Dr. Albert Lyons interviews Milton Sisselman, and Dr. Alan Silver sits in and occasionally injects a question. They discuss Sisselman’s family background and education, his start at Mount Sinai as a Fellow, then made permanent as a administrative assistant moving up to Associate Director in Healthcare Administration; changes in the organizational structure of the corporation; the beginnings of the medical school; including very early affiliation discussions with City College and Montefiore Hospital; mentions of early unionization of Mount Sinai; detailed conversation on “The Sinai Syndrome,” (competitiveness; abrasiveness, etc.); where the funding for the medical school was found; relationships and disputes between early leaders of the Hospital, School, and Corporation; and characterization of several of the leading figures (David Pomrinse, George James, Gustave L. Levy, Joseph Klingenstein), details of the design and building of the Annenberg Building and mentions of the backgrounds of many of the other buildings in the complex.

Frequently mentioned names include: Martin Steinberg, Norman Metzger, John Walsh, David Pomrinse, Alexander B. Gutman, Alan B. Kark, Mark Ravitch, Ivan Baronofsky, M. Ralph Kaufman, Hans Popper, Paul Klemperer, Leo Gottlieb, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, Gustave L. Levy, George James, Sam Davis, Joseph Klingenstein, Max Fuchs.

Kark discusses his life and training (originally from South Africa); his work in South African hospitals and the University of Natal medical school; his arrival at Mount Sinai as Director of the Dept. of Surgery; his impressions of the program; affiliations with Greenpoint Hospital and the City Hospital Center at Elmhurst and the reasons for them; his contributions; planning of space in Annenberg; why he resigned; his opinion of Drs. George James, Solomon Berson, Kermit Osserman, John Garlock, Ralph Colp, Leon Ginzburg and Samuel Klein; his opinion of the residency training program. (Interview starts on August 16, 1973 and is continued on August 21, 1973.)

This oral history interview of M. Ralph Kaufman, MD was conducted by Albert S. Lyons, MD and Ruth Hirsch. The conversation focuses on the establishment of the Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Hospital. (Psychiatry had initially been practiced within the Department of Neurology.) It also includes discussion of Dr. Kaufman's relationship with Joseph Klingenstein, Mount Sinai Board of Trustees president, as well as Dr. Kaufman's opinions on the role of affiliations, the founding of Mount Sinai Medical School, and the founding of the Klingenstein Clinical Center (KCC).

Dr. Kaufman briefly mentions other more personal topics, including: his early life; his career prior to Mount Sinai at various Boston-area hospitals, as well as being on the Harvard faculty; his time serving in World War II; his family; how he relaxes; and his health. Drs. Kaufman and Lyons also briefly discuss the book "Freud and His Followers" by Paul Roazen, as well as the role of psychobiology within the field of psychiatry.

Dr. Klein discusses his early days as an intern/resident in the late 1920s, early 1930s, presenting an interesting picture of what training was like then and then compares it with his residents at the time of this interview (late 1960s), noting the changes in practice. He also relates stories about his Army experiences, the difference surgical services, adding a little on how that has changed over time, and mentions what he knows about the “ileitis story” (Crohn’s disease), and adds some personal information about himself, his schooling, marriages, etc.

Some names mentioned include: Leon Ginzburg, Gordon Oppenheimer, John Garloc, Allan Kark, A.A. Berg.

Dr. Bryan Brooks is a British surgeon who apparently was a patient in Mount Sinai Hospital and was well enough to speak with Dr. Lyons about his life and career. They discuss the British medical system, why some British doctors are referred to as "Mr." while others are called "Dr." and particularly the way ileostomy surgeries are done in England. He describes the British school system starting in early grades up through medical schooling, the salaries of medical professionals in England, how ostomy clubs began in England, and how he came to be in Mount Sinai Hospital. Lastly, he mentions his hobbies.

Interview with Norman Zuckerman by Molly Seegers and Daniel Tarkington about working in the Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health.

In this interview Amy Rabbit relates stories of her experiences at the St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in the early 1970s and then working as a floating nurse in various wards at St. Luke's Hospital. She shares particular stories of patient interactions on the Geriatric Psych unit, caring for AIDS patients, working with various staff, and changes over time in the way nursing is carried out. She also shares stories about her parents, her husband and son, and her hobbies in retirement.

Dr. Barnard relates stories about his childhood background, how he moved from an engineering major to pre-med, and how he found his way to St. Luke’s Hospital (now Mount Sinai Morningside) for residency training. He mentions several attendings that influenced him, some of the fun that was had during training, and some of the more serious cases he worked with, the reasons behind his move to Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons for several years to conducted research before returning to St. Luke’s to practice. He also mentions his hobbies, family adventures, and the changes in medical practice that led to his decision to retire.

Significant St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center names mentioned include Drs. William Clark, Mike Irwin, Theodore B. Van Itallie, Richard Pierson, A. Loomis Bell, C. Reddington [Rud] Barrett, Harvey Kemp, Michael Lesch, Ron Ablow,

Dr. Bernstein discusses his early training and developing interest in endocrinology, which was fostered by his Vietnam War service spent in NIH, where he worked in the endocrinology division. Following a fellowship year studying endocrinology he was recruited to St. Luke’s Hospital by Theodore B. Van Itallie, the former Chief of Medicine, who established first metabolic research lab in the country, to be the clinical director. He discusses various experiences and changes in medical practice; mentions his outside hobbies and interests and those of his family’s.

Mark Collazo, born on Long Island but raised in Spain, talks about returning to NYC, how he came to work at St. Luke’s Hospital (now Mount Sinai Morningside) through volunteering first in the Respiratory Care Department moving the large oxygen cylinders, how he was hired for his first position at St. Luke’s, in the food services, and how he worked his way back to the Respiratory Care area. He mentions his educational history and goals, some of the doctors he has worked with or were encouraged by, relates some of his experiences with patients and shares his philosophy of working with respiratory care and giving the patients what they want, and the reasons he wishes to stay at St. Luke’s, despite other offers.