FEATURE
Fig . 8 The new student bacteriology laboratory in the Annex .
Fig . 9 The UofL Gross Anatomy Dissection Floor in the early 1950 ’ s , which featured Kornhauser-Johnson dissection tables designed at UofL .
Fig . 11 The 1962 Medical-Dental Research Building , which still serves UofL research .
Fig . 10 West Chestnut Street in the 1937 flood . The medical school is in the background . Fig . 12 The 1970 new UofL medical complex ( circled ), which remains the school campus .
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THE GREAT 1937 FLOOD
In 1937 , Louisville experienced flooding of historic proportions for weeks , which covered and paralyzed the city , including the medical school ( Fig . 10 ). At greatest risk were the prized library collections stored in the basement of the old building . Heroic efforts by librarian Joan Titley and the medical students to move these priceless collections to upper levels saved them . This rescue recapitulated the 1856 Louisville Medical Institute library salvation from fire , when medical students threw the historic book collection out the back windows onto a cow pasture , as the building became engulfed in flames . Heroic actions on these two occasions preserved a priceless treasure of historic literature , which is now housed in the Kornhauser Library Historical Collection .
THE MEDICAL DENTAL RESEARCH BUILDING
Expanding faculty research needs were unrelenting throughout the 20 th century . In 1962-63 , a separate facility , the Medical Dental Research ( MDR ) Building ( Fig . 11 ) was constructed on Floyd Street , just north of the Louisville General Hospital . The MDR contained greatly improved animal research facilities , and became faculty research laboratories for Pathology , Physiology , Pharmacology and other departments . The MDR third floor housed the Price Institute of Surgical Research , which was endowed by surgeon John W . Price , MD , in 1957 . It recently celebrated 60 years of outstanding productivity . In the 1970s , plastic surgeon and microsurgical pioneer , Dr . Robert Acland established his acclaimed Microsurgery Laboratory at the Price Institute . Techniques developed there led to later breakthroughs in tissue transfer and transplantation , including the world ’ s
18 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE first successful hand transplant in 1999 at Jewish Hospital by hand , plastic and transplant surgeons from UofL and Kleinert Kutz and Associates . MDR research facilities contributed substantially to the highly productive period in UofL research between World War II and the 21 st Century .
END OF AN ERA
In the 1960s , recognition of the great value that medical education brings to the citizens of the Commonwealth led the Governor and legislators to expand state support for medical education . First , the University of Kentucky School of Medicine was created in 1960 . Then , the 1968 General Assembly resolved that UofL should become a State institute as of July 1 , 1969 , which brought increased state funding . This coincided with construction of a new UofL medical campus just north of the Louisville General Hospital , which includes facilities still in use ( Fig . 12 ). Construction included a basic science research tower , a modern dental school , a medical school instructional building , and a modern library facility , which was named in honor of distinguished Anatomy Professor , S . I . Kornhauser , MD . Anticipating this move , maintenance of the Old Medical School Building wound down . Few realized , however , that the once elegant facility would be so completely abandoned as to threaten its very existence . The next chapter in this series will describe the near demolition of the Old Medical School Building , and its thrilling rescue by the Jefferson County Medical Society , which saved this priceless treasure on the brink of destruction .
Dr . Tobin is a professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine , Department of Surgery , Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery . He practices with U of L Physicians-Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery .