Robert C. Ruiz Papers, PC.2014

Menu

Robert C. Ruiz Papers, PC.2014

Abstract

Robert Charles Ruiz (1929-2023) was born in Oteen, Buncombe County, N.C., to Cipriano Nilo and Elsie M. (Brown) Ruiz (1893-1984). He trained as an x-ray technician, working as early as 1947 and thereafter in that capacity with the Tuberculosis Section of the N.C. State Board of Health, headquartered in Raleigh. By the late 1940s Ruiz was involved in a state-wide survey that utilized mobile x-ray units travelling to all counties within the state, part of an effort to eradicate tuberculosis in North Carolina. In 1951 Ruiz enlisted for service in U.S. Army Medical Corps, and until 1953 he served in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units. Following his honorable discharge, Ruiz returned to North Carolina and worked with the board of health in Raleigh.
The papers reflect the civilian work of Ruiz in the fields of photography and chest x-ray technology, ca. late 1940s to early 1960s, and his service in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, 1951-1953, in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units, from Fort Meade, Md., Camp Pickett, Va., to Korea. His personal correspondence is primarily with family members. Photographs, slides, and scrapbooks reflect Ruiz's interests in subjects such as political figures, Hurricane Hazel, travel, colleagues, and friends.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Robert C. Ruiz Papers
Call Number
PC.2014
Creator
Ruiz, Robert C.
Date
1918-2010
Extent
2.31 cubic feet
Estimated Count
2.5 fibredex boxes, 0.5 manuscript boxes
Language
English
Repository
Western Regional Archives, State Archives of North Carolina

Quick Links

Restrictions on Access & Use

Access Restrictions

Available for research

Use Restrictions

Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item] in PC.2014, Robert C. Ruiz Papers, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C., U.S.A.

Collection Overview

The Ruiz papers reflect his personal, military, and professional work and interests, including photography and work as an x-ray technician with the Tuberculosis Section of the N.C. State Board of Health (circa 1940s-early 1960s), centered primarily in Raleigh, N.C., and its statewide survey. The latter consisted of mobile tuberculosis x-ray units traveling about the state in a concerted effort of the state board and county health departments to detect and ultimately eradicate tuberculosis in the state. The papers also document Robert C. Ruiz's service in U.S. Army Medical Corps, 1951-1953 in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units, from Fort Meade, Md., Camp Pickett, Va., to Korea.

Materials include correspondence primarily with family; greetings cards; scrapbook and five photo albums containing a variety of materials in addition to photographs, and negatives, such as personal and official army correspondence, clippings, church bulletins; postcards, photocopies of pocket diary; negatives; slides; printed materials; loose materials of the type contained in albums; a Korean maps; ephemera and miscellaneous materials, with dates ranging ca. 1949-2010, with the bulk from the early 1950s. Additionally, a small quantity of World War I and World War II materials, photocopies and two items of correspondence, 1918, and two v-mail letters, 1944.

Overview of the correspondence series, 1918-2010, and undated: This series includes letters written by serveral different correspondents, but the bulk of the correspondence is that of Robert Ruiz written to family members in the Asheville area, particularly his mother, Elsie M. Brown Ruiz. Of these, most of the letters were written during the period, 1951-1953, while Ruiz was with the United States Army, MASH unit, primarily stationed in Korea. Early correspondence is found in Box PC.2014.1, Folder 1, in the category of World War I Letters, 1918. Two letters were written by John E. Melton, of Dysartville, N.C., to Miss Annie [Logan] Brown, a sister of the mother of Robert Ruiz. Melton was with Company I, 324 Reg. Infantry, 81 Division, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), France. Annie Brown (1898-1983) eventually married Richard Valentine Nicely. There is one letter written to Miss Brown from Zeb Holder, with Company B., 105. M.P., AEF, France.

