The Social Service Department Archives: Peking Union Medical College 1928-1951

The case records in the Social Service Department Archives of the Peking Union Medical College not only provide information on medical practices in China between 1928 and 1951, but also a wealth of information on the social and economic conditions in China at that time, particularly for women and families. The records also provide information on the philanthropic work of the Rockefeller Foundation, which provided vast amounts of grant funds for the Peking Union Medical College. Research in the archives is limited, however, by the large number of files and the lack of finding aids, as well as the everchanging attitude of the hospital administration toward researchers' use of the archives.