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MSS 169 in Boise State University, Albertsons Library (Boise, Idaho) Special Collections Department
Dr. George E. Brown, Jr., of Twin Falls, Idaho, was both friend and physician to Vardis Fisher. Born in Miles City, Montana, on March 24, 1913, he received both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan. Brown was Vardis Fisher’s physician in the early 1950s, until he left Idaho to accept an appointment as assistant professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati, a position he held from 1957 until 1960. When he returned to Idaho, he and Vardis Fisher resumed their medical and social relationship, which lasted until Fisher’s death in 1968. Dr. Brown presented this collection of 46 letters and postcards to Boise State University in 1986. Most of them were written by Fisher. Because Twin Falls was a long distance call from Fisher’s home in Hagerman, Fisher communicated with Dr. Brown via the U.S. mail. While the subject matter of the letters is mainly medical, Fisher includes references to his literary work. It is apparent from the letters that Brown read Fisher’s books and discussed them with him, though Fisher chided him, "As a literary critic, you are as big a bum as I am a doctor..." (November 5, 1965). The letters also reveal that Brown and his wife Martha occasionally exchanged visits with Vardis and Opal Fisher. A notable document in the collection is a personal medical history Fisher compiled for Brown in 1961. In more than one letter Fisher freely discussed his drinking habits, reporting both his periods of abstinence and his binges. In 1967 he wrote: "Alcohol is one of my best friends: it is the only
thing I have that enables Photocopies of the letters and postcards presented by Dr. Brown to the Boise State University Library are assembled in a binder in chronological order. Originals are available for consultation if necessary. Dr. Brown died in Boise, Idaho, on March 23, 2004.
Calendar of Letters and Postcards MSS 169 All of the letters and postcards from Vardis Fisher to George E. Brown, Jr., were typed; most were signed in a longhand signature, "Vardis." Dates of many of the postcards were derived from the postmarks; some dates (in square brackets [ ]) were inferred from context. All items are one page in length unless otherwise noted. 1954 Oct 10, VF to Brown 1954 Oct 12 , Brown to VF 1955 Feb 26, VF to Brown 1957 Apr 15, VF to Brown 1960 Feb 22 , VF to Dr. Bernard L. Kreilkamp Medical history (one page) 1961 Mar 1, VF to Brown; medical history (2 pages) 1961 Mar 15, VF to Brown 1961 Apr 3, VF to Brown 1961 Apr 10, VF to Brown 1961 May 15, VF to Brown 1961 Aug 18 , F to Brown 1961 Dec 6, Felix Marti-Ibanez (MD Publications) to Brown 1962 Mar 20, VF to Brown 1963 Apr 25, VF to Brown 1963 Apr 28 , VF to Brown [1963 Oct] VF to Brown 1964 Feb 7, VF to Brown 1964 Apr 11, VF to Brown 1964 May 5, VF to Brown 1964 May 9, VF to Brown 1964 Jun 6, VF to Brown 1964 Nov 12, VF to Brown 1965 Nov 1, VF to Brown 1965 Nov 5, VF to Brown 1965 Nov 15, VF to Brown 1965 Nov 16, VF to Brown 1965 Dec 19, VF to Brown and his wife Martha ("Marty") 1966 Mar 28, VF to Brown 1966 May 12 , VF to Brown 1966 Jun 15, VF to Brown 1966 Jun 18, VF to Brown ("Dear doctor and friend George") 1966 Aug 8, VF to Brown 1966 Dec 28 , VF to Brown 1967 Feb 27 , VF to Brown 1967 Mar 3, VF to Brown [1967 Apr] Brown to Opal and Vardis Fisher 1967 Apr 9, VF to Brown 1967 Apr 12 , VF to Brown [1967 Apr] VF to Brown 1968 Apr 16, VF to Brown 1968 May 29, VF to Brown 1968 Jun 2, VF to Brown 1968 Jun 21, VF to Brown undated VF to Brown undated VF to Brown, enclosing copy of "Orphan With a Gun," a mimeographed review of Fisher’s books by Andrew Offutt
Collection number: MSS 169 --Alan Virta, 1998 Return to Manuscript List Biographical information on George E. Brown, Jr., was derived from Biographical Directory of the American College of Physicians (Bowker, 1979). His obituary was published in the Idaho Statesman on March 26, 2004.
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