The Harris County Association of General Practice is a component branch of the American Academy of General Practice and the Texas Chapter of the American Academy of General Practice. Through the diligent efforts of Dr. Lyman C. Blair and others a charter was issued on July 23rd, 1948, thereby establishing the Harris County Chapter.

The collection documents the history of a local medical association and to some extent the attitudes with the field of general practice.

The Elwin L. Shelton, Jr., MD papers consists largely of materials related to his professional life, such as presentations and publications, published and unpublished papers, and accreditations. There are copies of Medical Director's Notebook from 1957-1960. There are also materials on topics such as philosophy, hypnosis, intestinal by-pass, GI, breast, and peritoneal dialysis research. Some items pertain to the Texas Surgical Society, Southern Society of Clinical Surgeons, and Houston Gastroenterological Society. Finally, there are some personal items, such as biographical data, photos and "treasured letters." The collection ranges in dates from 1948-1990.