Dec. 17, 2009

RETURN TO: 125 Years of Student Health Care at Iowa State

Student Health Center: 125-Year Timeline

1877Dr. Fairchild and fellow Sanitary Committee members borrow $1,200 from Union National Bank to build a new sewer in Old Main. The Legislature eventually reimburses them.
1884Students supporting Iowa State's first student health center pay 60 cents per term.
1893Student health center fees are $1.25 per term.
1900Typhoid epidemic -- 65 cases; five deaths. Tainted milk from a local farmer is at least partly to blame. All milk served on campus is either pasteurized or sterilized from November 1900 forward.
1901Student health center fees are about $2.50 per semester.
1907-1918West Boarding Cottage serves as the college hospital.
1918New $50,000 hospital is opened in what is now known as the Student Services Building.
1918College hospital is used as a base for pneumonia patients during Spanish Influenza epidemic.
1920All students, faculty and staff are vaccinated for smallpox.
1923Five full-time medical staff members work at Iowa State's student health center.
1924East wing added to hospital and Student Health Center. Modern X-ray equipment is installed. Hospital has a capacity of 90 beds without crowding.
1930Dr. Kalar begins examination of all freshmen women for "anemic conditions."
1935Entering women at Iowa State average more in both height and weight than the average at eight other leading universities, including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas.
193740 students have surgery.
1939-40Health center closes for remodeling.
1967Health center is renovated, providing an ambulance access platform at the west end of the building.
1972College hospital closes. The building (now Student Services Building) is extensively remodeled to accommodate the Dean of Students Office and Student Counseling Service. Student Health Service remains in the building until 1997.
1997New Student Health Center building between Beyer and Westgate halls is completed at a cost of $6.1 million.
2001Student Health Center is officially named for Thomas B. Thielen, vice president emeritus for student affairs.
2004Thielen Student Health Center is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.