Interview Chapters

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Chapter 04: Setting Up Testing Laboratories and Clinics and Building Research

Ralph Freedman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freedman explains how he came to assume the positions of Director and Chief of Immunology and Molecular Biology Research (’88-‘07). This narrative brings together various details: treatment of rare gynecological cancers, billing practices, regulation of laboratory testing, and research.
Chapter 05: Building A Departmental Focus on Immunological Approaches to Gynecologic Cancers

Ralph Freedman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freedman begins this chapter by sketching the hopes he had as Director and Chief: to understand the biology of the diseases from an immunological perspective and try to identify new strategies to treat ovarian and uterine cancer, with their (continued) dismal outcomes (in comparison to advances made with cervical and endometrial cancer). He notes that the main contribution IMBR made to ovarian cancer was to demonstrate that T-cells can be activated in the patient, a fact indicating that a vaccine approach might potentially be used. He goes into detail about the biological mechanisms of the tumors and of the patient’s immunological system. He notes that it is important for researchers to determine adequate ways to measure clinical benefit of treatments.
Chapter 06: Two Decades Overseeing Human-Subject Research

Ralph Freedman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freedman discusses his more than twenty years of experience overseeing human subject research on the Institutional Review Board (IRB). He sketches the history of human subject guidelines and clarifies IRB procedures, potential conflicts of interest (between IRB members and the institution), and the kinds of research protocols of concern to the IRB, whose primary function is the protection of human subjects. He then discusses his belief that regulation is very necessary, but that it has currently gone too far. He points out that different protocols represent different levels of risk, some of which may not require IRB regulation, such as experiments in which the main risk is to patient privacy. Dr. Freedman offers rich detail about the challenges to researchers and describes systems that might satisfy the public’s need for privacy and information security while easing the burden on researchers who want to move ahead quickly with their work. “We needed these systems yesterday,” Dr. Freedman asserts. He gives examples of how his understanding of the need for regulation and its potential complexity evolved as his experience as a researcher grew, then expands his focus again and discusses how regulation can influence how a researcher focuses his or her career.
Chapter 07: Service on the National Cancer Advisory Board and Other National Bodies

Ralph Freedman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freedman discusses his role as a presidential appointee to National Cancer Advisory Board (President Bill Clinton, ’00 – ’06). He begins with a brief sketch of the birth of the NCAB (and the National Cancer Institute) in the National Cancer Act, then covers NCAB review processes and grant procedures and compares the different styles of the Directors of the National Cancer Institute, who work with the NCAB. He shares his view that all the institutes need to reconsider the kinds of clinical research they are supporting. This discussion leads naturally to his post-retirement role on the Oncologic Drug Advisory Board (since ’09), “one of the most productive Boards at the FDA,” in Dr. Freedman’s words. He notes that he had to divest himself of certain stocks and remove himself from committees to satisfy the Board’s conflict of guidelines. He also talks about the Board’s procedures for questioning drug companies, offering several examples (including a drug company’s challenge to a rejection). He concludes that “They [the FDA] do a terrific job of protecting the public.”
Chapter 08: Working with LBJ Hospital and Indigent Care

Ralph Freedman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freedman talks about the Lyndon Baines Johnson Hospital in Houston, a public county hospital that has many MD Anderson faculty who work part or full time. Dr. Freedman has worked with the gynecological oncology resident training program since his retirement: a choice he made to continue seeing patients, which he felt he could not do at MD Anderson under conditions where patients required continuous monitoring. He notes the economic burden that indigent patients represented for MD Anderson in the past; he has also had an opportunity to note how many more women physicians are in the field.
Chapter 09: MD Anderson Growth and Changes to Institutional Culture

Ralph Freedman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freedman shares his observations about the growth of MD Anderson since he came to the institution in 1975. He notes its particular strength in clinical research and multi-disciplinary approaches (gynecologic oncology being one of the first Departments to put together multi-disciplinary fields). He hopes that MD Anderson will continue to always do the right thing for patients, “since we are there for them, not for ourselves.” In the final minutes of the interview, he talks about going to Galveston, Texas, to fish and enjoy the water, as he did when he was young, in Capetown, South Africa. Since retiring, he has been able to indulge his love of history and travel, talking about his trip to Russia. “It’s a good thing to leave some time,” he says, to have a chance to do other things besides work.
Chapter 01: Growing Up in Chicago with Unusual Opportunities

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about growing up in Chicago during the Great Depression, his early education, his difficult home life, the early influence of a family physician on his life, attending medical school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and being disqualified for service in World War II.
Chapter 02: Medical School and Residency in Chicago and a Growing Interest in the Science of Medicine

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks further about attending medical school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, interning at Cook County Hospital, and why he got fired from Cook County Hospital.
Chapter 03: On to a Fellowship in Boston and to Hematology

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about moving to Boston and studying and practicing hematology, shares his observations on grant funding, talks about how success is defined in science and medicine, and talks about his wife.
Chapter 04: Oncology Research at a New Hospital at the National Institutes of Health

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about being drafted into the Army, why he thinks that World War II was won by the defeat of malaria, going to work at the National Institutes of Health, and dedicating himself to curing leukemia. “You could either go to Bethesda and take care of leukemia patients,” he was told, “or you could serve in the military and go get blown up in Korea. So what the heck? Cure leukemia—that’s what I’ll do.”
Chapter 05: Treating Leukemia at the NIH

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about researching and treating leukemia at the National Institutes of Health and how everything he is famous for was done during his 10 years there. He also talks about why academics hated him and starting the first formal clinical trials.
Chapter 06: The First Systematic Studies of Chemotherapy for Leukemia

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the first study of chemotherapy for treating leukemia, developing new treatments for childhood leukemia, and combination chemotherapy.
Chapter 07: Treating Hemorrhage in Pediatric Leukemia Patients

