Professional Correspondence

Jefferson's correspondence covers the major aspects of his neurosurgical career. Most of the correspondence is between Jefferson and his professional associates. It encompasses not only scientific and professional developments in neurosurgery but also personal relationships. This correspondence gives an insight into Jefferson's relationships with major figures in neurosurgery at the time, especially Hugh Cairns. The correspondence also contains material relating to the work Jefferson did in forming the SBNS (Society of British Neurological Surgeons), and his consultancy for medical committees, such as the Brain Injuries Committee of the MRC. There is also substantial material about the international lecture tours which Jefferson undertook, especially after his official retirement.

For further correspondence not in this series, see the following series: 

• JEF/1/2/4/2, Sir Victor Horsley, containing correspondence largely about the Victor Horsley Lecture 1956-1958, but also some unrelated correspondence from 1935.
• JEF/1/4, Russia 1916-1917.
• JEF/1/8, Honours.
• JEF/2/1-3, Papers relating to Jefferson, containing correspondence including letters from Jefferson to G.F. Rowbotham and James Hardman.

This correspondence was scattered throughout a number of files. There was no discernible order for most of the correspondence. The file of material relating to Hugh Cairns was probably created by Geoffrey Jefferson, as was the bundling of letters relating to trips abroad. The correspondence was thus divided into the following sub-series:

• /1 Professional Correspondence
• /2 Correspondence relating to visits
• /3 Letters from Hugh Cairns
• /4 Correspondence relating to Hugh Cairns
• /5 Personal Correspondence
• /6 General correspondence