Samuel W. Bloom, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Department of Psychiatry Baylor College of Medicine

I. The Samuel Bloom Papers, manuscript collection number 25, consist of three volumes of lectures and reading materials which Dr. Bloom prepared for a course in Human Behavior offered to freshman medical students at Baylor:

1. Human Growth and Behavior III: Sociological Aspects of Human Behavior, A Series of Lectures for First-Year Medical Students: March 7-May 9, 1957.

2. The Study of Human Behavior: An Introduction to the Sociology of Medicine, Vol.I, December, 1959.

3. The Study of Human Behavior:Readings of Sociocultural Aspects of Human Behavior, Vol.II, edited by Samuel Bloom, December, 1959.

II. In his introduction to the first volume in the Collection (1957),

Dr. Bloom explained the history and background of the course which he was offering. In 1954, Dr. William T. Lhamon, chairman, Department of Psychiatry at Baylor instituted a course for first-year medical students entitled, "Human Growth and Development'; with the aim of providing these students with an opportunity to study 'normal1 behavior, as well as "the emotional and social aspects of human behavior {Bloom, 1957, p.i}." This course was soon expanded to include lectures by a clinical psychologist, Dr. Sanford Goldstone, who taught the psychology of human behavior, and Dr. Trenton Wann, Department of Psychology, Rice Institute, who lectured on social aspects of the doctor patient relationship.

In 1956-1957, however, Dr. Bloom joined the full-time staff as a sociologist and it was thereafter to be his duty to teach that part of the Human Behavior course pertaining to the sociology of medicine. The volumes contained in the Samuel W. Bloom Papers are the results of his preparation for teaching what he stresses in the Introductions to both the 1957 and 1959 volumes as a very innovative approach to the training of medical students: "The teaching of sociology is new to medical students [Vol.I, p.vii, 1959J."

Dr. Bloom stated that he joined the Baylor in 1956-1957, and his photograph appears in the Baylor Yearbook for 1957. His name is also listed in the faculty directory for that year. He appears in both Yearbook and Directory in the years 1957 through 1961. After that he no longer appears as a member of the Department of Psychiatry or of the faculty of Baylor.

III. Sources consulted are:

1. The Aesculapian (1957-1961).

2. Baylor College of Medicine Directory (--1961) 3. Samuel W. Bloom Papers, 3 Volumes