MSS 161, PC 167, TC 106 (A.02-63)

Title: Marion Jean Lewis fonds

Dates: 1944-1996

Extent: 23 cm of textual records. -- 51 photographs. -- 438 slides. -- 30 lantern slides. -- 1 16mm audio reel. -- 2 mini audiocassettes.

Biographical Sketch: Marion Jean Lewis was born in Windsor, Ontario in 1925. In 1943, she graduated from Gordon Bell High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba and went on to train as a medical technician at Winnipeg General Hospital. In 1944, she and Dr. Bruce Chown opened the Rh Laboratory in Winnipeg to study and eradicate Rh disease. While Dr. Chown retired in 1977, Lewis continued on in the field of blood group gene mapping and eventually branched out into the field of genetics. She and her colleagues at the Rh Laboratory, including Hiroko Kaita, became internationally renowned for their work.

Lewis also taught at the University of Manitoba. Even though she only possessed a Bachelor of Arts degree, her experience and expertise allowed her to rise through the ranks. From 1973 to 1977, Lewis was Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. In 1977 she was promoted to Associate Professor. In 1984, she was promoted to full Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and two years later became a Professor in the Department of Human Genetics. Over the years, she authored, or coauthored, over 100 articles.

Throughout her career, Lewis has been given a number of awards and honours. In 1971, she was awarded the Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and in 1986, the Teddy Award for Research from the Children's Hospital in Winnipeg. In 1986, she received an honourary D.Sc from the University of Winnipeg and in 1993 was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Academy of Science). In 1995 she was given the Emily Cooley Memorial Award by the AABB and in 1996 named Professor Emerita by the University of Manitoba. Marion Lewis continues to reside in Winnipeg.

Custodial History: Marion Lewis donated the records to Archives & Special Collections in 2002.

Scope and Content: The fonds consists of seven series. The first series, personal, consists of Marion Lewis' curriculum vitae. The second series, Correspondence, is divided into 4 sub-series. The first sub-series is comprised of various professional and work related correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, created during the years 1944-1996. The correspondence in this series revolves mainly around blood grouping work. The next 3 sub-series revolve around correspondence generated due to an international group Lewis was a part of for many years, the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). The third series is comprised of records generated by Dr. Bruce Chown. It is divided into two sub-series; the first being chronologically organized correspondence, and the second being research notes. Much of this series is restricted. The fourth series is comprised of reprints of over 140 published articles authored or coauthored by Lewis. The fifth series consists of unpublished articles and lectures given by Lewis throughout her career. The sixth series consists of research done by Lewis when she worked with Dr. Chown. The series is made up of three sub-series. The first contains research done on the blood groups of Hutterites and includes blood group genealogies. The second contains research on Aboriginal and Inuit blood types and contains blood group genealogies, field notes and lists of individuals. The third sub-series consists of miscellaneous research. This series is restricted.

The seventh series is PC 167. It consists of photographs, slides and a reel-to-reel tape. Two of the photos are of Marion Lewis. The rest are photos of individuals whose blood was tested by Lewis and Chown in the 1950s and 60s. Dr. Chown took most of the slides during a research trip to Alaska in 1960. The majority of them are of Alaskan wildflowers. Lewis used the other slides during her lectures and presentations. Dr. Chown used the lantern slides for research purposes in the 1950s and the reel-to-reel tape was used by . Lewis to demonstrate laboratory methods. Some of the photographs are restricted. The eighth series is TC 106. It consists of two mini audiocassettes of a speech given by Lewis.

Restrictions: Some of the material in this collection has been designated as restricted. The records in boxes 7, 8, 9 and 10 are restricted. All inquiries about accessing this material should be made to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections. Users must abide by relevant copyright legislation.

Accruals: Further accruals to this fonds are expected.

Finding Aid: A printed finding aid is available in the Archives reading room and an electronic finding aid is available at the link below:

MSS 161, PC 167, TC 106 (A.02-63)