Ashbel Smith Building (Galveston, Texas)

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Completed in 1891, the Ashbel Smith Building housed the entire medical school when it first opened. It is named for a prominent Texas physician and statesman who played a major role in the establishment of both the University of Texas in Austin and the Medical Department in Galveston. Smith also served as the
first chairman of the Board of Regents. Recognized for its ornate, Romanesque style, the building is known informally today as “Old Red” because of its ruddy exterior of red pressed brick from south Harris County’s Cedar Bayou area, red Texas granite
columns, and sandstone capitals and ornamentation.

Designed by renowned architect Nicholas Clayton, the impressive structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a registered Texas historic landmark.

The building was rededicated in 1986 after extensive renovation, and today houses the registrar’s and student admissions offices, the School of Medicine Alumni Association office, the Institute for the Medical Humanities, and the anatomy laboratory. Also of interest is the Founders Walk leading up to the building and the John P. McGovern Hall of Medical History (PDF), featuring 12 larger-than-life statues sculpted by Doris Appel. The artworks represent outstanding contributors to the field of medicine, from Imhotep in 2600 B.C. to Marie Curie, whose work earned two Nobel Prizes in the early 20th century.