Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Sidney Marks Papers, 1946-1988
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Marks, Sydney
- Title
- Sidney Marks Papers
- Dates
- 1946-1988 (inclusive)19461988
- Quantity
- 10.5 Linear feet of shelf space, (21 boxes)
- Collection Number
- Cage 767 (collection)
- Summary
- These papers document Sidney Marks's professional activities as a research scientist with a special expertise in the health effects of radiation.
- Repository
-
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open and available for research use.
- Languages
- English, with a few items in German and Japanese.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Sidney Marks was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 28, 1918. He initially trained as a medical doctor with a specialty certification in human pathology. He received his medical degree in 1942 from the University of Illinois and obtained a board certification in pathology in 1947. He worked as a pathologist for the Veterans Administration Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1947 to 1948, and in 1950 he moved to Richland, Washington.
In Richland, he worked both at Kadlec Hospital and at General Electric Hanford's Biology Laboratory. His work at Hanford cultivated a new interest in the effects of low-level radiation exposure and inspired him to further his education. In 1961, he earned a Master of Science degree in physics from the University of Idaho and a Ph.D. in biostatistics at the University of California Los Angeles in 1970.
His dual skills in medicine and biostatistics, along with his keen interest in radiation, led Dr. Marks to a long and productive career with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the Energy Research Development Administration (ERDA, predecessor of the Department of Energy), and the U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
In 1971, after several years in graduate school and an appointment as associate professor at University of Maryland Medical School, Marks joined the Atomic Energy Commission's Division of Biology and Medicine (later the ERDA). He served as the agency's coordinator of human studies and biostatistics until 1976. While in this position he worked with the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC), oversaw health physics studies and radiobiology of uranium studies, and was involved in the highly controversial epidemiologic study of Hanford workers commonly known as the Mancuso study.
In 1976, Marks left the ERDA and returned to Richland to accept a position as program manager for epidemiological studies at Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Program. Dr. Marks was instrumental in the creation of the United States Uranium Registry and the development of standard for uranium exposure.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
These papers document Sidney Marks's professional activities as a research scientist with a special expertise in the health effects of radiation. The collection includes reports, scientific data, correspondence, printed materials, and literature relating to Marks's professional activities.
Series 1: The Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC), 1940s-1970s -- This series includes reports, correspondence, and documents related to Dr. Marks's trip to Japan as part of the ABCC.
Series 2: The Conference and Symposia files, 1970s-1980s -- This series contains correspondence, programs, meeting notes, and papers from the conferences, symposia, and courses attended by Dr. Marks. These include the Heath Physics Society annual meeting, the National Council on Radiation, Department of Energy meetings and workshops, and the American College of Nuclear Medicine.
Series 3: The Hanford Mortality Study, 1970s-1980 -- This series documents Dr. Marks's deep involvement in the controversy that erupted over the study, primarily conducted by Dr. Thomas F. Mancuso. Dr. Mancuso was an epidemiologist contracted by the AEC in 1965 to study the long-term effects of low dose radiation exposure in nuclear bomb workers. In the mid-1970s, Mancuso's contract with the AEC was terminated. His termination led to much controversy within the nuclear community, among radiation scholars, and in popular press. Dr. Marks was Mancuso's AEC supervisor and took over the study after Mancuso was fired. The collection includes correspondence, Congressional testimony, drafts of the study, documentation of related research, and much of the literature surrounding the controversy and results of the Hanford Mortality Study.
Series 4: The Assurance Program for Remedial Action Project (APRA), 1980 -- This series includes a description of the project, correspondence, and reports. Marks served as one of the principal investigators for this project. Conducted at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Battelle Memorial Institute, the purpose of this project was to provide technical support and assistance to the Department of Energy's Office of Operation Safety in implementing its Assurance Program for Remedial Action. Marks and his associates provided review, technical support and advice to the Operational Safety staff in developing the procedural and technical content of the APRA, including Quality Assurance reviews and appraisals, radiological dose criteria evaluations and recommendations, and risk assessment reviews and appraisals.
