FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:    Suzanna Cisneros, suzanna.cisneros@ttuhsc.edu
                          (806) 743-7605
 
WHO:             Texas Tech University System Chancellor and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., and Janet Tornelli-Mitchell, M.D., will host the TTUHSC Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration.
 
WHERE:         TTUHSC Academic Event Center, 3601 Fourth St.
 
WHEN:           6 p.m. June 7
 
EVENT:          In 1969, Gov. Preston Smith had a vision of providing more physicians to the West Texas area. Now 50 years later, TTUHSC will celebrate the milestone along with more than 95 School of Medicine alumni, including these from the first three classes:
                       
Class of 1974
·      Dr. Ed Cazzola of Albuquerque, New Mexico
·      Dr. David Mangold, Lubbock
Class of 1975
·      Dr. Richard Johnston, Irving
·      Dr. Andy Hansen, College Station
·      Dr. Gerry Lawler, Abilene
·      Dr. Charlotte Ann Shanley, Kingsbury
Class of 1976
·      Dr. William Long, Belton
·      Dr. Stephen Walling, Taos, New Mexico
 
Also present will be Jan Taylor, Former Gov. Smith’s daughter and his grandson Robert Schmid, M.D. At that time professionals and hospitals were scarce: 19 of the counties surrounding Lubbock had no physicians. Today, TTUHSC has graduated more than 28,000 health care professionals. Of those, 24 percent remain in the 108-county service area.
 
[Editor’s Note: A Media Tool Kit is available at http://fifty.ttuhsc.edu/with historic photos, video and timeline.]