Selected materials from the early years of the medical school are now on display until August 31 at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in Downtown Dallas. The “UT Southwestern at 75 Years: Early Highlights of Southwestern Medical College” exhibit was curated by staff at Special Collections and Archives (part of the UT Southwestern Health Sciences Digital Library and Learning Center).
This exhibit explores military connections, changes in medical education, and selected departmental highlights and institutional developments during the first two decades of the medical school. Some of the materials on display include:
- A patient logbook from the 19th century
- The first yearbook from the medical school
- A kymograph
- Lantern slides
Edward H. Cary, M.D. (1872-1953), more than any other single person, was responsible for the founding of what is today UT Southwestern. He was the originator and first president of Southwestern Medical Foundation, originally founded to strengthen Baylor Medical College. When Baylor Medical College moved to Houston in 1943, Dr. Cary and the Foundation started Southwestern Medical College, now UT Southwestern. As president of the Foundation, Dr. Cary helped negotiate the medical school’s entry into the University of Texas system in 1949. This exhibit includes his log book from his training at Bellevue Hospital Medical College.
Southwestern Medical College faculty and students, most in military uniforms, circa 1944
Both the Army Specialized Training Unit and the Navy V-12 Unit were part of the earliest years of Southwestern Medical College. These two programs, created during World War II, were intended to boost both the number of technically trained personnel and officers. The commemorative plaque given to the school in recognition of the Navy V-12 Unit is featured in this exhibit, along with early images and the first medical school yearbook.
Seal of Southwestern Medical College
One of the departments of instruction when Southwestern Medical College opened in 1943 was Medical Art and Visual Education. Southwestern Medical College was the first educational institution to offer the Master of Medical Arts degree. An original drawing by Lewis Waters, a 1950s illustrated scholarly work on polio, the seal of Southwestern Medical College, and early lantern slides help reveal how the use of images in medical education has changed over time.
The exhibit is available for viewing on the 5th floor (Business & Technology) of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library in downtown Dallas until August 31, 2018.
Questions or comments about the exhibit? Contact archives@utsouthwestern.edu.