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about treating hemorrhaging in pediatric leukemia patients.
Chapter 08: A Research Controversy: Treating Hemorrhage in Childhood Leukemia

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the controversies surrounding treating hemorrhaging in pediatric leukemia patients.
Chapter 09: At the NIH: Studying Infection in Leukemic Patients [early 60s]

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about his studies of infection in childhood leukemia, conducted at the National Institutes of Health in the early 1960s.
Chapter 10: At the NIH: Vincristine, a Cure for Childhood Leukemia, and VAMP

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the development of a drug called vincristine and the work for which he is famous: curing childhood leukemia.
Chapter 11: Leaving the NIH for a Turbulent Research Environment at MD Anderson

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich says that “We’re now in ’64, and things are going along famously. I had the biggest and best pediatric leukemia service in the world. We were internationally famous. Everybody was following our lead. People came to learn how to do platelets, how to do white cells, how to do antibiotics, and how to do combination chemotherapy. We were really rolling.” He then talks about why he left the National Institutes of Health and joined MD Anderson Cancer Center, his relationship with Dr. R. Lee Clark, and why his family’s transition to Houston was “painful.”
Chapter 12: The Lay of the Land: Developmental Therapeutics and MD Anderson in 1965

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the Department of Developmental Therapeutics at MD Anderson, the prominent physicians he worked with at MD Anderson in the mid-1960s, more about Dr. R. Lee Clark, and the use of radiotherapy for treating cancer.
Chapter 13: Getting to Work, Diving into Controversy, and Studies of POMP

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the difficulties of treating children, getting fired as head of Pediatrics, and being put in charge of Leukemia.
Chapter 14: Developmental Therapeutics in the Midst of Opposition to Systemic Treatment of Cancer

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talk about the Department of Developmental Therapeutics amid opposition to systemic treatment of cancer, the development of the immunotherapy program, and animosity among different departments and personalities at MD Anderson.
Chapter 15: Developmental Therapeutics, the Division of Medicine, and Dr. Clark’s Final Years as President

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich continues talking about the Department of Developmental Therapeutics at MD Anderson, the Division of Medicine, the medical school in Houston, and Dr. R. Lee Cark’s final years.
Chapter 16: Charles LeMaistre, the New President, Initiates Reorganization, with Impact on Developmental Therapeutics

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the new president of MD Anderson, Dr. Charles LeMaistre; reorganization initiatives of the new president; and how Dr. LeMasitre’s changes affected the Department of Developmental Therapeutics.
Chapter 17: The Beginning of the Division System, Closing Developmental Therapeutics (1983), and the Legacy of the Department

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the beginning of the division system, the closing of the Department of Developmental Therapeutics in 1983, and the department’s legacy.
Chapter 18: Departments Undergoing Change under Charles LeMaistre

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the many changes that occurred at MD Anderson under the leadership of Dr. Charles LeMaistre.
Chapter 19: Head of the Adult Leukemia Program and a “Project Reassignment” Year at the NIH

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about his role as head of the Adult Leukemia Program and a “Project Reassignment” year at the NIH.
Chapter 20: A “Flexner Report for Cancer” and Commitment to Education

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about developing and writing a “Flexner Report” for cancer and touring medical centers nationwide.
Chapter 21: Views of Charles A. LeMaistre and MD and R. Lee Clark, MD

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about Dr. LeMaistre; how, in his view, Dr. LeMaistre abused his power as president; and why he thinks MD Anderson was hated by other state institutions.
Chapter 22: An NCI Audit and Problems with a Protocol and Leadership

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about being audited by the NCI and suffering a heart attack.
Chapter 23: Charles A. LeMaistre’s Administrative Success

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about some of Dr. Charles LeMaistre’s administrative successes.
Chapter 24: Controversies over Use of Drugs in Clinical Trials (1980s)

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about controversies over the use of drugs in clinical trials in the 1980s.
Chapter 25: Multi-Disciplinary Clinics in a Politicized Environment and a Review of Key MD Anderson People [Restricted]

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

This interview chapter is restricted. Please contact archivist for details.

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the operation of multi-disciplinary clinics in a highly politicized environment and discusses his thoughts about key personnel and leaders at MD Anderson.
Chapter 26: Reflections on Leadership Style, Intellectual Freedom, and MD Anderson

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich reflects on leadership style, intellectual freedom, the legacy of Dr. Charles LeMaistre, Dr. John Mendelsohn, and MD Anderson in general.
Chapter 27: The Development of the ALZA Infusion Pump

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the development of the ALZA infusion pump.
Chapter 28: The Physician-Scientist Training Program and Other Activities and Some Thoughts on Retirement

Emil J. Freireich MD and Lesley W. Brunet

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich talks about the Physician-Scientist Training Program at MD Anderson and shares his thoughts about retirement.
Chapter 01: A New Idea and A Controversy: Transfusing Platelets in Leukemia Patients

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freireich begins this chapter by explaining the origin of his first name, "J".

Next, he describes how he worked with pediatric patients in the fifties, noting that he would see blood sprays on the walls of childrens' hospital rooms from their hemorrhages. This led to his decision to treat the patients with massive doses of platelets. Dr. Freireich gives detailed accounts of the patients' physiology, the technical challenges to overcome when giving patients blood from donors (as opposed to a bank blood), as well as the clinical trails he ran to determine the treatment's efficacy. Dr. Freireich explains in very dramatic terms, how treating leukemia patients was influenced by confrontations between those who advocated for laboratory over clinical research, as well as by intra-institutional political conflicts. What results is a full and realistic portrait of how scientific and clinical paradigms shift in complex social/political contexts
Chapter 02: Building the Continuous-Flow Blood Separator

