Today in the Senate side of the capitol, he is the distinguished senior Senator from South Carolina, the honorable Strom Thurmond, who as most of you know, is not only Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but he's also President Pro Tem of the Senate. Senator Thurmond, thank you for being with us. [Applause] Thank you very much. I'm so glad to be here. I'm glad -- I'm sorry Senator Mathias can't be here. I'm delighted to see the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee back here. Senator Hatfield, Senator Hatfield, you oughta come on out here and sit down. [Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC), President, Pro tempore, Senate] The next distinguished guest we have, and he's in a hurry also, is the Honorable Claude Pepper, who's Chairman of the House Committee on Rules, and he's been a great friend of the National Library of Medicine. Senator Mathias, who was the author of the resolutions that we're going to commemorate today in the Senate, and I together -- and I was responsible in the House -- we are together exactly the age of the the Library of Medicine, 150 years old. [Rep. Claude D. Pepper (D-Fla), Chairman, House Committee on Rules] Edwin Whitehead: This piece of paper, which none of you obviously could ever read from that distance, is a proclamation. I won't read you the whole thing, but I think it probably is worth reading. The Congress by Senate Joint Resolution 198 has designated 1986 as the sesquicentennial year of the National Library of Medicine. [Edwin C. Whitehead, Chairman, Friends of the National Library of Medicine] It has authorized and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this event. Now therefore, I Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim 1986 as the sesquicentennial year of the National Library of Medicine. Michael DeBakey: President Reagan has proclaimed 1986 as the sesquicentennial year of the National Library of Medicine. I'm Doctor Michael DeBakey and I'm proud to join the President in honoring this unique institution. [Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas] [Music] The sesquicentennial of the National Library of Medicine was planned to be a year-long series of events, both at the library in Bethesda, and at medical libraries around the nation. A seminar for science writers held on the fifth of February, the same day as the ceremony in the Capitol, resulted in many articles in the public and professional media throughout the year. [Music] On April 11th, the library held an open house for friends, neighbors, and colleagues at NIH. About 1,000 visitors came to view the NLM film, take a tour of the facilities, and see a variety of demonstrations of information systems. [Music] A new sesquicentennial exhibit in the catalog area was a major attraction. On the 22nd of April, the library hosted the first of two one-day symposia, this one on medicine and the arts. This symposium explored the relationship between medicine and music, painting and literature, showing the numerous bridges that inspired men and women can fill between the sciences and humanities. Dr. Donald Lindberg: Welcome to this event, helping to celebrate our sesquicentennial. We're very much honored that Doctor Albert Sabin will address us this morning. Without further ado, Doctor Sabin. Doctor Sabin: What's the problem I am going to deal with today? The problem is that 20 or more years after development of vaccines that can prevent the diseases which are -- [Music] [In Celebration, 1886-1986] Jill Saint John: When John Shaw Billings was a medical student in 1858, he couldn't locate enough books. Literally, there were few medical books in his college library, or anywhere else. In 1864, Billings began to fill this medical information void. [Image of actress Jill Saint John, speaking about John Shaw Billings.] Working for the Surgeon General, he spent 30 years creating a National Library of Medicine, and the first index catalogs of medical literature. His work gave physicians access to invaluable knowledge, and his library and index catalogs are monumental achievements in medical history. I'm Jill Saint John, with an American Portrait. [Music] [Head and shoulders image of John Shaw Billings] On a bright June morning, the staff assembled on the steps of the library for a family portrait. [Panning shots of library employees gathered on front steps.] Paul Harvey: Hello Americans, I'm Paul Harvey. After the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865, people protested so vehemently against any further theatrical performances in that theater, that the government purchased it, and the theater was remodeled, and the second floor became a repository for the books of a packrat surgeon of the United States Army, Doctor John Shaw Billings. He took a 29-year old institution, and turned it into the world's greatest medical library. He wanted the latest and the best