Old Red: Pioneering Medical Education in Texas

Introduction

Introduction TUCKED AWAY IN A CORNER OF THE CAMPUS of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) stands a majestic relic of an era long past. Designed by renowned Texas architect Nicholas J. Clayton and completed in 1890, the beautifully ornate, red brick Ashbel Smith Building, fondly nicknamed “Old Red,” represents a remarkable page in Galveston and Texas history. Within this extraordinary building in early October 1891, a small group of visionary physicians launched the University of Texas medical program. It marked the culmination of years of effort by numerous individuals, including those of pioneer physicianeducator Ashbel Smith, whose lifelong dream entailed the establishment of a university-based medical school.Today, Old Red, the premier symbol of medical education inTexas, ranks among the state’s landmarks in a class alongside the Texas Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion, and the Alamo. This book will examine the life and legacy of the Ashbel Smith Building from its beginnings through the contemporary efforts to preserve it. Chapters explore the nascence of medical education inTexas;the supreme talent and genius of Old Red architect Nicholas J. Clayton; and the lives of faculty and students as they labored and learned in the midst of budget crises, classroom and fraternity antics, death-rendering storms, and threats of closure.The education of the state’s first professional female and minority physicians and the nationally acclaimed work of physician-scientists and researchers are also highlighted. The spirited campaign by UTMB officials, alumni, and friends to save and restore Old Red rounds out the narrative. Best of all, I invite the reader to step inside Old Red and mingle with ghosts of the past: to ascend the magnificent cedar staircase, wander the long, paneled hallways, take a seat for a lecture in the tiered amphitheater , or enjoy the macabre spectacle found in the old anatomy lab, where cadavers are laid out in rows and jars of pathology specimens twinkle in the sunlit space. 1 ...