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich describes treating infections by transfusing white blood cells. He goes over the technical difficulties of separating white cells from platelets. (He describes his lab at NCI, festooned with 50 feet of tubing.) Here he also specifies why a continuous flow of blood was needed: using the analogy of an artificial kidney, he explains that leukemia patients required a huge number of either platelets or white blood cells, so the aim was to process a donor's entire blood supply, while mobilizing the donor's body to replace the elements removed for the transfusion. The next phase of the blood separator story begins when an IBM engineer, Al Judson, appears and asks if there's something he might do to help cure leukemia. (His son was afflicted by the disease.) Dr. Freireich describes the materials and technical challenges of creating an instrument that would channel blood from a donor into a centrifuge, collect the proper layer of separated elements for the patient, and deliver plasma back to the donor.
Chapter 03: Perfecting the Blood Separator in the Department of Developmental Therapeutics: Shifting MD Anderson Culture to Innovative Research

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freireich explains why the slow evolution of the blood separator made it necessary for him to leave the NCI and join MD Anderson in 1965. He speaks at length about R. Lee Clark, "a giant of a person" (who visited Dr. Freireich's family at home in order to convince him to come to Houston). He compares leukemia treatment services at NCI and the "primitive" situation for clinical research at MD Anderson. The faculty, he notes, saw his treatment/research approaches as potentially disruptive. He illustrates Dr. Clark's political skill in the face of this enmity: Dr. Clark rented a mobile home and set it up in a parking lot, where Dr. Freireich and Dr Frei (his close colleague from NCI who also joined MD Anderson in the sixties) established the new Department of Developmental Therapeutics. Dr. Freireich describes the process of establishing a fully functioning program in two years. He also describes tensions in the institutin as Developmental Therapeutics presented a new model of innovative research on treatments other than surgery. He explains how they finalized the design of the continuous blood separator (Model 2997), and he describes how the device and innovations it stimulated led to a revolution in stem cells transfusion.
Chapter 04: MD Anderson Changes Under Charles LeMaistre: Expansions in Leukemia Research

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich covers several topics, among them changes in MD Anderson's administration when Charles LeMaistre became president, departmental reorganizations, and clinical experiments with "life islands" and granulocyte transfusions.
Chapter 05: New Chemotherapy Treatments for Breast and Cultural Challenges to Research Innovation

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich discusses his work on breast cancer chemotherapy, simultaneously reflecting on cultural trends in the United States that work against the spirit of innovation.
Chapter 06: A Commitment to Training and Education: A Failed Battle For an MD Anderson Medical School

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

this chapter begins with Dr. Freireich's reflections on the circuitous path that took him to hematology. He describes the unique clinical oncology program he helped set up at MD Anderson, and the "best and brightest" fellows who came to train. He traces the creation of graduate education at MD Anderson. He weaves in discussion of how growth at MD Anderson was tied to debates over bringing a medical school to Houston.
Chapter 07: Building the "Best Graduate Medical Education Program in the Country"

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freiriech next traces the growth of education at MD Anderson when Dr. Charles A. [Mickey] LeMaistre took over as president from Dr. R. Lee Clark. He describes his close collaboration with Dr. Emil Frei, III. He explains how the Department of Developmental Therapeutics evolved because of initial connections with Japanese and Mexican Fellowship students. He explains his role in taking medical oncology to Japan and to Mexico. Dr. Freireich also sheds light on the development of the administrative structure governing clinical and basic research and explains how he established the Institutional Grand Rounds, a contributor to what he calls "the best graduate medical education program in the country."
Chapter 08: A History of Institutional Grand Rounds, The Core Curriculum, and the Physician's Assistant Training Program

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich explains the Institutional Grand Rounds in greater detail, focusing on how it offers a multi-disciplinary perspective on a topic to appeal to a broad audience within MD Anderson. He discusses how he established the Core Curriculum, a program that all graduates students at MD Anderson are required to take and which he describes as the "best program in the country" because of the comprehensive view of cancer it provides. He also discusses how he believed that the new idea of a "physician's assistant" was worth pursuing, leading to the Physician's Assistant Training Program.
Chapter 09: Creating Patient-Oriented Research in a Complex Scientific and Institutional Context

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freirech begins this chapter by discussing the importance of research funding and the creation of the Association for Patient-Oriented Research. He sketches the "structural problem" that research funding through the NIH channels funds to basic scientists when "100% of our ability to manage diseases in man began at the bedside with a doctor." He speaks at length about the bias he perceives against physicians and clinically based research and the limitations of basic research to reveal the intricacies of disease in patients, despite the "ethos" in medicine and in the country to view clinical research as secondary because it merely applies discoveries revealed by basic research. Dr. Freireich talks about the origin of the K-series NIH grants for physicians. He then gives examples of how the bias against clinicians has influenced funding and administrative organization at MD Anderson. He speaks about the Physician Scientist Program (funded by a K-30 grant) and the Patient-Based Research Program. He talks about the challenges arising from the fact that MD Anderson does not administer its own Graduate School.
Chapter 10: Advocating for Patient-Oriented Research and Patients

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freireich begins this chapter by sketching the educational opportunities that MD Anderson offers. He then talks about his continued commitment to education and his pride in one of his trainees, Dr. Hagop Kantarjian, who now heads the Department of Leukemia. Dr. Freireich then further discusses the bias he perceives operating when it comes to awarding grants and awards to physician-scientists. He sketches the history of science in medicine, beginning with the founding of the Association of American Physicians and leading to his role in founding the Society of Patient-Oriented Research in 1998. He sketches the challenges the struggling organization is facing. He stresses that MD Anderson is set up to allow physicians to focus on their specialty, which means their minds are always immersed in their research area as well.
Chapter 11: A Critical Need to Fund Patient-Oriented Research

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freireich begins this chapter by reflecting on the role that national and international organizations have served in furthering research in his field (the fifties to the present), circling back to the main theme of Session Two by pointing out that the character of these organizations again demonstrates that basic research is valued more highly than clinical research. He also presents his belief that funding research on cures for cancer will be more effective than funding preventative measures.
Chapter 12: The FDA as a Barrier to Research Innovation

