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Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections

CURRENT EXHIBIT Pioneers in Medicine: School of Medicine Alumni 1893-1959

About the Blocker Collections

Access to the Blocker Collections is open to everyone, regardless of affiliation with UTMB.

  • Research
  • Tours
  • Classes
  • Meetings

Hours (by appointment)

Monday-Friday

8am-5pm

Location

We are located on the third floor of the Moody Medical Library (914 Market Street, Galveston).

Contact

To make an appointment, please call (409) 772-2397

Or, send an email to:

  • Please make an appointment to visit the Blocker Collections.
  • You will be signed in/out when you enter/exit the department.
  • No food or drink is permitted in the Blocker Collections.
  • Supplies allowed in the Blocker Collections are:
    • Pencils and Paper
    • Laptops
    • Phones/Tablets
  • The computer work station in the Reading Room is for Blocker Collections research only.
  • Photography is permitted.

Truman BlockerThe special collections are named for Dr. Truman G. Blocker, Jr. (1909-1984): 1933 graduate of UTMB's School of Medicine; plastic surgeon; medical educator and administrator; and the first to hold the title of president of UTMB. His personal interest in the history of medicine led to the expansion of the rare book library and special collections in the 1960s and 1970s. Through material and monetary donations from UTMB departments and organizations, alumni, former faculty, and others, the historical collections have continued to grow steadily.

A variety of materials are housed in the Blocker Collections: rare books and manuscripts, documenting the history of Western medicine; archival collections, documenting the history of UTMB and Texas medicine; microscopes; postage stamps; postcards; surgical instruments; artifacts; medicine chests; portraits; photographs; artwork; and MORE!

The Blocker Collections is one of the largest and most significant collections in the history of the biomedical sciences in the southwestern United States.