Series 5: Subject files, 1960-1980s -- Much of the material in the Subject Files series consists of literature dedicated to Dr. Marks's professional interest in the health effects of long term low dose radiation exposure both natural and manmade and the controversies surrounding this highly debated issue.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
[Item Description] Sidney Marks Papers, 1946-1988
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, 1940s-1970sReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 1 | 1 | Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes, 1961
and 1962 |
| 1 | 2 | Program Review, 1962 |
| 1 | 3 | History of Commission Development, 1963
and 1967 |
| 1 | 4 | Report on Future of the
Commission |
| 1 | 5 | Miscellaneous correspondence,
1959-1968 |
| 1 | 6-7 | Research and Register Protocols,
1964-1973 |
| 1 | 8 | Administrative Flow Chart,
1968 |
| 1 | 9 | Commission Reorganization,
1968-1975 |
| 1 | 10 | National Academy of Sciences Review of
Commission, 1975 |
| 1 | 11-12 | Annual and Semi-Annual Reports,
1950-1955 |
| 2 | 13-16 | Annual and Semi-Annual Reports,
1950-1955 |
| 2 | 17-18 | Annual Reports, 1968-1972 |
| 3 | 19-20 | Annual Reports, 1968-1972 |
| 3 | 21 | Manhattan Engineer District (report on
atomic bombings), undated |
| 3 | 22 | Report on Hiroshima bombing,
undated |
| 3 | 23 | Casualties and Damages Report (atomic
bombings), 1952 |
| 3 | 24 | Atomic Energy Commission Reports on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki (bombing affects), 1963 and 1966 |
| 3 | 25 | ABCC Technical Reports (health of atomic
bomb survivors), 1954, 1964, 1976-1978, 1982 |
| 3 | 26 | Naval Reports (Marshall Island and
Nagasaki skin burn victims; and yield of Hiroshima weapon), 1955 and
1965 |
| 4 | 27-28 | Civil Defense Report (analysis of Japanese
casualty data), 1966 |
| 4 | 29 | Atomic Bomb Survivors in the United States
(correspondence and press clippings), 1972 and 1974 |
| 4 | 30 | Bibliography of Publications Concerning
Effect of Nuclear Explosions, 1960 and 1961 |
| 4 | 31 | Comparison of Skeletal Maturation with
Dental Status in Children (article manuscript copy), 1953 |
| 4 | 32 | Darling, George (correspondence),
1969-1972 |
| 4 | 33 | Declassified documents on the effects of
the Atomic Bombs in Japan (report), 1965 |
| 4 | 34 | Delayed Consequences of Exposure to
Ionizing Radiation (symposium articles), 1971 |
| 4 | 35 | Division of Biology and Medicine
(correspondence), 1962-1972 |
| 4 | 36 | Dunham, Charles (correspondence), 1962 and
1970 |
| 4 | 37 | Epidemiology of Lung Cancer (article
manuscript copy), 1974 |
| 4 | 38 | Goldstein, Joseph (International Congress
of Radiology trip report), 1969 |
| 4 | 39-40 | Health and Atomic Bomb Survivors (reports
and studies), 1962-1986 and undated |
| 5 | 41 | Hiroshima University (bibliography of
research papers by science faculty), 1985 |
| 5 | 42 | Hole, David (correspondence),
1986 |
| 5 | 43 | Impact of Atomic Energy Industry on
Community Health (report), 1955 |
| 5 | 44 | Japan Trip (trip report by John B.
Storer), 1968 |
| 5 | 45 | Japan Trip (trip report by R.L. Hays),
1971 |
| 5 | 46 | Japan Trip (schedule, Marks meeting notes,
ticket stubs, receipts, reports, press clipping), 1975 |
| 5 | 47 | Japanese press (English translations of
atomic bomb related articles), 1960 |
| 5 | 48-49 | Japan Science Promotion Society (report),
1953 |
| 5 | 50 | Kyogikai for the Adult Health Study
(meeting minuets), 1963 |
| 5 | 51 | Kyoto University (brochure),
1956 |
| 5 | 52 | Radiation Effects Research Foundation
(report on cancer mortality in bomb survivors and newsletters), 1982 and
1985 |
| 5 | 53 | Royal Society of London Explosive Yields
at Hiroshima and Nagasaki (report), 1970 |
| 5 | 54 | Typical Japanese dwelling (specifications
and design blueprints), 1956 |
| 5 | 55 | Marshall Islands (correspondence and press
clippings), 1974 |
| 5 | 56 | National Academy of Sciences (budget and
correspondence), 1970 and 1972 |
| 5 | 57 | Problems of Measurement of Aging in the
Human Population (report), 1972 |
| 6 | 58 | Radioactive Dust from Nuclear Detonation
(report), 1954 |
| 6 | 59-62 | U.S. Strategic Bomb Survey of Physical
Damages (report), 1946 |
| 6 | 63-64 | U.S. Strategic Bomb Survey Heath and
Medical Services and Japanese Wartime Standard of Living (reports),
1947 |
Series 2: Conference and Symposia Files, 1970s-1980sReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 6 | 65 | Human genetics course materials
(University of Washington), 1976 |
| 6 | 66 | Conference on radiation associated thyroid
carcinoma (program), 1976 |
| 6 | 67 | Department of Energy meeting and workshop
on oil shale (press clipping, registration list, and introductory
comments by Marks), 1977 |
| 6 | 68-69 | Symposium on the late biological effects
of ionizing radiation (program, correspondence, report 1978 |
| 7 | 70 | Heath Physics Society annual meeting
(newsletters, programs, abstracts, and notes), 1976 and 1978 |
| 7 | 71 | Department of Energy statistical symposium
(program), 1980 |
| 7 | 72 | Radon Specialists meeting (notes,
abstracts, and correspondence), 1980 |
| 7 | 73 | Hazards to the fetus course materials
(University of Washington), 1980 |
| 7 | 74 | American College of Nuclear Medicine
annual meeting (program, abstracts, and correspondence),
1980 |
| 7 | 75 | Department of Energy health and mortality
studies review meeting (agenda), 1980 |
| 7 | 76 | Environ Metrics symposium (program and
correspondence), 1981 and 1982 |
| 7 | 77 | Radiation hazards in mining meeting
(contact lists and notes), 1981 |
| 7 | 78 | American Association for the Advancement
of Science annual meeting (program, correspondence, and notes), 1981 and
1982 |
| 7 | 79 | International symposium on biomedical
effects of ozone (program), 1982 |
| 7 | 80 | Department of Energy radiation
epidemiology contractors' workshop (correspondence and presentation),
1982 |
| 7 | 81-82 | National Council on Radiation
(correspondence, reports, annual meeting programs),
1979-1988 |
| 8 | 83 | National Council on Radiation
(continued) |
Series 3: The Hanford Mortality Study, 1970s-1980Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 8 | 84 | Argonne National Laboratory (mortality
study), 1959 |
| 8 | 85-89 | Mancuso, Thomas F. (correspondence,
reports, testimony, presentations, article manuscript copies), 1965,
1970-1984 |
| 8 | 90 | Project feasibility study,
1966 |
| 9 | 91-92 | Retrospective and data acquisition report,
1969 |
| 9 | 93-98 | Mancuso progress report (numbers 6, 7, 8,
9 and 10), 1970-1974 |
| 10 | 99-100 | Mancuso progress reports (numbers 11 and
13), 1975 and 1977 |
| 10 | 101-102 | Stewart, Alice (correspondence, reports,
and article manuscript copies), 1970-1978 |
| 10 | 103 | Radiation protection standards,
1971 |
| 10 | 104 | Sanders, Barkev S. (article manuscript
copies), 1971 and 1972 |
| 10 | 105 | Medical Research Council (Robin H. Mole
correspondence), 1974-1982 |
| 10 | 106 | Blot, William J. (letter to Marks),
1975 |
| 10 | 107-108 | Gilbert, Ethel S. (article manuscript
copies), 1975-1985 |
| 11 | 109 | National Radiological Protection Board
(correspondence, bulletins, press release), 1976-1985 |
| 11 | 110-111 | Marks, Sidney (article manuscript copies,
project status report, press briefings, narrative of his involvement
with the project and the Mancuso controversy, and correspondence),
1976-1984 |
| 11 | 112 | British Nuclear Fuels (Geoff B. Schofield
correspondence and obituary) 1976-1985 |
| 11 | 113 | Milham, Samuel (article manuscript copy
and evaluation by Mancuso team), 1976 |
| 11 | 114 | John Abbotts and the Public Interest
Research Group (letter from Battelle and requested documents),
1976 |
| 11 | 115-116 | Press clippings 1976-1979, 1981, 1985, and
undated |
| 11 | 117 | Project history, 1977, 1983, and
undated |
| 11 | 118 | Anderson, Terrence (correspondence and
review of Mancuso), 1977 and 1979 |
| 11 | 119 | Tamplin, Arthur (testimony before the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission), 1977 |
| 12 | 120 | Brodsky, Allen (article manuscripts
copies, correspondence, and testimony before the House Sub-Committee on
Health and the Environment), 1977-1979, 1982 |
| 12 | 121 | Mancuso report critiques, 1977 and
1978 |
| 12 | 122 | Essays on nuclear power in the Northwest
by Evergreen State College students, 1978 |
| 12 | 123-124 | The Windscale Inquiry Volumes 1 and 2
(British nuclear industry environment and health report),
1978 |
| 12 | 125 | National Radiation Protection Board review
of Mancuso, 1978 and 1979 |
| 12 | 126 | British Nuclear Fuels (Eddie Clough
correspondence and reports), 1978, 1979, 1982-1984 |
| 12 | 127 | Atomic Energy Research Establishment (A.
