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.