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t m c » p u l s e | a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 13 staff cherish his memory and describe him as a medical pioneer, a perfection- ist who recognized and nurtured talent wherever he found it. That explains why they continue to support the program even though it costs them many hours of extra work. Science fair winners Back in his office, McCollum made a brief attempt to find the exact year the program started. But it was futile. Baylor surgeons were always proud of their summer program, but they didn't keep records for posterity. McCollum could say this for sure: DeBakey launched the program in the late 1950s after receiving a phone call from the president and editor of the now-defunct Houston Post. Oveta Culp Hobby had sponsored an annual science fair for high school students, and she wanted to offer the winners some sort of meaningful prize. She asked DeBakey if he could host those accomplished students at Baylor over the summer. Early on, a handful of students spent a few weeks in Baylor's research labs. Over the years, the number of students grew, college students seemed a better fit for the evolving program than high school students, and they moved out of the lab and into the operating room. (continued) cookiedelivery.com Our idea of back to school shopping: warm cookies, delivered. I like to see things all the way through. I don't want to miss anything. — LAUREN REPPERT Michael E. DeBakey Summer Surgery Program participant Michael E. DeBakey, M.D., center, surrounded by students in the summer surgery program in 1970. Credit: Courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine Archives