Author Biographical Info

The origins of the library date back to 1915, when the Houston Academy of Medicine (HAM) established a small library in downtown Houston to serve the Harris County Medical Society. This Library was combined with the Baylor College of Medicine’s (BCM’s) small library in 1949 to form a centralized collection. As more institutions joined the Texas Medical Center, they also shared the resources of the TMC Library, thereby creating a unique point of collaboration among the institutions of the TMC. A permanent home for this new library was built in the early 1950’s, through the efforts of HAM and BCM. Jesse H. Jones contributed funding for the construction, and in 1954, the approximately 27,000 square foot, three-story “Jesse H. Jones Library Building” was dedicated. By 1975, a new addition to the building had added another 76,000 square feet for the Library’s growing collection. At this time, the Library officially became known as the Houston Academy of Medicine – Texas Medical Center Library. Today the library uses the shorter operating name of The TMC Library. Find out more at History of the Library from the library website.

Publication Date(s)

April 1, 2017

Language

English

Keywords

Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Neurosurgery

Abstract

An oral history interview with Kathryn Elaine Hickman Peek about her career as a biomedical administrator and educator at many institutions in the Texas Medical Center.

Kathryn Elaine Peek, Ph.D. completed her bachelor’s degree in English and embarked on a first career as a public school teacher. She obtained master’s degrees in biology and behavioral sciences at the University of Houston and UH Clear Lake during two stays in the Houston area. She entered the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at what is now the McGovern Medical School at the age of 39. She graduated with a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at the age of 44 and embarked on a career that took her from laboratory studies of brain and spinal cord ischemia to the pursuit of information about the biological differences between men and women. Along the way, she mentored many young people pursuing healthcare and science careers and supported numerous women seeking career advancement in STEM professions. Her career was sometimes at the mercies of institutional politics. She retired from the University of Houston in 2013, but as she continues to work as a consultant in the Texas Medical Center, she can look back on raising awareness of women’s health issues as well as boosting the presence of women in leadership positions in the Texas Medical Center. See more at Texas Medical Center-Women's History Project and its finding aid.

Comments

Interview by: Ruth SoRelle, MPH
Transcription: Danielle Bustillos SoRelle, PhD
Date: November 18, 2016

Additional Files
2017-Peek-Transcript.docx (34 kB)
2017-Peek.jpg (2485 kB)
2017-Peek-Audio.mp3 (126458 kB)
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