A dumb terminal is a component that allows access to a computer but does not have its own processing capability. They’re basically a keyboard and a screen. The TI Silent 700, so named because it was a dot matrix that printed relatively quietly, came out in this form in 1971 and had a thermal paper output instead of a monitor. It had a modem and accessed remote computers via, yes, a telephone. Enjoy the image of it plugged into a bona fide rotary phone.

The McGovern Historical Center (MHC) is the historical and special collections department for The TMC Library. The MHC maintains rare book and archival collections. Artificial collections have been created to provide access to materials without clear provenance in order to increase discoverability. Soon after his arrival in Houston, Dr. McGovern became one of the Library’s most staunch supporters, annually supplying funds for the purchase of rare books and travel support for the librarians to attend meetings of the American Association for the History of Medicine. In 1977, The Library formed a new department with new quarters to collect historical materials and to enhance the rare book collections. In 1982, Dr. McGovern donated his personal collection of rare and historical books to the Library. In 1996 the Library’s Board of Directors named the historical department in his honor.