Truman G. Blocker, Jr. History of Medicine Collections

• 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.

The 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.