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter Dr. Freireich stresses that cancer will only be cured by funding clinical research into cures for cancer and offers his personal belief that the population at large understands this. (He uses the example of AIDS activists, who were successfully organized and lobbied for effective treatments.) He talks about the role of the FDA, which he sees curtailing physicians' ability to make progress by restricting the use of experimental drugs in dying patients. He sums up the affect of what he sees as bureaucratic conservatism: "If there's no drug, there's no danger, and there's no progress."
Chapter 13: Leukemia as a Key to Understanding

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich presents his theory that the ability to control cancer (determining which cancers will metastasize and kill) will come from research in leukemia because leukemia is a systemic cancer and everything discovered about it is immediately transferable to solid tumors. He talks about molecular and genetic advances in understanding cancer. He notes that we don't need to understand the source of cancer, since will never be eradicate it, we need to understand how cancer operates so it can be controlled. At the end of this chapter, Dr. Freireich observes that individuals understand that tobacco and alcohol have an impact on cancer and health but it is a slow process to regulate against their use.
Chapter 14: The Partnership Between Basic Science and Clinical Research

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Freireich further clarifies his view of the relationship between clinical and basic research. "I want to spend double the money on basic research. The problem is the translation. If you don't have the clinical arm, it's like trying to play the piano with one hand. We need basic sciences to do the rhythm and the clinical scientists to do the melody and then we get music." He talks about some of his collaborations with basic sciences, but also gives examples of how, contrary to popular opinion, patient-oriented research is basic research. He explains why global oncology should be a lower priority than other missions: e.g. funding clinical research, targeted therapy.
Chapter 15: A Legacy of Strong Faculty and Advances in Blood Cancers; Awards; as a Disease and MD Anderson Presidents

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Freireich begins this chapter by listing some of the key faculty he has brought to MD Anderson. He then reviews advances in blood cancers that have been made during his time at the institution. He next compares the three presidents of MD Anderson and speculates that incoming president Dr. DePinho has "the same genes" as R. Lee Clark, and may prove a visionary leader.
Chapter 16: A Life of Work with the Support of a Strong Wife and Family

Emil J. Freireich MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this very personal chapter, Dr. Freireich reflects on his lifelong focus on work. He speaks at length about his relationship with his wife and beloved partner, Haroldine Freireich (Cunningham), whom he married on a Saturday morning when there were no samples to count. He talks about the importance of his family and notes that his children and grandchildren in providing distraction from intense focus on his research life.
Chapter 05: The Leadership Styles of Dr. Frei and Dr. Freireich and Working with the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG)

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gehan contrasts Dr’s Frei III and J. Freireich’s administrative styles and capabilities. He mentions the adult and pediatric divisions in the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) and MD Anderson pediatric researchers Dr. Margaret Patricia Sullivan and Dr. Wataru "Walter" Sutow. Dr. Gehan then discusses the politics, group composition of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), and MD Anderson’s participation in it. Specifically, he talks about the election of the successor to Dr. Tom Frei III as Chairman of the Southwest Oncology Group and mentions successors Dr. Barth Hoogstrate and Dr. Charles A. Coltman Jr.
Chapter 06: Dr. Gehan's Research and Publishing Impact

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gehan assesses his research output. He talks about: the number of patients required in Phase II clinical trial, comparison of two survival distributions with no average survival time, the extension of the Wilcoxin (Frank) Test with two-sample tests with censoring (loss) when working with Professor Sir David Roxbee Cox in London, the Gehan-Breslow (Norman Edward)-Wilcoxon generalization of the Wilcoxon statistic test to the two-sample problem with censored data, and hazard functions. Dr. Gehan then discusses the impact of computers on statistical research publications. He talks about the necessity for, and research perspectives and publications regarding, non-randomized controls in cancer clinical trials. He mentions the influence of Dr. Franz Joseph Ingelfinger, Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, in promoting a constructive Gehan/Freireich publication approach where there was a conflicting research theory (Thomas C. Chalmers, known for randomized clinical trials). He also discusses the development of cancer research cooperative groups, epidemiologist Eleanor Macdonald and many of his co-authored biostatics articles.
Chapter 07: The Relationship Between the Department of Developmental Therapeutics and Department of Medicine at MD Anderson

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan talks about patient referral practices and perspectives between the Department of Medicine, headed by Dr. Clifton “Cliff” Howe, and the Department of Developmental Therapeutics headed by Dr. Emil Frei III. He discusses direct referrals to Dr. Frei III and Freireich, Dr. C. C. Shullenberger (chronic leukemias), and Dr. Raymond “Ray” Alexanian (multiple myeloma).
Chapter 13: Transitions at the Department of Developmental Therapeutics

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan concludes the interview by discussing changes at the institution including the closure of the Department of Developmental Therapeutics. He talks about the importance of having passion in cancer research, a trait he greatly admired in Drs. Frei and Freireich. He talks about the role of pharmaceutical companies and Rituxan, the first monoclonal antibody to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Chapter 01: Early Life and Education in Brooklyn, New York

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Edmund “Ed” Gehan summarizes his tenure at MD Anderson, how he came to MD Anderson, prior work in the Biostatistics area of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Institute of Health (NIH), and graduate education. He briefly talks about his pre-collegiate life and career influences in Brooklyn, New York - including his attendance at St. Augustine’s Catholic High School. Dr. Gehan then details his range of performance on career aptitude tests (e.g. Wiggly Block Test) at the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation and how his enjoyment of Reader’s Digest Word Power influenced his decision to attend Manhattan College.
Chapter 02: Choosing An Educational Background Focusing on Statistics

