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Darrell C. Crain, Jr., presidential inaugural collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS2035-UA

Collection Scope and Content

The Darrell C. Crain, Jr. Presidential Inaugural Collection consist of newspaper articles, invitations, tickets programs, memorabilia, newspapers, invitations and souvenir booklets, pins and mini flags. The material dated from approximately 1957-1989 came from events such as inaugural ceremonies and balls that Dr. Crain attended while earlier memorabilia from 1817-1929 was material he purchased to complement the collection.

Dr. Crain also donated a significant colletion of official presidential and vice-presidential medals. The presidential medals cover the Presidential Inaugurations of James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, Franklin Pierce, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush. The collection also contains invitations, tickets and programs collected by Dr. Crain during his participation in inaugural events such as the inaugural ceremonies and the inaugural balls. Dr. Crain had access to these events as a member of the Official Inaugural Medal Committee and the Inaugural Medical Committee. These medals are on display in the Special Collections reading room.

Dates

  • Creation: 1817-2009

Creator

Restrictions on Access

Some records may be restricted.

Restrictions on Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Historical or Biographical Note

Dr. Darrell C. Crain, Jr. (1910-1995) graduated from The George Washington University Medical School in 1932. Crain's specialization was Rheumatology, which he practiced in the Washington area for fifty years. He was also a clinical professor at Georgetown University from 1971 to 1987.

Dr. Crain was not only in private practice, but also active in the field of Rheumatology. He was co-founder of the Arthritis Rehabilitation Center in Washington, DC and founder of the Rheumatology Clinic at Georgetown University Hospital. In addition to writing three books, Dr. Crain was chief of rheumatic diseases at Doctors Hospital, and a consultant to the surgeon general of the Army and the U.S. surgeon general.

Dr. Crain created his collection of inaugural coins in honor of his father, who designed the inaugural medals for President Wilson in 1917, President Harding in 1921 and President Coolidge in 1925. Crain's knowledge of inaugural medals earned him a position on the Official Inaugural Medal Committee for five U.S. presidents.

Dr. Crain was associated with inaugural history in other capacities as well as the Inaugural Medal Committee. He was president of the Medical Society of D.C., which provides emergency medical staff for inaugural events.

He was born in 1910 in Washington, DC. and passed away on July 22, 1995.

Extent

10 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Darrell C. Crain, Jr. Presidential Inaugural Collection consist of newspaper articles, invitations, tickets programs, memorabilia, newspapers, invitations and souvenir booklets, pins and mini flags. The material dated from approximately 1957-1989 came from events such as inaugural ceremonies and balls that Dr. Crain attended while earlier memorabilia from 1817-1929 was material he purchased to complement the collection.

Collection Organization

Organized into ten series: Invitations, Tickets, Programs, Guide books, Commemorative material, Souvenirs, Clippins and articles, Miscellaneous, Oversized material, and Inagural medals.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated by Darrell Crain to The George Washington University in 1989 and 1990.

Title
Guide to the Darrell C. Crain, Jr., presidential inaugural collection, 1817-1989
Status
Completed
Author
Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Research Center, The George Washington University Repository

Contact:
George Washington University Gelman Library
2130 H Street NW
Washington DC 20052 United States of America