medical information available in one place, and that library has since become this -- the National Library of Medicine. [Music] On June 16th, the friends of the National Library of Medicine sponsored a gala dinner and evening at historic Ford's Theater in Washington. The library was located at the theater for 20 years in the 19th century. In July, NLM Director, Doctor Lindberg, cut the ribbon that officially opened the library's new visitor center. The center is the focal point for all tours of NLM. Several posters were produced to celebrate the library's 150th birthday. They were distributed widely within the health science community. The library's MEDLARS system was significantly enhanced during 1986, with the introduction of Grateful Med, a new software program for easy access. The library staff enjoyed the traditional summertime picnic, complete with beer, hot dogs, and games for big and little kids. Maybe the heroic age of Billings, and events like the move to the old red brick building just 100 years ago, are far enough away to take on in dreamy retrospect the appearance of inevitability. [Frank Bradway Rogers, M.D., Director NLM, 1949-1963] As you've already heard, NLM was blessed with the genius of John Shaw Billings as its founder, the early interest of Colonel Joseph McNinch in mechanization, and the creativity and foresight of my immediate predecessor, Doctor Frank B. Rogers. [Martin M. Cummings, M.D., Director NLM, 1963-1983] Dr. Lindberg: This is the afternoon session of our sesquicentennial celebration, and in this we're enjoined -- or we're enjoined by Doctor [?] to look to the future. [Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D., Director NLM, 1984--] A library can be a lifesaver, but Andrea Fleisher found one that actually saves lives. Rachel Harrison was rushed to the hospital with congestive heart failure. She's being treated with the drug Captopril. While her doctor knows the medication will be helpful in the short-run, he's unsure of its long-term effects. Two to three times a week, Haner heads to the hospital computer, and taps into the resources of the National Library of Medicine. Cable News Network prepared a two and a half minute news feature about the National Library of Medicine. It was broadcast nationally, and repeated several times during that month. -- at the Library of Medicine each year. Tucked away in two large buildings by the National Institutes of Health, it is the largest and most complete collection of medical manuscripts in the world. The NLM Friends sponsored the year's second big picnic celebration, a chicken barbecue, on the grounds of the library on the 17th of September. There was a big tent, although the weather was beautiful. And musicians, magicians, and clowns added to the fun. [Music] [Space Medicine, November 13, 1986. This colloquium sponsored by the National Library of Medicine in cooperation with the National Aeronautics & Space Administration is one of a series of events in celebration of the Library's 150th anniversary 1836-1986] Well, thank you very much. It's certainly a privilege to be here, and to be involved in this symposium devoted to space medicine. As I was looking at the program when I arrived this morning, and as I came into this very handsome auditorium, and thought about NASA and its budget, I couldn't help looking at the budget of the Surgeon General 150 years ago when the library was started. You'll find on the back of your program that the budget was 150 dollars per year, and I have to say that's something of a contrast with the kind of facilities we find ourselves in now. It's -- [Music] [Newspaper headlines mentioning NLM flash by.] The NLM Friends sponsored a formal dinner dance in November, to honor both the library and America's Nobel laureates in medicine and physiology. Some 300 friends, congressional leaders, and Nobel laureates were present at the event. [Music] Late in the sesquicentennial year, the library installed an exhibit outside the office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Secretary Bowen views the new exhibit with Doctor Wyndham, Lindberg, and Doctor Weingarten [Music] [Images from medical films in the library's collection are shown.] The library sponsored a week-long medical film festival in December. More than 30 medical films for both professional and lay audiences were screened in Lister Hill Center Auditorium. These films are all award winners from the prestigious 1986 John Muir medical film festival. [Music] 1986 was a milestone in the history of the National Library of Medicine. We hope that the momentum and enthusiasm engendered this year as we celebrated our sesquicentennial will carry over into the future. The visibility gained by the NLM this year will stand us in good stead as we strive to bring ever more efficient information services to the health professions. [Music] [Images depicting NLM's work and staff.]