Waring Historical Library Oral Histories

OH 1 - General MUSC History

General oral history interviews were conducted with faculty, staff, and students, and capture participants' diverse perspectives on MUSC.

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OH 2 - First Kidney Transplant

On December 3, 1968, the Medical College of South Carolina (MCSC) performed the first major organ transplant in its history and the first in the state of South Carolina. The kidney transplant was performed by a team of doctors who, in the years and months preceding the operation, developed an innovative procedure that addressed the body's acceptance or rejection of foreign matter. These interviews document the experiences of the transplant team – made up of surgeons, laboratory technicians, and operating room technicians – in preparing for the transplantation, performing the operation, and the organ recipient’s recovery. Surgeons describe the operation; clinical engineering staff explained their research into the causes of organ rejection, the development of a procedure to address rejection, and the production of a device, the SCIRT pump, to remove lymphocytes from a patient’s blood. In addition, an interview was conducted with the family of the recipient and donor. They recalled the recipient’s health and the impact of the transplant on his life. Six interviews were conducted between October 2008 and March 2009 in preparation for the development of an online exhibit, “Overcoming the Rejection Factor: MUSC’s First Organ Transplant.”

View the catalog record and finding aid for this collection.

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OH 3 - Hurricane Hugo

Hurricane Hugo, a Category IV storm, struck Charleston, South Carolina on September 21 and 22, 1989. Over 2000 people rode out the storm in the Medical University of South Carolina’s University Hospital. This series of interviews documents the memories of administrators, hospital personnel, and maintenance staff that worked through the storm. The interviews were conducted by Brooke Fox, MUSC University Archivist in preparation for a physical and online exhibit commemorating the twentieth anniversary of landfall. The collection consists of eleven individual interviews recorded on a digital audio recorder between June and August 2009. Topics include storm preparations, patient safety, and personal recollections of each participant’s experiences including the days leading up to, and the weeks following, landfall.

View the catalog record and finding aid for this collection. This collection is also accessible in the Waring Historical Library Digital Collections.

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OH 4 - James W. Colbert, Jr., MD

James W. Colbert, Jr., MD, joined the Medical University of South Carolina as its first Vice President for Academic Affairs on February 1, 1969. He served as Vice President until his death on September 11, 1974. This series of interviews documents the memories of Dr. Colbert's family and colleagues about his life and his tenure at MUSC. The interviews were conducted by Brooke Fox, MUSC University Archivist, in preparation for a physical and online exhibit celebrating Dr. Colbert's life. The collection consists of five individual interviews recorded on a digital audio recorder in May and July 2009. Topics include Dr. Colbert's family life, his accomplishments while at MUSC, his death and the impact it had on MUSC.

View the catalog record and finding aid for this collection. This collection is also accessible in the Waring Historical Library Digital Collections.

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OH 5 - College of Dental Medicine

In 1952, the South Carolina Dental Association sponsored a study of South Carolina's needs in dental education. The results indicated a growing need for a school of dentistry within the state and it was recommended that one be established as an integral unit of the Medical College of South Carolina. In 1953, the General Assembly of South Carolina passed an act authorizing the development of a school of dentistry as part of the Medical College of South Carolina, however it was not until the 1964 session that the legislature funded that 1953 authorization.

In May 1964, by action of the Board of Trustees of the Medical College, a dean was appointed for the school of dentistry. Within a short time, planning went forward on the new seven-story Basic Sciences/College of Dental Medicine Building. By using existing basic science facilities and temporary dental clinic facilities, it was possible to admit the first class of dental students on September 5, 1967. The new building was ready for occupancy in December 1970, and the first class of students graduated and received their D.M.D. degrees in June 1971.

This series of interviews were conducted by Brooke Fox, MUSC University Archivist, and Susan Hoffius, Curator, Waring Historical Library, in preparation for the 50th anniversary of the college. The collection consists of nine individual interviews recorded on a digital audio recorder between September 2011 and March 2012. Topics include the establishment of the College of Dental Medicine, the first dean Dr. John Buhler, early faculty and staff, the college's relationship with the South Carolina Dental Association, classroom and clinical experiences, and dental education.

View the catalog record and finding aid for this collection. This collection is also accessible in the Waring Historical Library Digital Collections.

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