Norman Stott correspondence), 1978 |
| 12 | 128 | Leukemia and radiation (reports), 1978 and
1988 |
| 12 | 129 | Canadian Mortality Study (reports and
correspondence), 1979, 1981, 1984 |
| 13 | 130-131 | Canadian Mortality Study
(continued) |
| 13 | 132-133 | Advisory Committee (correspondence and
reports), 1980-1985 |
| 13 | 134 | Culham Laboratory (William M. Lomer
correspondence), 1980 and 1986 |
| 13 | 135 | United Kingdom Energy Authority
(correspondence and reports on the United Kingdom Atomic Energy
mortality study) 1980-1986 |
| 13 | 136 | Federal Radiation Research Activities
House Subcommittee hearing testimony (Robert Alvarez, William Harpin,
George Hutchinson, and Seymour Jablon), 1982 |
| 13 | 137 | Radiation and life expectancy, 1957, 1982,
1983 |
| 13 | 138 | Presentations on radiation,
1983 |
| 13 | 139 | Peer review, 1983 |
| 14 | 140 | Energy-Related Health Research annual
report, 1983 |
| 14 | 141 | Briefings and memoranda, 1984 |
| 14 | 142 | Radiostrontium report, 1984 |
| 14 | 143 | Three Mile Island (review of dose
estimates), 1984 |
| 14 | 144 | Risk assessment briefing, 1985 |
| 14 | 145 | Alvarez, Robert (Alvarez report and
comments by Marks), 1985 and 1986 |
| 14 | 146 | British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield plant
(mortality study), 1982 |
| 14 | 147 | Petersen, Gerald (correspondence),
1986 |
| 14 | 148 | Epidemiology presentation,
1988 |
| 14 | 149 | Human health studies presentation,
undated |
| 14 | 150 | Animal radiation studies (Marks and
others), undated |
| 14 | 152 | Atomic Industrial Forum critique of
Mancuso, undated |
| 14 | 153-154 | Mortality study literature (index,
abstracts, and articles resulting from or about the study),
1976-1982 |
| 15 | 155-156 | Mortality study literature
(continued) |
| 15 | 157 | Slides and index 1976, 1980,
1982-1984 |
| 15 | 158 | Miscellaneous, 1963 and
undated |
Series 4: Assurance Program for Remedial Action Project, 1980Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 15 | 159 | Utah State Department of Health
(correspondence with Marks and others), 1979-1984 |
| 15 | 160 | Project files (distribution lists, memos,
field task proposals and agreements, resumes, property reports,
literature bibliography), 1981-1984 |
| 15 | 161-164 | Salt Lake City (radon screening results,
seasonal radon levels, remedial action priorities, floor plans and
maps), 1981, 1982, and undated |
| 16 | 165-168 | Salt Lake City (projected excess cancer
rates and health effects estimations for properties), 1983 and
undated |
| 16 | 169 | Uranium mines emission standards, 1982 and
1985 |
| 16 | 170 | Durango (health effects estimation for
properties), 1983 |
| 16 | 171 | Radon in mill tailings presentation,
1983 |
| 16 | 172 | Description of procedures used in
estimating health effects, 1983 |
| 16 | 173 | Estimation of daily food consumption
(letter and report), 1983 and 1984 |
| 16 | 174 | Health effects of radon in mill tailings
(correspondence and literature related to Marks's review article),
1984 |
| 16 | 175 | Uranium mill tailings and risk estimation
presentation, 1984 |
| 17 | 176 | Risk assessment for remedial action,
1985 |
| 17 | 177 | Indoor air quality research strategy,
1985 |
| 17 | 178 | United Nations risk assessment of
radiation, 1986 |
| 17 | 179 | Statistical methods for assessing
environmental carcinogens risk, undated |
| 17 | 180 | Uranium industry statistics and papers
(microfiche), 1976, 1977, 1983 |
Series 5: Subject Files, 1960-1980sReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | |
| 17 | 181 | Andreas, George (correspondence),
1982 |
| 17 | 182 | Brazilian regions of high natural
