Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center history

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Lubbock has awarded more than 3,000 Doctor of Medicine degrees since its first graduating class in 1974.

In 1979, the charter was expanded to become the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, which grew to include the Schools of Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Bernard A. Harris, Jr., M.D. graduated from the SOM in 1982 before becoming an astronaut with NASA and has spent more than 400 hours in space.

The school began in 1983 and currently has campuses in Amarillo, Lubbock, and the Permian Basin.

After years of continued discussion of the growing need for a West Texas pharmacy school, the Texas Legislature authorized funds in 1991 to conduct a study of the need for and feasibility of starting a pharmacy school on the Lubbock campus.

In 1993, the Legislature authorized the establishment of a School of Pharmacy in Amarillo.

Dean Nelson accepted the appointment in May of 1994, and began working with W.D. Architects of Amarillo to design the building.

Dean Nelson was also responsible for developing the initial curriculum, developing staffing plans, designing the building, and fund raising with a target date of accepting the founding class in August 1996.

The first telepharmacy prescription dispensed in Texas occurred September 18, 2002, between the TTUHSC Pharmacy and the Turkey Medical Clinic.

In 2007, the Abilene campus opened.