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan reflects on his curriculum, performance, and choice of major at Manhattan College, and factors that influenced his selection of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill for graduate study in statistics. He talks about the “giants” at UNC Chapel Hill in the Department of Theoretical Statistics: Harold Hotelling, Herbert Robbins in probability, R. C. Bose, and S. N. Roy while he spent a year in that program. Dr. Gehan switched to the Department of Applied Statistics at North Carolina State in Raleigh, North Carolina under Gertrude M. Cox. While he graduated from NC State, Dr. Gehan spent most of his in Chapel Hill and reminisced about his time there. His last years at Chapel Hill were spent as a doctoral candidate and faculty member under the leadership of Bernard “Bernie” G. Greenberg, Dean of UNC School of Public Health.
Chapter 08: Working as Adjunct Faculty at Rice University and The University of Texas School of Public Health and Consulting Work with the Southwest Oncology Group

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gehan talks about his adjunct faculty work at Rice University when Dr. James “Jim” R. Thompson was the head of the Department of Statistics, and at The University of Texas School of Public Health’s Department of Biometry. While at the latter, he supervised Lina Asmar’s master's thesis and participated on her Ph.D. committee, which she completed in 1992. Then, he gives an overview of Terry L. Smith’s and his consulting work in the Department of Biostatistics supporting several people/entities, like Dr. Raymond “Ray” Alexanian (Department of Medicine), the Department of Developmental Therapeutics, and while serving as the head statistician of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), he mentions work with Dr. Micheal Keating, Dr. Kenneth “Ken” B. McCredie, Dr. Wataru “Wat” Walter Sutoh (pediatrics), Dr. Margaret Patricia “Pat” Sullivan (Intergroup Hodgkin's disease). He talks in detail about Dr. Grant Taylor (Chair of the SWOG), his relationship with President R. Lee Clark, his authoring of the book “Pioneers in Pediatric Oncology” (of which Mr. Gehan’s autobiography is included), and his involvement in the MD Anderson’s purchase of the Prudential building.
Chapter 09: Luminaries in the Department of Pediatrics and Evolution in the Field of Cancer Research

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan fondly recalls Dr. Wataru Walter Sutow, recollects his participation with Dr’s Grant Taylor and Margaret Patricia Sullivan in a group studying the effects of atomic radiation, and speculates on how they came to MD Anderson’s Department of Pediatrics. He discusses pediatric cancer researchers’ perspectives on cancer research, how they differed from cancer research in adults, and changing involvement over time in various research groups (e.g. Southwest Oncology Group). Lastly, he notes Dr. Archie Bleyer would know more information regarding the pediatric cancer research activity.
Chapter 10: Dr. Jan VanEys and the Development of MD Anderson’s Code of Ethics; Working with Pharmaceutical Industry

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gehan talks about Dr. Jan VanEys’ work in pediatrics and as an ethicist at MD Anderson. He mentions Dr. VanEys’ work with Dr. James M. Bowen in the creation of a code of ethics at MD Anderson. He then talks about the role of statistics in cancer research, cancer research ethics, and the ethical use of randomized trials. He goes on to reference Donald “Don” Arthur Berry, head of the Department of Biostatistics at MD Anderson, talks about clinical equipoise, contrasts Bayesian and Frequentist reasoning, sequential analysis, randomized trials, etc. Dr. Gehan talks about the statistics department’s working relationship with other areas at the institution including working with Dr. Charles Blach who was the Head of the Department of Surgery at the time. Before 1980, the National Institute of Health (NIH) funded most research. Changes in the industry saw a bulk of funds coming from drug companies, which required new logistical concerns regarding data management and patient participation numbers to justify expenses. He provides examples of Dr. Bodey's research in protective environments for cancer patients.
Chapter 11: The Differing Leadership Styles of Drs. Clark and LeMaistre

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan provides a brief comparison of Dr. R. Lee Clark and Dr. Charles A. LeMasitre, who were the first two MD Anderson Presidents. According to Dr. Gehan, Dr. Clark was personable compared to Dr. LeMaistre's more organizational management style.
Chapter 12: The Contributions of Colleagues to MD Anderson's Legacy

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

The interviewers ask Dr. Gehan to talk about his MD Anderson colleagues. A statistician by nature he offers to evaluate his colleagues on a 1-10 rating scale while identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each individual.
Chapter 03: Work at NCI/NIH, the Role of Statistics in Medical Research, and its Application in Sequential and Combination Cancer Treatment Evaluation

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan talks about working for, and remembrances of, Nathan Mantel (known for survival rate analysis) at the NCI/NIH. Also at that time, he received direction from Jerome “Jerry” Cornfield, senior statistician (best known for the causal relation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer). He talks about the importance of statistics in medical research and publication, gives an example of a “6-Mercaptopurine (6MP) and Methotrexate (MTX)” treatment response rate study, and how he provided “analytical support” for Drs. Emil “Tom” Frei III and Emil J. Freireich’s sequential and combination treatment “ideas” for Leukemia treatment.

At an MD Anderson dinner event the prior evening, Mr. Gehan mentions several prominent researchers (Dr’s Emil J Freireich, Emil “Tom” Frei III, Michael Keating, Jeffrey Gotlieb, Levy[?], and 6th Annual Emil J. Freireich Award for outstanding achievement of a young researcher in clinical cancer therapeutic award recipient Eric K. Rowinsky), their passion for research work, and being “turned on” serving as the statistical “member of the team.” The beginning of work with Drs. Frei and Freireich in January 1958, Dr. Gehan lists his roles over time as the replacement for Marvin A. Schneiderman, his career advancement to Acting Head, then Head of the Biometrics Section, Cancer Chemotherapy National Service Center and NCI Southwest and Eastern Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups. As a member of the Acute (now Cancer) Leukemia Group B, he reminisces about the face-to-face meeting style where Dr’s Frei III, Freireich, and James “Jim” F. Holland developed ideas for clinical studies. Additionally, he mentions his marriage to wife Brenda (nee McKeon) before his time working for Sir David Roxbee Cox (known for Regression Models and Life Tables) from 1962-1964 as a special Fellow at Birkbeck College of London, England.
Chapter 04: Strengthening Medical Oncology at MD Anderson with the Aid of NCI Researchers in the Department of Biostatistics