The collection of papers also includes a scrapbook, five photo albums containing a variety of materials in addition to photographs, and negatives, such as personal and official army correspondence, clippings, church bulletins; postcards, photocopies of pocket diary; also a scrapbook and large photo from his days working with the Tuberculosis Section of the N.C. State Board of Health (circa 1940s-1960); and over 500 items consisting of slides, negatives, but also miscellaneous items such as a map and other materials, and memorabilia such as pocket guides, booklets, baggage tickets, ID tags, placards and signs.

Biographical/Historical note

Robert Charles Ruiz (1929-2023) was born in Oteen, Buncombe County to Cipriano Nilo and Elsie M. (Brown) Ruiz (1893-1984). Cipriano Ruiz was a native of Cuba, while Elsie was born in Buncombe County to natives of the area, Berkley Cane and Lou Emma Ray Brown. The Brown family farmed in a part of the county that is now the Browntown area of Biltmore Forest. The Ruiz family lived nearby and included, in addition to Robert Charles, sons, William Nilo (ca. 1926-2011), and Berkley Julian (1927-2015).

In November of 1947, Ruiz was certified as a photofluographic trainee and accepted a job at the High Point Health Department. Subsequently, he worked as an x-ray technician with the Tuberculosis Section of the N.C. State Board of Health (NCSBH). By the late 1940s, he was involved in a state-wide survey that utilized mobile tuberculosis x-ray units travelling to all counties within the state. This was part of a concerted effort of the NCSBH and county health departments to detect and ultimately eradicate tuberculosis in North Carolina. In 1951, Ruiz enlisted for service in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. From 1951 to 1953, he served in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units, from Fort Meade, Md., Camp Pickett, Va. to Korea. Following his honorable discharge, Ruiz returned to North Carolina and worked with the NCSBH in Raleigh. In October of 1961, Ruiz resigned his position with NCSBH, Occupational Health, to work with the Veterans Administration Hospital, Oteen, N.C.

