Research Catalog

Title

Muriel Petioni papers, 1935-2008

Author

Petioni, Muriel, 1914-2011

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Ollivierre, Cyril C., 1903-1975.

Description

5.33 lin. ft. (10 boxes)

Summary

The Muriel Petioni papers reflect primarily on her participation in various organizations, including the Gayap Organization; they also include professional correspondence, African diaspora related documents, and Harlem related documents. There is limited information about Petioni’s personal life included in the collection.The Gayap material documents the organization's work and its relationship with various businesses and organizations in the home island and the United States as well as offers sketches of the contributions and interests of Trinbagonian and other Caribbean individuals and organizations in the United States. Materials of interest are: letters regarding Eric Williams' official 1964 visit to New York; a letter to Cyril Ollivierre from George T. Daniel, member of the United Nations Advisory Council for the Trust Territory in Somaliland, wherein he describes the land and people of Somalia and reflects on the African continent; and Ollivierre's obituary of his close associate, the pan-Africanist George Padmore. Organizations represented in the collection include the Caribbean Leagues of America, Trinidad & Tobago Alliance of the USA and West Indies Student Liaison Office.

Subjects

• United States > Emigration and immigration
• Trinidad and Tobago > Emigration and immigration
• Associations, institutions, etc > Trinidad and Tobago
• Trinidadians > United States
• West Indians > New York (State) > New York
• Caribbean Americans > New York (State) > New York
• Trinidad and Tobago Gayap Organization of America
• Trinidad and Tobago > Social life and customs

Note

• Complementary collection: George Padmore Letters, Sc MG 624

Source (note)

• Muriel Petioni

Biography (note)

• The Trinidad and Tobago Gayap Organization of America, Inc., was founded in New York City in 1958 with the aim of "lend[ing] a helping hand to the people of the West Indies in general and ... Trinidad and Tobago in particular." Among other functions, Gayap used funds raised through its events and membership dues to assist West Indian students and contribute to festivals and other activities in the Caribbean. In addition to maintaining and improving relations among West Indians, GAYAP also sought to improve ties between West Indians and Americans. The organization published a newsletter, "Flambeau", about Trinidad & Tobago and its culture.
• Muriel Petioni was born in 1914 in Trinidad and Tobago. Her father moved to Harlem in 1918 after his outspoken views about local political and economic conditions in Trinidad damaged his future career opportunities. Petioni’s father became a physician, opened a private practice in Harlem, and was the personal physician to Marcus Garvey. In 1919 at the age of 5, Petioni, along with her mother and siblings, moved to Harlem to join her father. Petioni was strongly influenced by her father’s commitment to medicine, community, and political activism. After attending public schools in Harlem and eventually graduating from Wadleigh High School, she enrolled in the pre-med program at New York University. Two years later she transferred to Howard University and received her B.A. in 1934 and her M.D. in 1937. As the only female in her graduating class of 1937, Petioni was already starting to blaze trails. Petioni taught at various universities, started a private practice, and held various positions at a number of hospitals. As a leader in the community, Petioni sat on numerous boards, including the Trinidad and Tobago GAYAP Organization, New York Council for Smaller Churches, Friends of Harlem Hospital Center, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, to name a few. Petioni was also affiliated with many other organizations, including the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society (Founder and President 1974-1984, member thereafter), Medical Women of NMA (now Council of Women’s Concerns, Founder and first President), Doctor’s Council of the City of New York (Treasurer 1980-1984), Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Inner City Broadcasting Company. The “Mother of Medicine in Harlem” proved to be a pioneering figure in Harlem and in the medical profession, servicing her community until her death in 2011.

Call Number

Sc MG 808

OCLC

829130788

Author

Petioni, Muriel, 1914-2011, collector.

Title

Muriel Petioni papers, 1935-2008

Biography

The Trinidad and Tobago Gayap Organization of America, Inc., was founded in New York City in 1958 with the aim of "lend[ing] a helping hand to the people of the West Indies in general and ... Trinidad and Tobago in particular." Among other functions, Gayap used funds raised through its events and membership dues to assist West Indian students and contribute to festivals and other activities in the Caribbean. In addition to maintaining and improving relations among West Indians, GAYAP also sought to improve ties between West Indians and Americans. The organization published a newsletter, "Flambeau", about Trinidad & Tobago and its culture.

Muriel Petioni was born in 1914 in Trinidad and Tobago. Her father moved to Harlem in 1918 after his outspoken views about local political and economic conditions in Trinidad damaged his future career opportunities. Petioni’s father became a physician, opened a private practice in Harlem, and was the personal physician to Marcus Garvey. In 1919 at the age of 5, Petioni, along with her mother and siblings, moved to Harlem to join her father. Petioni was strongly influenced by her father’s commitment to medicine, community, and political activism. After attending public schools in Harlem and eventually graduating from Wadleigh High School, she enrolled in the pre-med program at New York University. Two years later she transferred to Howard University and received her B.A. in 1934 and her M.D. in 1937. As the only female in her graduating class of 1937, Petioni was already starting to blaze trails. Petioni taught at various universities, started a private practice, and held various positions at a number of hospitals. As a leader in the community, Petioni sat on numerous boards, including the Trinidad and Tobago GAYAP Organization, New York Council for Smaller Churches, Friends of Harlem Hospital Center, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, to name a few. Petioni was also affiliated with many other organizations, including the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society (Founder and President 1974-1984, member thereafter), Medical Women of NMA (now Council of Women’s Concerns, Founder and first President), Doctor’s Council of the City of New York (Treasurer 1980-1984), Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Inner City Broadcasting Company. The “Mother of Medicine in Harlem” proved to be a pioneering figure in Harlem and in the medical profession, servicing her community until her death in 2011.

Source

Muriel Petioni Gift Sept. 2008 SCM 08-46

Connect to:

Finding Aid

Added Author

Ollivierre, Cyril C., 1903-1975.

Research Call Number

Sc MG 808