Edmund A. Gehan PhD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD

Dr. Gehan recollects Dr. R. Lee Clark’s approach to funding, recruitment, and management and the attraction of MD Anderson/Houston to Dr. “Tom” Frei III, his wife Elizabeth “Liz” (nee Smith), as well as himself. Dr. Olson mentions from Kenneth Endicott (NCI Director) to Dr. R. Lee Clark (President, MD Anderson) lamenting the move of Dr’s Frei III and Freireich to MD Anderson. When Dr. Gehan started at MD Anderson in 1967, Dr. Lee D. Cady Jr. was the Head of the Department of Biomathematics. Dr. Gehan talks about the impact of the arrival of Dr’s Frei III and Freireich on MD Anderson Research. Dr. Gehan cites the cooperative group collaboration model of NCI/NIH Clinical Chairman Dr. C. Gordon Zubrod and biostatistician Marvin A. Schneiderman on the first randomized trials in acute leukemia and solid tumors. He recalls the members of the administration and the research team at MD Anderson before the arrival of Dr’s Frei III and Freireich: Dr. H. Grant Taylor, Chairman of the Southwest Oncology Group (Southwest Oncology Group), epidemiologist Eleanor Josephine McDonald (known for creating the National Cancer Registry) statistician Kenneth M. Griffith, Dr. Roy C. Heflebower, Joe E. Boyd and Dr. Stuart O. Zimmerman, Chairman of the Biomathematics Department. He also mentions other MD Anderson administrators and researchers: Terry L. Smith, Dr. Peter F. Thall, Dr. J. Jack Lee, President Dr. Charles A. LeMaistre, Dr. Frederick F. Becker and President Dr. John Mendelsohn. Finally, he talks about the Department of Biostatistics, how it differs from Biomathematics, and the effort to strengthen medical oncology at MD Anderson.
Chapter 01: Recruitment to MD Anderson

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 02: Meeting Mary Lasker

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 03: The Early History of Interferon Research

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 04: Making Connections and Issues with Acquiring Interferon

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 05: Funding Interferon Treatment and Looking towards Future Developments

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 06: Funding Interferon Research through Connections and Industry

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 07: Challenges in Funding and Acquiring Interferon

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 08: Promoting and Publicizing Interferon Research

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 09 : The Ideal Patient

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Lesley W. Brunet
Chapter 01: Early MD Anderson Pioneers

Jordan U. Gutterman MD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD
Chapter 02: Dr. Emil J Freireich and the Early Years in Departmental Therapeutics

Jordan U. Gutterman MD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD
Chapter 03: On Writing about the History of Medicine

Jordan U. Gutterman MD, Lesley W. Brunet, and James S. Olson PhD
Chapter 01: Lessons from Family and the Liberal Arts

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman talks about growing up in a small South Dakota town, and the "amazing training" he received by accompanying his mother on her habitual visits to shut ins and ill neighbors. He also reflects on his own character and the faceted approach he brings to medicine and science, given his broad interests in religion and philosophy (both of which he studied in college).
Chapter 02: Mary Lasker: Personal and Financial Support for Research

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Gutterman discusses his close relationship with Mary Lasker (treated in depth in the 2006 sessions with Lesley Brunet), a philanthropist who was immediately interested in his interferon work in the seventies and who eventually gifted one million dollars toward his research. Mrs. Lasker schooled him in dealing with people and in strategizing to get a job done in the face of obstacles. Dr. Gutterman also talks about his gifts for visual thinking, his colorist paintings, and his habits of self-reflections which come from an interest in holistic systems.
Chapter 04: Research Challenges: Ethical Questions and Celebrity

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Gutterman talks about how he dealt with two problems that the interferon studies raised. First he discusses the ethics of selecting patients for treatment and of treating patients because they can afford to pay for an experimental drug (while others cannot pay). He gives specific examples of patients he has treated. Second, Dr. Gutterman talks about how he coped with the public attention and even notoriety that arose from his work. He digresses and talks about how the Mary Lasker came to fund the Lasker Award to raise awareness of medical research.
Chapter 05: Interferon and the Control of Hairy Cell Leukemia

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Gutterman recounts one his great success stories with interferon "the control of hairy-cell leukemia". He talks about the dramatic and unexpected results seen in patients with this heretofore incurable disease.
Chapter 06: The Department of Developmental Therapeutics; Personal Stories and Reflections

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman talks about MD Anderson and the Department of Developmental Therapeutics, which he joined as a Senior Fellow in 1971. He first explains that his participation in the Berry Plan brought him to MD Anderson. He talks about immediately sensing the spirit of freedom and possibility, the availability of money to support research, and the presence of many accomplished people, such as Dr. Emil J Freireich, who influenced him with his passion and intellect. Dr. Gutterman speaks about his brother and father as inspirations as well as his own artwork, his paintings. The session comes to a close with two personal stories that demonstrate that angiogenesis can both kill and heal.
Chapter 07: Testing Interferon against Many Cancers

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman picks up the story of his interferon work during the early Eighties. He explains that, after repeating his first experiments with the newly-manufactured recombinant interferon, he was eager to try the drug on other cancers, such as renal cell carcinoma and chronic myeloid leukemia. This was a bold move in some eyes, but the unique intellectual environment in the Department of Developmental Therapeutics in the Seventies supported this kind of creative experimentation. He speaks briefly about finding funding for this work, then focuses on his work with chronic myeloid leukemia (for which there was no treatment at the time).
Chapter 08: Furthering Research through Partnerships with Drug Companies

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman offers several examples of how he learned to work with drug companies to further his own research. He was approached, for example, to test GM-CSF [granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor] to restore platelet counts in chemotherapy patients. He also learned to protect his intellectual property. He attended meetings at the emerging drug companies and describes the impact of "seeing the power of venture money." He also observed how the biotech companies set up creative environments, sensing a kinship with the imaginative work they were doing.
Chapter 09: Research Money: The Economics of Drug Companies; Philanthropy

