Interview with Dr. Henri Tagnon
- AVV-IC084-095
- Item
- 9/30/1976
Part of Texas Medical Center Historical Resources Project records
An Interview with Dr. H. Tagnon by Don Macon. An MDA-TV Production. Medical Communication. 9/30/1976. Runtime is 31:02 minutes.
(0:28) Don Macon introduces the Video Profiles series and Dr. Henri Tagnon, Head of the Institute Jules Bordet in Brussels, Belgium. He is also President of the European Organization for Research on the Treatment of Cancer and a member of the Committee on International Collaborative Activities of the International Union Against Cancer.
(1:45) Tagnon offers some details of his biography and education in Belgium. He mentions attending medical school in Brussels and cites his interest in clinical medicine. He attributes his interest in medicine to his interest in human nature. He discusses medical education and residency in Belgium.
(5:21) He discusses his parents, including his father’s admiration for surgeons.
(6:10) Tagnon recounts the fellowship that first brought him to the United States. He was at New York Hospital, affiliated with Cornell Medical School. Based on his interest in blood coagulation, he moved to the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory at Boston City Hospital.
(8:45) Tagnon then went to Memorial Hospital. He recalls appointing the first medical residency staff at Memorial in 1947. They discuss Robert Hickey, who was among the residents. They discuss R. Lee Clark and the development of cancer centers—including M. D. Anderson—in a relatively short period of time.
(12:59) He recalls the opportunity to return to Belgium as Chief of Medicine at the Institute Jules Bordet. He describes the growth of the program. He credits his time in the United States for his vision and accomplishments.
(19:00) Tagnon discusses the impetus for and development of the European Organization for Research on the Treatment of Cancer. He again cites the influence of his American experience.
(22:44) Tagnon reflects on the origins of cancer centers in the United States and Europe. He highlights the different disciplines—radiotherapy, surgery, and medicine—and the development of the comprehensive cancer center.
(26:27) Macon outlines the history of the Texas Medical Center and M. D. Anderson Hospital. Tagnon cites the influence of Dr. William Levin of University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Dr. Levin had advised the creation of a data center in Europe.
(29:39) Macon concludes the interview by thanking Tagnon.
Tagnon, Henri J., 1911-