Contents of the Collection

➤ Container Count 6 Boxes, 60 Folders
  • •  Robert C. Ruiz Papers Box 1
    1
  • •  Robert C. Ruiz Papers Box 2
    2
  • •  Robert C. Ruiz Papers Box 3
    3
  • •  Robert C. Ruiz Papers Box 4
    4
  • •  Robert C. Ruiz Papers Box 5, 2 scrapbooks
    5
  • •  Robert C. Ruiz Papers Box 6
    6
  • •  World War I Correspondence
    World War I Correspondence
  • •  World War II Correspondence
    World War II Correspondence
  • •  Correspondence 1947, 1949
    Correspondence 1947, 1949
  • •  Correspondence 1947-1950
    Correspondence 1947-1950
  • •  Correspondence January-June 1951
    Correspondence January-June 1951
  • •  Correspondence July-October 1951
    Correspondence July-October 1951
  • •  Correspondence November- December 1951
    Correspondence Nov- Dec 1951
  • •  Correspondence of Julian Ruiz 1951
    Correspondence, Julian Ruiz 1951
  • •  Correspondence January- February 1952
    Correspondence Jan-Feb 1952
  • •  Correspondence, Helen Greeson 1952
    Correspondence, Helen Greeson 1952
  • •  Correspondence March-April 1952
    Correspondence March-April 1952
  • •  Correspondence May- June 1952
    Correspondence May- June 1952
  • •  Correspondence July-August 1952
    Correspondence Jul-Aug 1952
  • •  Correspondence September-October 1952
    Correspondence Sept - Oct 1952
  • •  Correspondence November-December 1952
    Correspondence Nov-Dec 1952
  • •  Correspondence 1953-1958
    Correspondence 1953-1958
  • •  Correspondence 1971-2010, nd
    Correspondence 1971-2010, nd
  • •  Publications 1951, 1952, 2009
    Publications 1951, 1952, 2009
  • •  Newspaper Clippings
    Newspaper Clippings
  • •  Miscellaneous US Army Service Documents 1951-1952
    Misc. US Army Service 1951-1952
  • •  Miscellaneous Documents North Carolina Tuberculosis Association
    Misc. NC Tuberculosis Association
  • •  Miscellaneous North Carolina State Board of Health 1945-1954, 1961
    Misc. NC State Board of Health
  • •  Postcards and Greeting Cards c. 1951
    Postcards and Greeting Cards
  • •  Prayers and Devotions Booklet c.1951
    Prayers and Devotions Booklet
  • •  United States Army, Customs Tags
    US Army Customs Tags
  • •  Pocket Guides to Korea and Japan, published 1950
    Korea and Japan pocket guides
  • •  X-Ray Technician Placards
    X-Ray Tech Placards
  • •  Photographs, c. 1952
    Photographs, c. 1952
  • •  Photographs 1954, 1955, 1983, c.1992
    Photographs 1954, 1955, 1983, c1992
  • •  Photographs- Albert Lindsay, TB Association 1955
    Photographs- Albert Lindsay
  • •  Negatives- Hurricane Hazel Raleigh, October 1954
    Negatives- Hurricane Hazel, Raleigh
  • •  Negatives- MIlitary
    Negatives- Military
  • •  Slides- TB Survey, X-ray Unit
    Slides- TB Survey, X-ray Unit
  • •  Slides- TB Survey, X-ray Unit
    Slides- TB Survey, X-ray Unit
  • •  Slides- TB Survey, X-ray Unit
    Slides- TB Survey, X-ray Unit
  • •  Slides- Miscellaneous
    Slides- Misc.
  • •  Slides- Maria Beale Fletcher, Miss America, c. 1962
    Slides- Miss America 1962
  • •  Slides- Western Region
    Slides- Western Region
  • •  Slides- Piedmont Region
    Slides- Piedmont Region
  • •  Slides- Piedmont Region, Wake County
    Slides- Wake County
  • •  Slides- Coastal Region
    Slides- Coastal Region
  • •  Slides- Korean War, Army Service pages 2-10
    Slides- Korean War 2-10
  • •  Slides- Korean War, Army Service pages 11-20
    Slides- Korean War 11-20
  • •  Slides- Korean War, Army Service pages 21-28
    Slides- Korean War 21-28
  • •  Slides- Korean War, Army Service pages 29-34
    Slides- Korean War 29-34
  • •  Negatives- Korean War Army Service pages 35-38
    Negatives- Korean War 35-38
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook pages 1- 68
    MASH Scrapbook 1-68
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook pages 71-100
    MASH Scrapbook 71-100
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #2 pages 1-50
    MASH Scrapbook #2 1-50
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #2 pages 51-100
    MASH Scrapbook #2 51-100
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #2 pages 101-118
    MASH Scrapbook #2 101-118
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #3 pages 1-48
    MASH Scrapbook #3 1-48
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #3 pages 49-100
    MASH Scrapbook #3 49-100
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #3 pages 101-133
    MASH Scrapbook #3 101-133
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #4 pages 1-50
    MASH Scrapbook #4 1-50
  • •  Korean War, Mobile Army Surgical Hospital #8063 Scrapbook #4 pages 51-143
    MASH Scrapbook #4 51-143
  • •  Tuberculosis Survey Maps- locations of Xray units
    TB Survey Maps
  • •  Objects from Army Service including spoon, pipe etc.
    Objects from Army Service
  • •  Miscellaneous non-Archival Materials- magazines etc.
    Misc. Non-Arc Materials
  • •  Map of Korea, Hand colored photograph
    Oversize Folder Container 7

Subject Headings

  • Ruiz, Robert Charles
  • Ruiz family
  • North Carolina State Board of Health.
  • United States Army Medical Corps.
  • Health care
  • Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Tuberculosis--prevention & control
  • Tuberculosis--Treatment
  • Public health
  • Public health laboratories
  • Diseases
  • Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Hurricane Hazel, 1954
  • Expertising, X-ray
  • X-ray Machine
  • Asheville (N.C.)
  • Raleigh (N.C.)

    • Acquisitions Information

    Gift of Robert C. Ruiz, 2010.