Leo L. Lieberman Papers circa 1918, 1935-2004 (bulk 1980-2000)

Leo Lieberman (1914-2006) was a long time resident of Waterford, Connecticut where he practiced veterinary medicine for more than 30 years. He graduated from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1935 and joined the United States Veterinary Corps. Shortly after the United States entered World War II in 1941, Dr. Lieberman married Army Nurse Hazel Congdon before serving overseas. Following the war, he opened a veterinary practice. He was an active member of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association and served as president of the association. Dr. Lieberman was a prominent advocate of neuter-before-adoption as a solution to the problem of pet overpopulation, and devoted much of his later career to demonstrating that spaying and neutering puppies and kittens as young as eight weeks old was safe and effective.

Dr. Lieberman retired from veterinary practice in 1986 and began splitting his time between Connecticut and Port St. Lucie, Florida. During his retirement, he continued his advocacy work. He died on February 15, 2006 at 91 years old.

This collection contains Leo Lieberman's personal and professional papers from circa 1918 to 2004. It contains correspondence, personal and professional records, video cassettes, slides, journal articles, nespaper and magazine articles, collected publications, and administrative records. While these materials include Lieberman's military records and materials relating to his veterinary practice, the majority relate to Lieberman's research and advocacy concerning the use of early neutering and spaying, or "neuter before adoption," to combat pet overpopulation. The majority of these records were produced in the early 1980s up until the early 2000s.

This collection is arranged in three series. Series 1: Professional Records contains materials related to Lieberman's professional life, including his military service, veterinary practice, and advocacy after retirement. Series 2: Personal Records contains materials not relating to Lieberman's professional activities. Series 3: Publications contains materials collected by Lieberman as part of his research, practice, and advocacy.

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[Identification of item], Leo L. Lieberman Papers, MC 00742, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Gift of Jan Holmquist and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2023 August (Accession 2023.0136)

Processed by Katelyn Cuomo, 2023 September; Finding aid written by: Katelyn Cuomo, 2023 September; Finding aid updated by Katelyn Cuomo 2023 November; Collection fully processed by Katie Bushman, 2024 June; Finding aid updated by Katie Bushman, 2024 June.