Guide to the Peter Safar Papers, 1950-2003, UA.90.F102

Arrangement

Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Peter Safar Papers
Creator
Safar, Peter
Collection Number
UA.90.F102
Extent
37.5 Linear Feet (30 boxes)
Date
1950-2003
Abstract
This collection contains the papers of Peter Safar, a distinguished professor of the University of Pittsburgh. The material includes correspondence between Safar and colleagues, meetings and conferences attended and created by Safar, organization and committee information, and copies of his publications. Also included are some of Safar's personal affects including awards given to Safar and his personal briefcase.
Language
English .
Author
Kallie Sheets.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Business Number: 412-648-3232 (Thomas) | 412-648-8190 (Hillman)
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections

Previous Citation

Peter Safar Papers, 1950-2003, UA.90.F102, University of Pittsburgh Archives

Preferred Citation

Peter Safar Papers, 1950-2003, UA.90.F102, University Archives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System

Copyright

The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Kallie Sheets in 2017.

Biography

Peter Safar was born into a family of medical professionals in Vienna, Austria, on April 12, 1924. He graduated from the University of Vienna in 1948 and a year later married his wife Eva while also moving to Hartford, Connecticut, to attend training at Yale University. In 1952 he trained at the University of Pennsylvania in Anesthesiology and in 1954 became Chief of Anesthesiology at Baltimore City Hospital, currently John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. While there, he worked to create the ABCs of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) which became the standard technique that was taught to medical professionals and lay people.

In 1961 he came to the University of Pittsburgh where he remained until his death in 2003. While in Pittsburgh he created many organizations to aid in critical care medicine, disaster medicine and the advancement of CPR. After the death of his daughter in 1966 Safar helped found the Freedom House Enterprise Ambulance Service, which provided one of the first services with trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) to administer prehospital care. In 1979 he founded the International Resuscitation Research Center, currently the University of Pittsburgh Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, where he focused on Cardiopulmonary Cerebral Resuscitation (CPCR). Late in his career, Safar focused his research on reanimation.

Throughout his career, Safar received numerous awards. While at the University of Pittsburgh, he was awarded the honor of distinguished professorship for his contributions to the field of medicine, nationally and internationally. He was also given awards from the American Red Cross and became an honorary member of many foreign societies, like the Japan Society of Anesthesiology.

Scope and Content Notes

This collection contains the papers of Peter Safar, a distinguished professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Included is personal and professional correspondence between Safar and his colleagues, as well as material pertaining to Safar's participation in several conferences and organizations. The collection also contains many of Safar's published articles and manuals, as well as research files. The final series of this collection contains awards and information about Safar and his contribution to the world of medicine.

Access Restrictions

Access to files in Series I. Correspondence requires a signed Confidentiality Agreement due to the presence of incidental health care information.

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Safar Center for Resuscitation Research in July 2014.

Subjects

    Personal Names

    • Safar, Peter

    Genres

    • Faculty papers

    Other Subjects

    • University of Pittsburgh
    • CPR (First aid)
    • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
    • Resuscitation
    • Critical care medicine
    • Emergency medicine

Container List