The Dr. W.G. Bigelow fonds consists of 21 series of textual records documenting the life and work of the pioneering Canadian heart surgeon, medical researcher, and co-developer of the cardiac pacemaker, Dr. Wilfred G. Bigelow:

0094-1 Appointment books
0094-2 Medical textbooks
0094-3 Case histories
0094-4 Medical conference programs
0094-5 Patient/surgery lists
0094-6 General patient files
0094-7 Correspondence
0094-8 Experimental and clinical research files
0094-9 Lectures and speeches
0094-10 Diagnoses and procedures
0094-11 Medical research grants-in-aid
0094-12 Professional Societies, Associations and Committees
0094-13 Toronto General Hospital files
0094-14 Medical insurance accounts
0094-15 University of Toronto files
0094-16 Medical journal publications
0094-17 Meetings
0094-18 Japanese publications on hypothermia research
0094-19 Travel files
0094-20 Medical office expenses
0094-21 Income tax returns

Collectively, the materials comprising this fonds illustrate virtually every aspect of Dr. Bigelow's personal and professional life as a surgeon and hospital division head, academic instructor and researcher, clinical investigator, author, lecturer, medical conference presenter and panellist, and member of numerous medical societies and medical/scientific committees.

In particular the fonds provides information about Dr. Bigelow's contributions to the advancement of cardiac surgery and the treatment of heart disease, especially his central accomplishments in contributing to the innovation and development of the surgical use of hypothermia in open-heart surgery and the electrical artificial cardiac pacemaker.

Series consists of minutes of meetings of the Board along with correspondence, reports, financial records, recommendations for staff appointments, curriculum vitae, hospital by-laws and other documentation referred to in the minutes. Series reflects the involvement of the Board with the establishment and maintenance of the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, and the Board's relationship with the University of Toronto and other teaching hospitals. Minutes of the Board had been kept in nine separate binders, within which minutes were filed in reverse chronological order. Files have been arranged chronologically by date.

Series consists of correspondence and position papers regarding Princess Margaret Hospital’s relocation and the merger between Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital. The material related to the Princess Margaret Hospital relocation was compiled while Dr. Cowan was Chair of the Oncology Coordinating Council at the University of Toronto. The material related to the TGH-TWH merger is from Dr. Cowan’s time as Head of the Department of Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center. Opinions on the proposed merger had been requested of the Chairs of Clinical Departments in the Faculty of Medicine by the Dean of Medicine, University of Toronto in 1985. Each head of a hospital’s Department of Medicine were sent copies.

Dr. Cowan organized these files with both names and numbers. File titles retain Dr. Cowan’s original titles and his file numbers are included at the end of the file titles in brackets. Arrangement is according to Dr. Cowan’s original numbering. There were two different files numbered 23. Files 1-21 and 37 were not donated to the Archives.

Series consists of minutes of meetings of the Medical Advisory Committee and includes one subseries.

The series has one subseries:
1A) Medical Advisory Committee Correspondence

Series consists of nursing histories and handbooks, press releases, financial statements, minutes of the Ambulatory Care Committee, Forms Committee and other meetings, an unpublished history of the Ontario Cancer Treatment & Research Foundation, administrative reports, memorandums, photographs, research slides and architectural drawings. Series includes five subseries:

1A) Office of the Administrator records
1B) Department of Public Relations photographs and records.
1C) Director of Public Relations [unprocessed]
1D) Director of Library Services [unprocessed]
1E) Department of Pharmacy newsletters

This series consists of Dr. Bigelow's personal appointment diaries for the years 1952-1977. Two appointment books exist for each of the years 1966 and 1967: these books contain parallel but not identical information - it is necessary to consult both books for a comprehensive account of Dr. Bigelow's activities during these years. The series lacks an appointment book for 1976.

The appointment books document Dr. Bigelow's personal and professional activities, including patient consultations; surgeries performed; meetings with medical colleagues; surgical rounds; committee and professional association meetings attended; medical conferences attended; lectures and speeches delivered; dates of patients' admission to hospital and surgery, often with notes attached detailing their condition, treatment, prognosis etc.; and personal social and travel schedules.

Series consists of policy manuals from The Toronto Hospital, Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, and University Health Network which have been superseded.

Sous-fonds consists of applications for admission; student records; Director’s reports and correspondence; registers, day books and procedures manuals; materials relating to the Student Nurses’ Association and to ceremonies and special events connected with the School; education program files and photographs created and maintained by the TGH School of Nursing and subsequently maintained by the TTH Nursing Education and Research Department. Sous-fonds includes 13 series:

1.1.1 Applications for admission
1.1.2 Student records
1.1.3 Director’s reports
1.1.4 Director’s correspondence
1.1.5 Registers
1.1.6 Day books
1.1.7 Procedures manual
1.1.8 Student Nurses’ Association
1.1.9 Ceremonies and special events
1.1.10 Education program
1.1.11 Photographs
1.1.12 Student yearbooks
1.1.13 Permanent Record Books

Series consists primarily of application forms completed and submitted by candidates for admission to the Training School for Nurses at the TGH 1881-1910 (graduating classes of 1884-1913). Some files also contain materials subsequently added, usually letters from students or their agents requesting information contained in their files.

Series consists of various materials documenting the TGH School of Nursing’s administrative structure; curriculum, including course calendars and reports detailing major changes in the duration and content of the education program; procedures for evaluating students; reporting standards, policies and obligations to professional nurse registering bodies; and rules and regulations governing student life.

Files 1.1.10.16 to 1.1.10.19 contain copies of course calendars distributed by the School 1931-1972. Calendars for 1932/1933, 1933/1934, 1936/1937, 1937/1938, 1939/1940, 1940/1941, 1941/1942, 1942/1943, 1945/1946, 1946/1947, 1948/1949, 1969 and 1971 are missing. Dating of calendars produced for the 1950s (file 1.1.10.17) and 1960s (file 1.1.10.18) is uncertain.