Reynaldo M. Deveaux oral history collection
Series
Identifier: HHC 50
Scope and Content
Conducted by Dr. Jake Spidle, this 1983 interview with Dr. Reynaldo Deveaux, a family practitioner who practiced in Taos, New Mexico from 1942 to 1983, contains information on small town/rural medicine in a heavily Hispanic-American county. Dr. Deveaux came to Taos directly from medical school in Mexico City during World War II and practiced for six years as a federal government contract physician, then stayed as a private practitioner for another 35 years. The interview includes information about traditional medicine within the Hispanic culture of Taos and its vicinity; the special circumstances and stresses of health care delivery in rural New Mexico during World War II; Taos area physicians, particularly Drs. Warner Onstine and Al Rosen; the licensure difficulties associated with a foreign medical degree; Holy Cross Hospital in Taos; and other subjects.
Additionally the collection includes information regarding Dr. Deveaux's medical licensure in the United States as well as an audio tape from a 1984 luncheon given by the Taos County Medical Society and the medical staff of Holy Cross Hospital to honor Drs. Deveaux and Ashley Pond. There is a photograph of Dr. Deveaux taken at the time of his oral history and copies of thirteen photographs donated by Dr. Deveaux.
Series I. Oral History, 1983: This series contains the final transcript of the oral history, one draft transcript, and one audio tape.
Series II. Licensure, 1942: This series contains copies of the minutes from two meetings of the New Mexico State Board of Examiners in the Basic Sciences, an application for licensure, and a letter from the Board.
Series III. Honor, 1984:This series contains an audio tape of a 1984 meeting of the Taos County Medical Scoeity and the medical staff of Holy Cross Hospital honoring Dr. Deveaux and Dr. Ashley Pond for thirty years of distinguished service to the care of the sick of northern New Mexico. Included is a program from the meeting.
Series IV. Photographs, 1942-1943, 1983, n.d.: This series contains a photograph of Dr. Deveaux taken in his office at the time of his interview and copies of photographs from a scrapbook belonging to Dr. Deveaux.
Additionally the collection includes information regarding Dr. Deveaux's medical licensure in the United States as well as an audio tape from a 1984 luncheon given by the Taos County Medical Society and the medical staff of Holy Cross Hospital to honor Drs. Deveaux and Ashley Pond. There is a photograph of Dr. Deveaux taken at the time of his oral history and copies of thirteen photographs donated by Dr. Deveaux.
Series I. Oral History, 1983: This series contains the final transcript of the oral history, one draft transcript, and one audio tape.
Series II. Licensure, 1942: This series contains copies of the minutes from two meetings of the New Mexico State Board of Examiners in the Basic Sciences, an application for licensure, and a letter from the Board.
Series III. Honor, 1984:This series contains an audio tape of a 1984 meeting of the Taos County Medical Scoeity and the medical staff of Holy Cross Hospital honoring Dr. Deveaux and Dr. Ashley Pond for thirty years of distinguished service to the care of the sick of northern New Mexico. Included is a program from the meeting.
Series IV. Photographs, 1942-1943, 1983, n.d.: This series contains a photograph of Dr. Deveaux taken in his office at the time of his interview and copies of photographs from a scrapbook belonging to Dr. Deveaux.
Dates
- 1983-1984
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of print materials allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Biography or History
Reynaldo M. Deveaux was born in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1918. He received his medical degree from the National School of Medicine in Mexico City, Mexico, in 1944. While president of the university's student council, Dr. Deveaux received a letter from the United States Farm Home Administration asking for two doctors finishing medical school to participate in a health care program for low-income patients. His medical school granted Dr. Deveaux permission to substitute this experience for the six months of practice in a rural Mexican community required as part of his degree program.
Speaking very little English, Dr. Deveaux and a classmate, Dr. Arturo LaMonthe, arrived in Taos, New Mexico, in 1942 with a six-month contract to work in the local hospital and travel to rural clinics in the county. He continued to work with this program until its end in 1948. Though Dr. LaMonthe then returned to Mexico, Dr. Deveaux, who now had a family, decided to take the medical examination and get licensed to practice in the United States. However, he was met with opposition from a local doctor, who threatened a lawsuit to stop Dr. Deveaux's examination. With help from his father-in-law, a New Mexico state senator from Taos, Dr. Deveaux's medical degree was recognized and he was allowed to sit for his examination. He was licensed in 1948.
Dr. Deveaux opened a private practice in Taos, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. While his medical practice was general, he liked obstetrics and delivered thousands of babies in the Taos area over his more than forty years of providing health care.
Speaking very little English, Dr. Deveaux and a classmate, Dr. Arturo LaMonthe, arrived in Taos, New Mexico, in 1942 with a six-month contract to work in the local hospital and travel to rural clinics in the county. He continued to work with this program until its end in 1948. Though Dr. LaMonthe then returned to Mexico, Dr. Deveaux, who now had a family, decided to take the medical examination and get licensed to practice in the United States. However, he was met with opposition from a local doctor, who threatened a lawsuit to stop Dr. Deveaux's examination. With help from his father-in-law, a New Mexico state senator from Taos, Dr. Deveaux's medical degree was recognized and he was allowed to sit for his examination. He was licensed in 1948.
Dr. Deveaux opened a private practice in Taos, where he worked until his retirement in 1983. While his medical practice was general, he liked obstetrics and delivered thousands of babies in the Taos area over his more than forty years of providing health care.
Extent
1 oversize folder, 2 audio tapes
Abstract
Oral history of a Mexican-trained physician who practiced in Taos, New Mexico and the surrounding county for more than forty years. The fifteen page transcript documents the professional life of Reynaldo M. Deveaux, M.D., starting with his years as a contract physician for a U.S. Farm Home Administration program in Taos County, New Mexico in 1942, and through his thirty-five years of private practice in a rural area with a large Hispanic population.
Separated Material
Original audio recordings are stored in the Special Collections Annex.
Photographs are stored in the Special Collections Annex (PH 231).
Photographs are stored in the Special Collections Annex (PH 231).
Processing Information
These materials originally were organized and cataloged in 1984 by Janet Johnson. Peggy McBride reprocessed in 2005.
- Abortion
- Adler, Stuart Welsh, 1892-1987
- Anethesia, Obstetrical.
- Economics, Medical.
- Family Practice.
- Foreign Medical Graduate.
- Licensure, Medical.
- Maternal Health Services.
- Medicine, Traditional.
- Midwifery.
- Oral histories
- Osteopathic Medicine.
- Physicians.
- Plants, Medicinal.
- Public Health.
- Rural Health.
- Spidle, Jake W., 1941-
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Reynaldo M. Deveaux Oral History Collection, 1983-1984
- Status
- Approved
- Author
- Prepared by Janet Johnson. Revised by Peggy McBride.
- Date
- ©2005
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center Repository
Contact:
MSC 09 5100
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque New Mexico 87131 United States
505-272-2311
hsc-archivist@salud.unm.edu
MSC 09 5100
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque New Mexico 87131 United States
505-272-2311
hsc-archivist@salud.unm.edu