Paul Volberding Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of various materials collected and produced by Paul Volberding, an oncologist at UCSF and AIDS researcher. Volberding helped found the first inpatient ward for persons with AIDS (Ward 86) at San Francisco General Hospital in 1983. Included in this collection are photos (prints and negatives), a photo album, correspondence, a floppy disk, a DVD, research, a journal volume, a binder from an AIDS Clinical Trial Group Committee meeting, and Volberding’s personal day runner/planner. These materials all pertain to Volberding’s HIV/AIDS research, advocacy, and contribution to medical organizations. Much of the correspondence contains invitations sent to Volberding to participate in events or become a member of the organization. Also included is an official program of the International Conference on AIDS held in 1985 in Atlanta and is accompanied by the photo album, which documents the staff of Ward 86’s involvement at the conference. Other than the photo album, the photos included in this collection are headshots and photoshoots of Volberding later in his career. The DVD in this collection is a Volberding’s 2009 Documentary, “Life Before the Lifeboat: San Francisco’s Courageous Response to the AIDS Outbreak.”
Dates
- Creation: 1985-2009
Conditions Governing Access
The UCSF Archives and Special Collections policy places access restrictions on material with privacy issues for a specific time period from the date of creation. Access to records that contain personal and confidential information about an individual or individuals is restricted for 75 years from date of creation or until the death of the individual mentioned in the records, whichever is longer. Access to medical records is restricted for 100 years from the latest date of the materials in those files. Restrictions are noted at the series level. This collection will be reviewed for sensitive content upon request. Contact the UCSF Archivist for information on access to these files.
Conditions Governing Use
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of the University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing, and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Biographical / Historical
Paul Volberding is a UCSF oncologist and AIDS researcher who helped found the first inpatient ward for persons with AIDS (Ward 86) at San Francisco General Hospital in 1983. In 1981, when Volberding first started at San Francisco General Hospital, he treated the city's first patient with Kaposi’s sarcoma, a rare disease that became known as one of the AIDS-defining illnesses in the coming years. Since Volberding had trained to be an oncologist, he continued to treat patients suffering from cancers associated with AIDS and recognized a growing need for specialized care. This led to the opening of Ward 86, which was a clinic dedicated to caring for patients with HIV/AIDS and subsequent illnesses these patients developed. In addition to patient care, he has also focused on the development of antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS, and serves as co-director of the UCSF-Gladstone Center for AIDS Research, and director of the UCSF AIDS Research Institute, the amfAR Institute for HIV Cure, and Director of Research for UCSF Global Health Sciences.
Extent
0.417 Linear Feet (1 Box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Paul Volberding, an oncologist at UCSF and AIDS researcher, helped found the first inpatient ward for persons with AIDS (Ward 86) at San Francisco General Hospital in 1983. The materials gathered for this collection were collected and produced by Paul Volberding himself and consist of photos (prints and negatives), a photo album, correspondence, a floppy disk, a DVD of his documentary, research, a journal volume, a binder from an AIDS Clinical Trial Group Committee meeting, and Volberding’s personal day runner/planner. The collection documents Volberding's work throughout his life through his HIV/AIDS research, advocacy efforts, and involvement in medical organizations dedicated to treating HIV/AIDS. Notably, this collection contains information from the 1985 International Conference on AIDS held in Atlanta and the AIDS Clinical Trial Group Meeting in 1988. Also included are photographs and negatives from headshots and photoshoots taken of Volberding later in his career.
Arrangement
The contents of this collection were almost entirely loose prior to processing. Minimal arranging was done to ensure clear and logical organization by subject matter while preserving original order as much as possible.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to the UCSF Archives and Special Collections by Paul Volberding in 2017.
Accruals
No future additions are expected.
Condition Description
Photographs, negatives, a floppy disk, and a DVD included. Photo album is unbound and the page protectors are in poor condition, but photos themselves are in good condition. Exercise caution when flipping pages in unbound photo album.
Processing Information
Processed by H. Herrick in 2026.
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Paul Volberding Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- H. Herrick
- Date
- 2026
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the UCSF Archives and Special Collections Repository
UCSF Kalmanovitz Library
530 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco CA 94143-0840 USA
https://www.library.ucsf.edu/archives/ask-an-archivist/