Our History
The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine accepted its first students in 1970. In 1975, TCOM came under the umbrella of North Texas State University, which later evolved into the UNT System that now includes campuses in Denton and Dallas. With the establishment of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 1993, TCOM expanded into a graduate university with multiple colleges and changed its name to the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
Timeline
1960
1966: Three osteopathic physicians, D.D. Beyer, George Luibel and Carl Everett, procure a charter from the State of Texas for the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
1970
1970: TCOM opens as a private college of osteopathic medicine with an entering class of 20 students.
1971: A renovated bowling alley on Camp Bowie Boulevard houses classrooms, basic science laboratories and administrative offices.
1974: The first class of 18 graduates receive their Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degrees.
1976: Ground is broken for the first permanent building on campus, what is now the Carl E. Everett Education and Administration Building.
1979: The Cowtown Marathon is established, co-sponsored by TCOM’s Institute for Human Fitness.
1980
1982: Medical Education Building 2, now the Research Building, opens providing classrooms, basic science offices and laboratories.
1986: Medical Education Building 3, now the Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library, opens, housing a state-of-the-art library, computing services and biomedical communications.
1990
1990: The DNA Identity Laboratory is created with a special state appropriation to reduce a backlog of paternity cases pending in state courts.
1993: The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approves establishment of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
TCOM is officially redesignated and expanded by the State of Texas as the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
1997: The Physician Assistant Studies program admits its first students.
The Patient Care Center opens housing all campus clinics.
1999: The School of Public Health is founded.
UNTHSC joins UNT Denton and Dallas campuses to form the University of North Texas System.
2000
2004: Center for BioHealth opens, dedicated primarily to biotechnology and public health.
2010
2010: The Medical Education and Training Building opens its doors.
2013: UNT System College of Pharmacy welcomes its first class.