Joseph N. Nathanson

Joseph Nathanson amassed one of the largest collections of Lincolniana in the world.

Dr. Joseph N. Nathanson (April 24, 1895—December 18, 1989) was born into a poor family in New York City and grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. Determined to become a physician, he managed to accumulate $600 to attend McGill University. Four years after graduation he moved to New York City, where he practiced obstetrics and gynecology and taught at Cornell. In 1937, while helping his seven-year-old daughter research a paper on Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Nathanson became entranced by the subject. He proceeded to build a massive collection of Lincoln memorabilia, which he donated to McGill University in 1986.