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman talks about working with "big pharma" and operating largely independently of MD Anderson. He discusses the economics of pharmaceuticals, noting a lesson he learned from philanthropist Mary Lasker, who said "money is frozen energy." He talkss about his own entrepreneurial spirit, linking it to his father's business ventures and critiques "conservative approaches" to drug experimentation. Dr. Gutterman ends this section with a passionate description of Houston philanthropy at that time. He then responds to a question about the downside of working with drug companies, concluding, "Don't count on the drug companies," because he discovered interferon's hairy cell leukemia at MD Anderson, with private money.
Chapter 10: R. Lee Clark, Charles LeMaistre, and Philanthropic Houston Oilmen

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman shares memories and observations about Dr. R. Lee Clark and Dr. Charles LeMaistre. This includes a narrative of how Dr. Clark worked with Mary Lasker to support Dr. Gutterman's work on chronic myeloid leukemia, resulting in the use of interferon to suppress malignant clones while normal cells return. Dr. Gutterman provides many examples of challenges that arose within the institution to hold back his work. At the close of the session, Dr. Gutterman sketches the formation of the Interferon Foundation by several Houston oilmen, several of whom visited Charles LeMaistre to insist he remove obstacles to Dr. Gutterman's work.
Chapter 11: Funding Innovative Clinical Research: Some Institutional Obstacles

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter Dr. Gutterman comments on the reaction of MD Anderson "and then president Dr. Charles LeMaistre-- to the private funding of his interferon research." He also underscores how unique MD Anderson is, with all of its many resources, intellectual, creative, financial, etc. He also comments on his role as Chair of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Biological Therapy, noting candidly that he was not passionate about administration and unable to manage the Department adequately.
Chapter 12: Department Chair and Section Chief: Leadership Issues

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Dr. Gutterman comments on his role as Chair of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Biological Therapy, noting candidly that he was not passionate about administration and unable to manage the Department adequately.
Chapter 13: Going on Record with New Research: Avicins and Nutrition

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

For the first time, Dr. Gutterman goes on record with a discussion of his current research on avicins and nutrition, work that required him to "change fields" and study botany. He explains that in the mid-Eighties he found inspiration in an early article on the isoflavone Genistein, then speaks about the deaths of his mother and father, sources of the values that are personal foundations to that work. He notes that the epidemiology of cancer itself suggests that its cure lies in the understanding the interaction of genes with the environment. Near the end of this section, he notes that in 1994, financial difficulties at MD Anderson made it necessary for clinical departments to generate more revenue "another impetus for him to leave administration and find a new research arena."
Chapter 14: Establishing a New Research Focus: Experiments, Money, Organization

Jordan U. Gutterman MD and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Dr. Gutterman then speaks at length about the intricacies of setting up his new research program. He describes his new collaboration with botanist Dr. Charles Arntzen at (the Biodesign Institute at the University of Arizona?) and the Clayton Foundation's role in financing his research. During the next half hour he details how he was invited to study desert plants in Tuscon. He believed that these plants must contain substances that protect them from UV light and dehydration, and that might be helpful in combating cancer. He describes the long process of making extracts from the plants and the studies that revealed that one extract, from the acacia victoria, would kill ovarian cancer cells (and not kill normal cells). He talks about the process of finding a lab to make a pure extract (needed in the late nineties), a goal achieved in October of 1998: "Now I have to learn chemistry," Dr. Gutterman recalls saying. He and colleagues successfully mapped the chemical structure of the active terpinioid and then embarked on discovering the mechanism of its action. Near the end of this section he talks about how they named avicin and applied for the patent, awarded in 2002. (This session ends abruptly, due to Dr. Gutterman's throat irritation from allergies.)
Chapter 01: A Path to Houston and the President’s Office

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Ms. Hale begins this chapter by sketching her family background, her education in a one-room school, and her early secretarial experience at Monsanto that made her application attractive once she moved to Houston and started looking for employment at MD Anderson.
Chapter 02 : The President’s Office Under R. Lee Clark

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Ms. Hale provides a snapshot of how the President’s Office worked under R. Lee Clark. She notes that he was “very hands on.” As an example of Dr. Clark’s political effectiveness, she tells a story about how staff researched the backgrounds of significant patients and briefed Dr. Clark about them prior to his trips to Austin, so he could mention specific individuals to legislators. She notes that the development office was created under Dr. Clark and explains her own role of keeping up with all faculty records. She also talks about her own growing commitment to MD Anderson’s mission. She talks about staff office politics.
Chapter 03: Key Activities Under R. Lee Clark

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Ms. Hale talks about some key accomplishments under R. Lee Clark: selling land to raise funds to build the Lutheran Pavilion; breaking ground on the Bastrop research location; increased activities once Nixon declared the War on Cancer. Ms. Hale notes that her work for Dr. Clark shifted focus over the years: she spent more time working with international organizations as Dr. Clark was increasingly invited overseas to speak. She tells a story to demonstrate how Dr. Clark “would make a statement and have to make it true.” She shares other comments about his character and lists some of the individuals with whom he worked closely.
Chapter 04: Changes Under Charles A. LeMaistre, MD

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Ms. Hale begins this chapter by explaining that when Dr. LeMaistre assumed MD Anderson’s presidency, she stayed on with Dr. Clark until 1981 before transferring to the president’s office. She notes changes to the office under Dr. LeMaistre, who was a more distant administrator than Dr. Clark, with activities more focused on MD Anderson. She offers observations about Dr. LeMaistre and observes that Dr. LeMaistre “brought us together like a family” as well as greatly increasing fundraising.
Chapter 05: John Mendelsohn and the President’s Office

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Ms. Hale begins this chapter by explaining how she coordinated meetings with candidates for president of MD Anderson when Dr. LeMaistre decided to step down. She then talks about the transitions in the president’s office once Dr. John Mendelsohn took over. She notes that he had a very different temperament (a “researcher’s temperament”). As an example of the transition and intra-office communication, she explains how the staff was operating according to procedures established by Dr. LeMaistre, and Dr. Mendelsohn had to become aware of these policies and the rationale for them.

