For over 60 years, Building 521 (pictured here under construction in 1962) has been the heart of countless medical miracles, housing what is now the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. This iconic structure, which saw conjoined twins separated and the first artificial heart implanted, is making way for three new buildings. Dive into its fascinating story in the video below and bid farewell to a true medical legend.
I remember in the summer of ’75 to ’78 (BA ’80) I would work my summers as a window washer and one of our clients was building 521. I knew it then as the U Medical Center. The windows would open out from the bottom of the frame and so you had to walk from room to room through the building’ corridors to reach and clean each window. Great views from the foothills near the “U”. Plus all the rooms were different. Some with labs and instruments and hardware. Some for storage. Some with dissecting tools and animals. A rabbit was the star of that study from what I remember. And lots of different smells. I’ve always loved the “U” for the sense of adventure and learning and exploration. It has blessed my life immeasurably. I will always be grateful. And I will always remember.