R. Adams Cowley, MD (1917-1991) was a pioneer in the field of open-heart surgery in the United States. Dr. Cowley performed operations before the heart-lung machine was widely used; unfortunately, patients would die from shock within days or weeks of surgery. He referred to shock as "a momentary pause in the act of death," a process that, once set in motion, was irreversible. Cowley developed of the concept of the "golden hour," which recognized that if a trauma victim could get appropriate care before that point, the patient was more likely to survive.
In 1960, the Baltimore Shock Trauma Center was born with the "golden hour" concept in mind. The Baltimore Shock Trauma Center encouraged trauma patients everywhere to be transported to trauma centers, while Cowley pushed the Maryland State Police's Aviation Division to become one of the first ALS medevac transport systems in the world.
By 1973, he convinced Maryland's governor to issue an executive order establishing the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medicine, which later absorbed emergency medical services and became the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), the first statewide EMS system with Dr. Cowley appointed as director. Over 30 years later, MIEMSS is still recognized as one of the world's best EMS oversight systems.
Submitted to National Emergency Medical Services Museum in October 2009 by R. Adams.
Collection was arranged chronologically and by format.
Audio-visual materials can be fragile and require specialized equipment to play back. For this reason, access to audio-visual materials is provided through digital copies, and it might take longer to provide access to items that are not yet digitized. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law, condition of the material, or by donor.
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's
Collection Name, Collection Number, Item Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Donated by Dr. Adams Cowley and Roberta Cowley.
Processed by Special Collections staff.
See also the Dr. R Adams Cowley photograph collection (P0436) and the Dr. R. Adams Cowley papers (ACCN 1234).
The Dr. R. Adams Cowley audio-visual collection consists of VHS and U-Matic tapes with newscasts and documentaries about Dr. Cowley and the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMMS). Dr. Cowley, a graduate of the University of Utah, was a prominent surgeon and pioneer in emergency medicine and the treatment of shock trauma. This collection is not yet digitized. Contact Special Collection if interested.
CBS News segment about the life-saving technology of Med-Evac and a training program in Baltimore directed by Dr. R. Adams Cowley.
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This U-Matic tape cannot be played or digitized.
A news segment about the work of Dr. R. Adams Cowley; Five ad agency commercials about Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
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C-Span coverage of Dr. R. Adams Cowley and Ben Kelley (National Coalition to Reduce Car Crash Injuries) testifying about airbags, three-point restraints, and seatbelt education before the Department of Transportation (DOT) House Transportation Subcommittee.
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A: As They Pass in the Night; B: Race with Death; C: What are you Going To Do; D: While You Lie Sleeping; E: Right Kind of Care.
A: Esophagal Obturator Airway; B: Airway Management; C: Infectuous Diseases; D: MAST Trousers; 3: NDMS-1986; F: What If… 1985 NDMS.
Newscasts.
Division of Medical Audio-Visual Services Department of Motion Picture Production Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC.