UAMS Historical Research Center Opens Digital Collection Celebrating Life, Career of Joycelyn Elders, M.D.
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Historical Research Center announced the opening of “Making a Difference: The M. Joycelyn Elders, M.D. Collection,” a digital collection documenting the career of Joycelyn Elders, M.D.
Elders, an emeritus professor of pediatrics and distinguished professor of public health for UAMS, was appointed U.S. surgeon general by then-President Bill Clinton and served from 1993-1994. She was the first African American, the second woman and the first Arkansan appointed to the post.
“This digital collection shows the impact Dr. Joycelyn Elders has had on the medical and other health sciences fields throughout her career,” said Tim Nutt, director of the UAMS Historical Research Center. “Dr. Elders has always fought for better health education and access to have a more informed population. The Historical Research Center is proud to showcase Dr. Elders’ contributions to the state and nation.”
Elders was born in Howard County in southwest Arkansas and graduated from UAMS in 1960. As a doctor, Elders wanted to improve the lives of children and became the first person in Arkansas to become certified in pediatric endocrinology. In 1987, she was appointed by then-Gov. Bill Clinton to lead the Arkansas Department of Health, the first woman and African American to do so. After her time in the Clinton administration, she returned to UAMS in 1995 as a faculty researcher and a professor of pediatric endocrinology at Arkansas Children’s Hospital until her retirement in 2002. Elders remains active in public health education through presentations and public appearances.
The creation of the digital collection was supported by a grant from the TAWANI Foundation of Chicago, a philanthropic organization that provides support in the areas of arts and culture, historical preservation, health and wellness, LGBTQ+ and human rights, education, and environmental initiatives.
The digital collection, which includes images, videos and documents, may be accessed here.
The UAMS Historical Research Center, a department of the UAMS Library, is charged with preserving the institutional records of UAMS and the history of the health sciences in Arkansas. For more information about the new digital collection or the UAMS Historical Research Center, please email hrc@uams.edu.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###