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Col. William B. Bates, Part 3 of 3. Interviewed by Don Macon. Col. Bates discusses further the relationships of the M. D. Anderson Foundation and the institutions in the Texas Medical Center. He speaks of Dr. E. W. Bertner and Dr. R. Lee Clark. Col. Bates then turns to his interest in education and Texas History. He describes the evolution of the University of Houston and his participation in the San Jacinto historical Association. A discussion of the involvement of the Houston Chamber of Commerce in the development of the Texas Medical Center concludes the series. (MDAH Master #30-1-73)

Video Profiles: Interview with Benjamin L. Bird by Don Macon. An MDA-TV Presentation. Department of Medical Communication. Produced for the Office of the President. 6/22/1977. The recording runs 20:02 minutes.
(0:17) Don Macon introduces Ben Bird and explains his connection to the M. D. Anderson Hospital.
(1:46) Bird shares some details of his biography. He grew up, was educated, and worked in Oklahoma and Texas. He studied law at the University of Texas in Austin. He notes his associations with members of the University’s Board of Regents.
(6:53) He outlines the tax and legal issues he was brought in to sort out on behalf of M. D. Anderson Cancer Hospital. He discusses the creation of the Association of Physicians as well as the University Cancer Foundation. This balanced M. D. Anderson’s tax-exempt status with R. Lee Clark’s desire to attract and retain top talent.
(12:26) Bird continues to elaborate on the legal and tax instruments he helped establish for M. D. Anderson: the Institutional Plan, the Director’s Regulations, and the University Cancer Foundation.
(15:36) Bird’s discusses his other work and interests. He highlights his work for Abilene Christian College.

Video Profiles: Interview with Benjamin L. Bird by Don Macon. An MDA-TV Presentation. Department of Medical Communication. Produced for the Office of the President. 6/21/1977. The recording runs 37:29 minutes.
(0:20) Don Macon introduces Benjamin L. Byrd and explains his connection to the M. D. Anderson Hospital.
(1:28) Bird shares some details of his biography. He grew up, was educated, and worked in Oklahoma and Texas. He discusses his time in the oil field, as well as at Harvard. He later studied law at the University of Texas in Austin.
(6:40) Bird discusses his involvement in debate and public speaking. He notes his associations with members of the University of Texas’ Board of Regents—Tom Sealy, Bob Sorrell, and Leroy Jeffers.
(8:32) Bird elaborates on this time at the law school, including a role as law librarian.
(10:43) He discusses the beginning of his law practice in Fort Worth in 1931.
(11:50) Bird discusses the development of his career and his expertise in tax law. He notes a 2-year stint in Washington, D.C., followed by time in St. Louis, and his return to Texas to form the firm Weeks, Bird, and Cannon (later Appleman).
(16:03) Bird talks of meeting his wife, Emily Loving. He got to know her while working for her father, a U.S. District Court Judge.
(17:50) Bird speaks of his partner Weeks, Dr. R. Lee Clark, and their Wichita Falls connection.
(18:40) Bird recounts his emergent professional connection with the University of Texas in the 1950s. He outlines the tax and legal issues he was brought in to sort out on behalf of the University and the M. D. Anderson Cancer Hospital.
(22:06) He elaborates on the tax matters and his interactions with R. Lee Clark. He mentions the Physicians’ Referral Service and the question of whether a Charitable Hospital could have Unrelated Business Income.
(26:16) Macon offers a history of the origins of M. D. Anderson Hospital and the Texas Medical Center.
(30:24) Bird elaborates on the legal and tax instruments he helped establish for M. D. Anderson: University Cancer Foundation, Constitution for the Hospital, Director’s Regulations.
(36:18) Macon wraps up the interview.

Frederick C. Elliott, DDS, Interview, Part 3 of 5, U-matic Tape, Master. 1943-1953. Interviewed by Don Macon. Video Tape Recorded 7/25/1973. Approximately 30min. MDAH Master # 38-1-73. Produced for Texas Medical Center Historical Resources Project. Part 3 begins with a review of material that has gone before. Dr. Elliott discusses the study made by a committee appointed by the University of Texas Board of Regents to recommend locations of the Univeristy of Texas Health Units. He describes the planning and construction of a new building to house the Dental Branch at Houston. Dr. Elliott discusses this association during these years with Dr. E.W. Bertner, Col. William B. Bates, Mr. John Freeman and Dr. R. Lee Clark. He gives insight to the man, Dr. E. W. Bertner, and touches briefly on his tragic illness and death. In 1954 Dr. Elliott was asked to become Executive Director of the Texas Medical Center, Inc. Dr. Elliot tells of his decision to leave the dental school to head a busy medical center that was in the midst of active development.

Frances Goff, Part 2 of 3. Interviewed by Don Macon. Ms. Goff recalls the years 1941 through 1954 in this segment of the interview. In 1941 she took the position of Personnel Director for the Texas Railroad Commission, but later that year she joined the Women's Army Corps. After the war she returned to Austin and resumed her activities as Budget Director fro the Senate Finance Committee. In 1951 she came to work for Dr. R. Lee Clark at Anderson; the first phase of the new hospital was completed in 1954. (Continued in Part 3). 6/7/1977. TMC Historical Resources Project (MDAH Master #746-1-77B) 34:30

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.

Dr. David A. Wood. Interviewed by Don Macon. Video recorded 9/25/1975. Approx. 30min. Color-Sound. MDAH Master #401-1-75. Produced for The University of Texas - Texas Medical Center Historical Resources Project. Dr. Wood briefly discussed his early history from his birth near the River of Lost Souls, in New Mexico through events that led to his interest n Pathology. He spoke of his wife who is a RN and his five children, one of whom is a MD, another who is interested in academic medicine. Sketching his career, Dr. Woods provided information about the American Cancer Society. He also talked about Dr. E. W. Bertner, Dr. R. Lee Clark, Dr. Murray Copeland, Dr. Grant Taylor, and Senator Frank Church. Dr. Wood emphasizes that the cancer story is a message of hope.

Frederick Elliott, R. Lee Clark, Julia Bertner, and William Bates