By Isabella Sumner, Archivist and Special Collections Librarian
Introduction
The MS 260 John Preston, MD papers are the newest addition to the McGovern Historical Center’s collections. Donated to the archives over 10 years ago, the contents of the boxes were a mystery. Once the discrepancy in the collection was discovered, we set out to investigate what was in these 55 boxes. There were letters upon letters from the early 20th century written to Dr. John Preston, the superintendent of the Austin State Lunatic Asylum (now known as the Austin State Hospital). There were also institutional records like budgets, patient records, and, interestingly, menus for the staff and patients.
[MS 260, Box 49, Folder 5, Typed Menu Austin State Lunatic Asylum 1909-1955]
History
Dr. Preston was the Superintendent of the hospital for 36 years. He championed the fair treatment of his patients and ensured they were in a calm, restorative environment. Austin State Lunatic Asylum was the primary hospitals for the mentally ill, and people from across Texas would be sent there to receive treatment. It had acres of gardens, ponds, a dairy farm, and a butchery for the patients. Patients were encouraged to work in the garden, dairy, or butchery as part of their treatment. It helped them have a sense of purpose and gain skills to take back with them once they were released from the hospital.
Letters written to Dr. Preston were most often from the friends and family of his patients, but he would also receive correspondence from other doctors, judges, sheriffs, and attorneys. They often would inquire how a patient was adjusting or if the asylum had vacancy. Together, the letters paint a vivid picture of a fascinating era of mental health medical care. Some are brief and matter of fact, others are deeply emotional expressions of concern, and a few are so unusual that they read with an unintended sense of humor today. One example is the letter below, in which a mother updates Dr. Preston on her son’s continuing fears of being cheated out of an inheritance before asking for the return of his pants.
[MS 260, Box 1, Folder 7, Handwritten letter addressed to Dr. John Preston 1909-1955]
Provenance
These papers were originally a part of the MS 108 Daniel Creson papers. Dr. Creson was a prominent psychiatrist who was also actively involved in preserving the history of psychiatry in Texas. Around 2010, he collaborated with the McGovern Historical Center on an archival history project. As part of this work, he assembled letters and other documents to chronicle the career of Dr. John Preston and to support future research on the history of psychiatry. Although the materials remained housed with his papers for many years, they have since been established as their own collection, the MS 260 John Preston Papers.