Ernst Boas (1891-1955), son of the anthropologist Franz Boas, was a physician noted for his work in cardiology, and like his father, he was very much involved with liberal social causes. Boas was an instructor in pathology and physiology, and an expert in chronic diseases. As a scientific investigator he developed the cardiotachometer and did primary research in many areas, especially on cholesterol and arteriosclerosis. He was one of the primary antagonists of the American Medical Association during the 1940s and 50s, a leading proponent of National Health Insurance, and an organizer of the Physicians Forum. The Ernst Boas Papers contains correspondence, diaries, notebooks, and manuscripts, relating to all of the varied interests and to his 400 or more publications. There is substantial material on Montefiore Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, the New York County Medical Society, and the New York Heart Association. O f particular note is the correspondence with John P. Peters, a friend and liberal who was dismissed from the Public Health Service because of "disloyalty" to the U.S., in 1953, and whose vindication came from a landmark Supreme Court decision

Material collected by Muriel Rukeyser in the late 1940s and 1950s for a proposed biography of Franz Boas, including original manuscript materials of Boas, correspondence between Boas and Rukeyser, biographical data, early family letters and documents relating to him, school and military records, family reminiscences of Boas, and some professional correspondence. There is also material specifically related to the publication of Rukeyser's biography, including notes, a synopsis of the book, and correspondence with publishers and funding agencies. There are also some of Boas' and others' publications.