Frederic T. (Josh) Billings, Jr. Papers

Collection

Identifier: EBL-0006

Staff Only

Collection Scope and Content Summary

Personal papers of long-time Vanderbilt Department of Medicine faculty member Frederic Tremaine "Josh" Billings. Materials include: correspondence; reports and dissertation; tapes; committee and administrative work; and material relating to the Center for Health Services; Student Health Coalition; the Vanderbilt Medical Library; and geriatrics. Most of the material within this collection was generated from 1960-1985.

Correspondence is arranged in several ways: alphabetically, by name, by subject, and also by year. The collection contains various VUSM reports, meeting minutes, proposals, and projects from the time when Dr. Billings served as the Dean of Medical Students from 1960-1967 and as Associate Dean for Medical Center Development Programs from 1967-1975. The collection also contains materials that reflect Dr. Billings' commitment to the community outside of Vanderbilt including information about Meharry Medical College and rural health care in other Tennessee counties.

Dates

1925 - 1990

Creator

Billings, F. Tremaine (Frederic Tremaine) (Person)

Notes about Access to this Collection

All collections are subject to applicable Vanderbilt University privacy and confidentiality policies. Collection specific restrictions: No Restrictions.

Reproduction Rights

Copyright is retained by History of Medicine Collections, Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University or is retained by the authors of specific published items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Historical or Biographical Note

Dr. Frederic Tremaine "Josh" Billings (1912-2007) was a long-time Vanderbilt Department of Medicine professor and physician. His research interests included infectious diseases, rural health care, and heart, lung, and circulatory disorders.

Born in Pittsburgh, PA on February 22, 1912, Dr. Billings received his B.S. from Princeton University in 1933. After Princeton, as a Rhodes Scholar he studied medicine at Oxford University, where he earned a B.S. degree from Balliol College University of Oxford in 1936. Upon returning to the United States he continued his studies and received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1938. Dr. Billings then began his career at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) in 1938 as a member of the house staff. During World War II Dr. Billings was commissioned Lt. Col. and Chief of the General Medicine Branch of the Consultants Division, U.S. Army, from 1942-1946. He then joined VUSM's faculty (1946-1995). Dr. Billings served as the Dean of Medical Students from 1960-1967 and as Associate Dean for Medical Center Development Programs from 1967-1975. He also served as Professor and Chair of Meharry's Department of Medicine from 1950-1957. Dr. Billings was Professor Emeritus in Medicine at VUSM from 1995-2007. He died in Nashville, on September 18, 2007.