She tells a story about Dr. Mendelsohn carrying a reminder card to help him be collegial. She also comments on a shift in Dr. Mendelsohn’s persona during his first years at the institution. She notes some challenges he faced.
Chapter 06 : Thoughts on the Presidents’ Communication Styles; the Challenge of Working in the Office of the President

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Ms. Hale begins this chapter with some observations about Dr. John Mendelsohn’s temperament and how he grew into the social dimensions of his role over the course of his presidency.

Next she shares her observations about differences among the presidents’ communication styles. She also discusses the challenges of working in the Office of the President and comments on how better communication patterns could have made work run more smoothly. Finally, she reflects on the power that an administrative assistant has in an executive office. She gives examples of how quickly things would get done when she was assistant to Dr. LeMaistre (1978 – 1981) and how she felt her power dissipate when he stepped down from the presidency.
Chapter 07: Significant Accomplishments Under Each President

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

In this chapter, Ms. Hale identifies some of the primary achievements under each president. She notes that Dr. Clark was particularly concerned about the overall health of MD Anderson employees. She also tells anecdotes to illustrate his difficulty remembering names. She comments on the support Dr. LeMaistre was able to create for basic researchers via the PRS system. She talks about Dr. Mendelsohn requiring that faculty generate 30% of their salary via grants. She also tells anecdotes to demonstrate the Dr. Mendelsohn and his wife, Anne Mendelsohn, functioned as a team.
Chapter 08: Working on Dr. LeMaistre’s Book and Thoughts about Hierarchies and Retirement

JoAnne H. Hale and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Ms. Hale begins this chapter talking about what motivated her to retire in 2005. She then sketches her work with Dr. LeMaistre (2006 – 2008) on his book about the first surgeon general’s report on cancer and smoking.

Next she talks about returning to the institution in 2010 at first in a volunteer capacity, filing for Clinical Cancer Prevention. She talks about sifting to a part time position and reflects on the value of having past employees come back to work for the institution. Next she reflects on the position of women at MD Anderson and gives examples of how education was the biggest factor in determining the hierarchy among the administrative staff.

Finally, Ms. Hale talks about her involvement in the MD Anderson Retirees organization.
Chapter 01: Resolving to Become a Volunteer

Karen K. Harrison and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Mrs. Harrison begins this segment by noting that she and her husband, Bedford Harrison, moved to Houston in 1947. She began as a floor hostess in about 1968, working with both adult and pediatric patients. When the new building was constructed, she chose to work with adults and explains that she eventually worked in the protective environment floor: she explains some of the requests that family members made, as she could interact with their loved ones in ways they could not.
Chapter 02: The Children’s Christmas Card Project

Karen K. Harrison and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Mrs. Harrison begins by talking about Page Lawson, “the most innovative person in the world” (who served as Director of Volunteer Services at MD Anderson from 1973 – 1991). As an example, she says that Ms. Lawson arranged for the volunteers to have t’ai chi classes as a relaxation technique. She also speculates that the Children’s Christmas Card Project was really Ms. Lawson’s idea, though Ms. Lawson circulated the story that the idea came from an unnamed volunteer who taught art classes for children at MD Anderson and discovered a particular piece of artwork she thought would make a wonderful Christmas card. Mrs. Harrison then explains how Ms. Lawson offered her a job as manager of the Children’s Christmas Card Project; her first main task was to develop a five-year plan to expand the project. She was fortunate, she notes, because MD Anderson was connected to the UT System: she actively promoted the project at all the UT Divisions. She also explains that an important expansion occurred when Randall’s Supermarket agreed to sell the cards at no profit (and continues to sell them today).

Next, Mrs. Harrison talks about how funds from the Project were used: MD Anderson employees submitted requests for funds to a board of volunteers who decided how money should be spent. She notes that the aquariums one can still see around MD Anderson were one of the first projects funded. At the end of this segment, Mrs. Harrison talks about the importance of spirituality in her life.
Chapter 03: Details about the Children’s Christmas Card Project

Karen K. Harrison and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Mrs. Harrison begins this segment talking about several volunteers who worked on the Children’s Christmas Card Project. She then describes how the cards were selected: artwork up for consideration was presented at an event where volunteers could vote for the designs to be turned into cards. She describes one of her favorite cards and then notes that the five-year plan included an initiative to offer cards for the Jewish community. She goes on to explain that the Art Department turned selected designs into production-ready images and the Project then took bids for producing the cards. All this work first took place in a single room on the first floor of Volunteer Services, she explains, then moved to a larger room as the Project grew. She notes that there is a Karen Harrison Award given to a volunteer each year at the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.
Chapter 04: Expanding the Children’s Christmas Card Project

Karen K. Harrison and Tacey A. Rosolowski PhD

Mrs. Harrison begins this section talking about “some political things that influenced the Project,” citing as an example the invitation extended to Barbara Bush to attend the Project kickoff party. Mrs. Bush’s presence had a very positive effect. She then goes on to explain that after Randall’s Supermarket began selling the cards, she hired a consultant to help the Project break into grocery stores nationwide. The describes attending a supermarket trade fair and the resulting success of selling MD Anderson holiday cards in markets around the country. She also explains that the Project eventually separated from Volunteer Services (coming under the management of Steve Stuyck in Public Affairs) because there was too much to do. She speaks briefly about the art classes offered to children and notes that Page Lawson offered an award to each child who entered a piece to be considered for a card. The children whose designs were selected participated in the holiday parade that circulated through MD Anderson.

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