Biographical Note:  Hiram B. Benjamin was born in Austria. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Buffalo and a medical degree from the Marquette University School of Medicine in 1930. From 1942 to 1946, he served as chief of surgery in naval hospitals in the Pacific theater, returning to his Milwaukee surgical practice after the war. In 1948 he received his an M.S. in anatomy from from Marquette and joined the faculty of the medical school. For nearly three decades, he served as a Clinical Professor of Anatomy, with research interests focused on the development of synthetic plasma, the replacement of the esophagus and other blood vessels with skin from living humans, and gastric ulcer formation.

Restrictions:  Access to these records is unrestricted. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of these records. Consult an archivist for further information.

Scope and Content:  The collection consists of a single scrapbook assembled by Dr. Benjamin, primarily documenting his research team's discovery of the use of okra as a substitute for human plasma. The scrapbook includes correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and telegrams documenting his discovery and career.