History of the TCI - Organized in 1924

The Texas Club of Internists is an organization whose members number among the more outstanding internists in the state. Not only must members exhibit outstanding professional qualities, but they must also have social attributes that lend richness and compatibility to the group. Throughout the years of existence of this club, professional accomplishment and friendliness have been the hallmarks of prospective membership. It then, it is truly a club as opposed to a society or an association.

Membership is limited to 135 active members. There are seven districts from which new members are nominated each year on a quota system. Vacancies are created upon Active members reaching age 62 and becoming Senior Active members, or upon the death or resignation of a member. In addition to Active and Senior Active members, there are Inactive and Emeritus categories.

The Texas Club of Internists was organized in 1924 and has existed continuously since that time. At the time of the annual meeting of the Texas Medical Association in El Paso in 1922, and again in Fort Worth in 1923, informal discussions were carried on among several physicians practicing Internal Medicine. These discussions involved the formation of a statewide organization of Texas Internists as first proposed by Dr. W.E. Nesbitt of San Antonio and Dr. K.H. Beall of Fort Worth. Dr. Nesbitt wrote to a number of Texas Internists inviting them to meet at a luncheon at the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio on Wednesday, April 23, 1924 during the time of the annual meeting of the Texas Medical Association. Dr. Stuart R. Roberts of the Southern Interurban Clinical Club was an invited guest and he explained how that club was organized and the benefit derived from the exchange of clinical experiences and good fellowship.

The following July Dr. Roberts extended an invitation through Dr. M.L. Graves of Galveston to those physicians who had attended the San Antonio luncheon meeting in April. The invitation was to accompany the Southern Interurban Club to the Mayo Clinic for their meeting to be held September 14 - 21, 1924. This offer was accepted and the following physicians made the trip to Rochester: Dr. James S. Agnew of Houston, Dr. K.H. Beall of Fort Worth, Dr. N.D. Buie of Marlin, Dr. David W. Carter, Jr. of Dallas, Dr. M.L. Graves of Galveston, Dr. Alvis E. Greer of Houston, Dr. R.B. McBride of Dallas, Dr. Lee Rice of San Antonio, and Dr. Charles T. Stone of Galveston. On September 16, 1924 while at the Mayo Clinic the Texas Internists met at the Kahler hotel and organized "the Texas Interurban Club of Internists". Dr. M.L. Graves was elected president, Dr. Lee Rice vice president and Dr. C.T. Stone secretary-treasurer. On September 17 the club had its first regular meeting and the following additional Texas physicians were elected to membership: Dr. R.W. Baird of Dallas, Dr. M.W. Colgin of Waco, Dr. Titus H. Harris of Galveston, Dr. Wiil S.Horn of Fort Worth, Dr. W.E. Nesbitt of San Antonio, Dr. B.F.Smith of Houston, and Dr. C.W. Stephenson of Wichita Falls. The only other item of business was to schedule the first "in-state" meeting in Galveston for February 13- 14th, 1925. Thus the club was launched with an initial membership of 15 "pioneers" of Internal Medicine in Texas. This was the first specialty group of physicians to be organized in Texas. The name was changed to the Texas Club of Internists in 1938.

While the club meetings were initially exclusively for physicians, organized events that included spouses were included beginning in 1949. The membership of the club reflects the diversity of the physician population in Texas and membership in the club is not limited as to race, gender, orientation, or creed. The club is a not for profit 501c6 organization and schedules meetings twice per year including an in-state meeting that rotates between the districts in the spring and an out-of-state meeting in the fall. The focus of these meetings is always on outstanding Continuing Professional Development (CME) but also include organized activities and social events for spouses and members.

(The club is indebted to Dr. David W. Carter, Jr. and Dr. Charles T. Stone, Sr. for the information upon which this resume of the history of the Texas Club of Internists is based).

THE MISSION OF THE TCI... is to stimulate interest in the practice or teaching of Internal Medicine and the promotion of good fellowship among its members.