radioactivity (article manuscript copies), 1963 |
| 17 | 183 | Bertell, Rosalie (article manuscript
copy), 1976-1978, and 1985 |
| 17 | 184 | Bertell and Bross (correspondence),
1972-1976 |
| 17 | 185 | Biomedical and environmental research
chronology, 1973 |
| 17 | 186 | Bross, Irwin D.J. (article manuscript
copy), 1976 |
| 17 | 187-188 | Canada (health studies of uranium miners
and atomic workers), 1983-1985, and 1987 |
| 17 | 189 | Colorado Energy Research Institute
(letter), 1983 |
| 18 | 190 | Energy production (comparative risks
analysis), undated |
| 18 | 191 | Hanford (press clippings and photographs),
1979 and 1985 |
| 18 | 192 | Fallout (map and literature), 1955 and
1968 |
| 18 | 193 | General Electric (corporate research and
development), 1981 |
| 18 | 194 | Glossary of radiation terms,
undated |
| 18 | 195 | India (natural high levels of radiation),
1956-1973 and undated |
| 18 | 196 | Indoor air quality (literature),
1987 |
| 18 | 197 | Ionizing radiation (literature), 1956,
1961, and undated |
| 18 | 198 | Kathren, Ronald (radiation and health
physics presentation), 1986 and undated |
| 18 | 199 | Lilienfeld paper (Marks's notes),
undated |
| 18 | 200 | Los Alamos (AEC study of plutonium
workers), 1973 |
| 18 | 201 | Low level radiation (literature), 1979,
1980, and undated |
| 19 | 202 | Lung dosimetry (literature), 1964-1985 and
undated |
| 19 | 203 | Lyon, J. Lyn (Marks review of leukemia
study), 1978 and 1979 |
| 19 | 204 | Meyer, Mary (critique of paper),
1970 |
| 19 | 205 | National Council on Radiation Protection
(comments on Federal Register), 1980 |
| 19 | 206 | Natural radiation and health, (literature)
1979 |
| 19 | 207 | New Mexico uranium miners (literature),
1978 and undated |
| 19 | 208 | Nonmalignant respiratory diseases in
miners (literature), undated |
| 19 | 209 | Niue Island (map, geological survey, and
correspondence) 1959 |
| 19 | 210 | Oak Ridge Associated Universities
(newsletter), 1983 |
| 19 | 211 | Pacific Northwest Laboratory
(correspondence and reports), 1982-1986 |
| 19 | 212 | Pre-natal radiation (literature), 1973 and
1974 |
| 19 | 213 | Press clippings (radiation and human
health), 1981-1986 |
| 19 | 214 | Radiation health risks (literature), 1982,
1983, and 1984 |
| 19 | 215 | Radon (conference papers, literature,
Germany, human health risk, inside dwellings, and miscellaneous),
1973-1988 and undated |
| 20 | 216-224 | Radon (continued) |
| 20 | 225 | Risk analysis and energy sources (speech,
literature, and presentation outline), 1979, 1984, 1985, and
undated |
| 20 | 226 | Risks associated with nuclear power
(National Academy of Science report), 1979 |
| 20 | 227 | Shale oil (presentation outline),
undated |
| 20 | 228 | Sharpe, William (article manuscript
copies), undated |
| 20 | 229 | South Africa (lung cancer in miners), 1971
and 1980 |
| 20 | 230 | Testicular function and radiation
(literature), 1974 |
| 20 | 231 | Unidentified photograph [Marks and
others?], undated |
| 20 | 232 | United Nation Scientific Committee on
Effects of Radiation (reports), 1977-1981 |
| 20 | 233-234 | Uranium miners and radiation (literature)
1969, 1978, 1984 |
| 20 | 253 | Uranium miner regression study,
1976 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Radiation -- Dosage -- Research.
- Radiation -- Health aspects -- Research.
- Radiation carcinogenesis -- Research.
- Scientists -- Archives.
Personal Names
- Marks, Sidney -- Archives
Corporate Names
- Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission.
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Finding aid prepared by Lee Ann Powell
2016
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
