Biography: The Fort Worth Library hold the Cook Children’s Medical Center Collection, which resulted from the 1985 merger of Cook Children’s Hospital and Fort Worth Children’s Hospital.

The Fort Worth Free Baby Hospital opened on March 21, 1918, under the leadership of Mrs. Ida L. Turner. The hospital was located near the present TCU campus, and all building materials and hospital furnishings were donated. In 1961, the Baby Hospital received a new location on Cooper Street and changed its name to Fort Worth Children’s Hospital. W.I. Cook Memorial Hospital was built with oil royalties from the Cook Ranch near Albany, Texas, in 1929. In 1952, Cook Memorial dedicated itself to study the effects of polio on children, therefore changing its name to Cook Children’s Hospital.

Provenance: The Cook Children’s Medical Center materials were donated in 1999 to the Fort Worth Public Library.

Inclusive dates for the holding of the Cook Children’s Medical Center records are 1919-1999.

Some of our materials include:
SERIES I: WOMEN’S AUXILIARY, 1971 - 1992, which contains scrapbooks and reports produced by said entity. The scrapbooks are in eleven boxes, arranged in chronological order. The reports are from meetings held by, and for, the Auxiliary members. These reports are divided into meeting minutes and treasurer reports; they are in one box containing two folders.

SERIES II: JUNIOR VOLUNTEERS, 1958 - 1994 contains scrapbooks produced by the Junior Volunteers. The scrapbooks are arranged in four boxes, arranged in chronological order.

SERIES III: JEWEL CHARITIY BALL, 1969 - 1998 is divided into two sub series: A. Engagement Books and B. Scrapbooks. The Engagement Books are in six manuscript boxes and arranged in chronological order. The Scrapbooks consist of one box. Engagement books contain photographs representing advertisers and Jewel Charity Ball committee, list of donors, advertisers and JCB prizes.

SERIES IV: EARLY RECORDS, 1919 - 1964 contains early 20th century scrapbooks and log books. The scrapbook sub series is in four boxes, the logbook sub series is also in four boxes. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings about events, patients, staff, and hospital.

SERIES V: PUBLICATIONS, 1952 - 1999 contains materials published by the hospital. These publications are subdivided into Magazines / Newsletters, and Bound Magazines / Newsletters. The first sub series contains three manuscript boxes, and the second is in two manuscript boxes.

SERIES VI: MISCELLANEOUS: CORRESPONDENCE, PAMPHLETS, MEMORABILIA, AND SCRAPBOOKS contains a mix of miscellaneous materials housed in six boxes. This series includes calendars, pamphlets, correspondence, and scrapbooks.

In addition, the collection has some publications that document the history medicine of the Fort Worth - -titles include:

A history of the Fort Worth medical community by
Ann Arnold, 2002 1st ed.

The medical history of Fort Worth and Tarrant County: One hundred years, 1853-1953 by L H Reeves, 1955.

Health care in Tarrant County: a survey of residents, policy makers and health care professionals in Tarrant County, Texas by Anne Burnett and Charles Tandy Foundation.; Amon G. Carter Foundation.; Sid W. Richardson Foundation.; Louis Harris and Associates 1988.

Diet manual of Harris Hospital, Fort Worth, Texas. Harris Hospital by Staff and Dietary Dept.
1954 Rev. ed.

The history of Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital: Texas Health Resources by
Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital 2006.

Division #82 history, 1950-2004: part 1 and part 2 by Licensed Vocational Nurses Association of Texas. Division #82 2004.