Goals and Objectives. 1967-1970.
Box Folder
2 1 Delivery of Health Services. State of Illinois. 1969-1973.
2 2 St. Mary's Hospital. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Correspondence, nearprint, and programs. 1970-1971.
2 3 St. Mary's Hospital. Underground Switchboard. 1970-1971.
2 4 St. Mary's Hospital. Water Tower Park Riot. 1970-1971.
2 5 State of Illinois. Consultant. 1970-1973.
2 6 State of Illinois/Blue Cross. Presentations. 1970-1973.
2 7 Wisconsin Regional Medical Program. 1970-1973.
Box Folder
3 1 Wisconsin Regional Medical Program. Finance Program. Wausau,Wisconsin. 1972-1973.
3 2 Ravenswood Prepaid Medical Group. Ravenswood Hospital. Chicago, Illinois. 1972-1974.
3 3 Ravenswood Prepaid Medical Group. 1975-1976.
3 4 Ravenswood Prepaid Medical Group. Presentation. 1977.
3 5 Ravenswood Hospital. Procedures Manual (1) . undated.
Box Folder
4 1 Ravenswood Hospital. Procedures Manual (2). undated.
4 2 Jewish Forum Presentation. 1973-1974.
4 3 Community Health Plan. Chicago, Illinois. 1978-1979.
4 4 Miscellaneous Hospital Program Notes. Unidentified. undated.
Series B. Personal. 1944-1983. [1.5 Hollinger boxes]
Scope and Content Note: This series contains personal clippings and memorabilia about Leon Felson, the Leon Felson Memorial Lecture and photographs. Also included is personal correspondence between Felson and his wife, Evelyn, along with correspondence with two of his brothers, Benjamin and Walter.
Arrangement Note: Materials arranged topically and chronologically.
Box Folder
4 5 Biographical Clippings. 1970's, undated.
4 6 Leon Felson Memorial Lecture. 1979-1983.
4 7 Photographs. 1950's-1979, undated.
Box Folder
5 1 Correspondence from Benjamin and Walter Felson [brothers] from European fronts. 1944.
5 2 Correspondence to Evelyn Felson [wife]. Hawaii. July-October 1945.
5 3 Correspondence to Evelyn Felson [wife]. Tzinatao, China. November 1945-March 1946.

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the AJA's online catalog.

Persons and Families

Felson, Leon, -- 1918-1979 -- Photographs

Subjects

Health maintenance organizations
Hospitals -- Illinois -- Evanston -- Administration
Hospitals -- Missouri -- Kansas City -- Administration
Hospitals -- Wisconsin -- Administration
Jews -- Illinois -- Evanston

Genres and Forms

Biographies
Photographs

Occupations

Hospital administrators -- Illinois -- Evanston