A Note from the Archives Committee and Center for the History of Microbiology 

The ASM Membership Board, chaired by Toby K. Eisenstein, and the Archives Committee and Center for the History of Microbiology, chaired by Patricia Charache, gratefully acknowledge the ASM members who have donated to the Archives and Center for the History of Microbiology. The Committee would like to take this opportunity to share information about some of the resources made available through members' generosity. Donations contribute to a range of activities including (i) purchase of significant books pertaining to the history of microbiology, immunology, and associated infectious diseases; (ii) sorting, cataloguing, and providing access to historical materials that have been donated to the ASM Archives; (iii) development of the potential to record video interviews of giants of our disciplines; and (iv) consideration of approaches to make available to the membership opportunities to use the resources of the Archives to aid in increasing interest in microbiology, and as an assist to educators, students, and others interested in how our history has led to current knowledge and its promise for the future. 

We sincerely appreciate all who donated this year, either directly or by checking the Archives box on the membership form. We especially want to honor major contributors who generously donated financially and those who donated valued special materials during the period of September 2008 to June 2009. Special contributors are listed below. 

Benefactors (Donations of $500 and above) James Poupard 

Patrons (Donations of $200-$499) Elizabeth Tyrrell-Rajam 

Supporters (Donations of $100-$199) James Copeland, William Craig, Eugenio Ferrari, Joseph Gyimah, Nancy Haigwood, Judith Hellman, Christian Hulen, Jerome Kukor, Gohta Masuda, Maurice Scavizzi, Kathy Talaro, Garnett Whithurst, Anna Maria Williams, Charles Yanofsky 

Friends (Donations of $50-$99) Richard Ascione, John Baross, Eric Brown, Pere-Joan Cardona, Colin Clarke, John Cronn, Alfred De Maria, Peter Dube, William Falkler, Patricia Flanders, David Garfinkel, Robert Hackman, Kazuhiro Harada, Michael Hennelly, David Karl, Olen Kew, Christian Kubicek, Ralph Kubo, Bobby Lewis, Philip Long, Barry Marshall, Robert Murray, Toshihiro Omura, Grieg Steward, Naokazu Takeda, Susan Taylor, Richard Wax, Werner Wunderli 

Donors (Donations of $1-$49) Over 400 members gave donations ranging from $1-$49 

Donations of Special Materials 

William Hann donated a collection of materials generated by the Information Exchange of the American Subcommittee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses. 

Moselio Schaechter donated laboratory notebooks documenting the work that led to the publication of the landmark papers by Schaechter, Maaloe, and Kjeldgaard. 

We are particularly grateful for donations of special material, as they are important for the enhancement, preservation, and maintenance of the ASM history of microbiology collections. They supplement the book collection and support special history projects. Additionally, they support educational programs at the ASM General Meeting and throughout the year. 

Annual contributions to the Archives may be included with your ASM membership renewal by checking the Archives donation box on the renewal form. To inquire about donating other materials to the collection, contact the Archives directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 410-455- 3601. For general information on the Archives and Center for the History of Microbiology, as well as an index to the collections, go to http://www.asm.org/index.php?option_com_content&task_view&id_15451&Itemid_628 in the Membership Section of the ASM Website.

 

Deceased Member 

Harriet P. Bernheimer, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine, SUNY (Downstate) School of Medicine, Brooklyn, died on 26 July at the age of 90. Born inNew York City (ne´e Poller), she received her B.A. from Hunter College in 1939, and her M.S. from NYU in 1941. She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Microbiology, NYUSchool of Medicine in 1950. Harriet and Alan W. Bernheimer, who remained in that department for the balance of his career, were married for 63 years until his death (see Microbe, June 2006, p. 292). 

Bernheimer's research focused on the genetics of Streptococcus pneumoniae. In studies begun at NYU, developed during a postdoctoral period at Columbia Presbyterian College of Physicians and Surgeons, and following her appointment at SUNY Downstate (where she remained), she used techniques of genetics and immunochemistry to explore an organism still yielding timely insights. In the late 1950s, Bernheimer began a collaboration with Robert Austrian, the pioneer physician and immunologist who developed the capsular vaccine for pneumococcal disease. Their many publications explored the biological properties of the organism (capsular genetics, lysogeny, transformation, peroxide susceptibility) revealing aspects of its epidemiology and pathogenesis. 

Bernheimer was recognized with NIH funding, 1963-70; a Health Research Council NY Career Scientist Award, 1964-70; and the Irma T. Hirschl Trust Career Scientist Award, 1973-77. Also a dedicated educator, she directed the M.D.- Ph.D. Program at SUNY Downstate from 1978, and continued in this role following her retirement. 

Harriet was an early enthusiast of French cooking, having studied with Dione Lucas, the first female graduate of Le Cordon Bleu. I was fortunate to be among the many friends and colleagues to benefit from the Bernheimer's gracious hospitality at their homes in New York and Woods Hole, Mass. Harriet was a passionate advocate for a wide range of social justice causes. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Alan Bernheimer and Melissa Riley of Berkeley Calif., and her granddaughter, Lily, of New York City. 

Regina Linder 
Hunter College (CUNY) 
New York City, N.Y. 
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