Conducted by Linda Cameron on March 19, 2008 in Roseville, Minnesota
BH = Bee Hanlon
LC = Linda Cameron
LC: Dr. Hanlon would you please state your full name including your maiden name and spell your last name for us.
BH: My full name is Griselda Frances Gutcheck Hanlon (aka Bee Hanlon).
LC: Thank you. Now, when and where were you born?
BH: I was born January 25, 1922 in Anaconda, Montana.
LC: What were your parents’ names?
BH: My father’s European name was Karl Guček and changed to "Charles Gutcheck" when he became an American citizen. My mother’s given name was Aloisia and it became "Louise" in this country.
LC: What did your parents do for a living?
BH: My father was employed as a clerk in the General Office of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company in Anaconda, Montana. Later he became Chief Accountant in the Insurance Office of the company.
My mother was a homemaker. Prior to immigrating to America she taught at the Art Conservatory in Vienna, Austria. She came to this country on a scholarship, bringing all of her beautiful samples of art and needle art with her.
LC: Tell me what the depression was like for your family.
BH: I was only 7 years old at the beginning of the depression. My father was employed at the copper company all through the depression. There wasn't much money, but my mother, who was the family treasurer, managed the family needs well. We never were hungry. My father enjoyed hunting and fishing, so we had fish and game on the menu often. My mother had a small flock of white chickens that supplied us with fresh eggs and a chicken dinner on many Sundays. We were fortunate as many people in the community were on welfare during this time. My mother, who knew nothing about cooking when she came to America (this is another story), learned mainly from a German cookbook. I remember the book from its white oil-cloth cover. She baked her own bread and was known for her German pastries.
I don't know if it was from necessity or merely from her European background, but my mother made my sister's and my underwear from flannel when we were small – an embarrassment when we had to change clothes in front of our little friends who had silk undies.
We were never given an allowance but never were in want of anything if needed or reasonable. During the depression and even later, my father earned additional money tuning pianos in the community. He had classical music training in Europe and had a quota of a few select students he taught after his workday and into the evening hours. My sister and I were also among his students. My sister had lessons on the violin and I, the piano and the cello later when I was in junior high school.
LC: How many siblings did you have?
BH: I had just one sister, Caroline, who was four years older than I.
LC: You lived in Anaconda for how long? How old were you when you left?
BH: We lived in town all the time until I was about 7 years old, and after that we spent the summer months at our cabin that my father built west of Anaconda adjacent to the Pintlar Primitive Area where my parents were given a 99-year lease with the forest service. When I was about 10 years old we moved there permanently. This was home for me through my high school and college years at Montana State College in Bozeman where I majored in Entomology.
LC: Did you graduate from that program?
BH: Yes, with a bachelor’s degree.
LC: Did you have a job as a girl during the depression? Did you help out with chores or anything?
BH: Not early, since I was too young – only 7 in 1929. I did have a part time job in my high school years working after hours in a doctor's office. My sister and I always had chores at home, doing housework, taking care of the animals that we gradually accumulated after our move to the country. We were also expected to help with wood gathering, our main fuel for a number of years.
Later, when I was about 12 years old, I joined my father and sister to form the family musical trio. My sister played violin, my father played all kinds of instruments but he enjoyed the accordion. He was a classical accordion player. I played the piano and the cello. We were often asked to play for local clubs in town. Later, my sister and I talked my dad into playing more popular music for dude ranch dances, picnics and local celebrations. This type of music was not his cup of tea, but he lowered his sights to keep us happy and earn a few dollars to keep our treasurer (Mother) happy, too.
LC: Do you still play instruments?
BH: No, unfortunately – not much since I gradually started to lose my hearing and can no longer identify familiar melodies.
LC: What kinds of things did you like to do as a child for entertainment? Did you go to movies?
BH: My sister and I were given a dime or 15 cents to go to a matinee on Saturdays when we lived in town. If we saved our pennies, we could buy a nickel bag of popcorn or some penny candy. We also put on plays in an old barn in our yard for the kids in the neighborhood. Admission was a penny. I remember making little benches out front for our friends to sit on. They all wanted to be actors like we were! [Laughter]
LC: I’ll bet! [Laughter]
BH: I also had a small two-wheel bike my folks bought for me, mainly to develop my very thin legs. I was all around town on this bike and had fun decorating it for parades. When we used our cabin for a summer home, my cousin Bob and I would fish the mountain streams with grasshoppers for bait and rarely came home without the limit of trout for our supper or my mother's breakfast. My sister and I shared our first saddle horse that looked more like a mule that we named "Half-Pint". Later she produced an unexpected foal that was broke for riding at an early age, so then we had two horses and could ride the trails and explore the backcountry together. This was our real joy.
LC: Did you like to read books when you were a child?
BH: Yes, when I found the time. There was always too much going on with our plays, my bike, and our music, but I do remember enjoying books. The town has a beautiful Hearst Library that has stood pretty much unchanged through the years. It was a joy to visit and check out a book or two.
LC: What were your favorite kinds of books and movies and things in those days?
BH: My favorite book was Moby Dick. I also liked Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage, Robinson Crusoe, and Tarzan of the Apes.
LC: What about movies. Do you remember any special movies that you especially liked?
BH: My favorite movies were Black Beauty, Rin Tin Tin, westerns with Ken Maynard, and the Lone Ranger and Tonto – mainly cowboys and Indians, and animal movies.
Later I enjoyed collecting butterflies that my dad taught me to mount and that may have been one reason for my later interest in biology.
LC: No wonder you were interested in entomology.
BH: I really think this happened when I decided to take biology as an elective in my senior year of high school, rather than Latin, my father's suggestion. Before that I was planning on taking a business course after high school. One of my classmates thought Miss Burke's biology class was "cool", so to speak, so I decided to try it. It wasn't long and I knew it was what I wanted to pursue.
LC: Was your father born in America?
BH: No, he was born in Slovenia and only a short distance from my mother's hometown. They both immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s and found each other in Anaconda, Montana, of all places. My father talked a little about his days in an academy, I believe in Austria, as he spoke German fluently. He was well educated in the classic languages, Latin and Greek, and also in classical music. He also spoke grammatically correct English, with a pleasing accent.
LC: So you really kind of fell into science.
BH: Yes.
LC: And you loved it.
BH: And I loved it! I used to bring my classmates out from high school and we’d go hunting for insects and butterflies and flowers and things like that.
LC: What did your parents say when you announced that you were going to go to college and study entomology, then?
BH: They pretty much went along with what I wanted to do, but I am sure they had some private discussions about how this might end.
My early advisor in Bozeman also questioned my selection and did his best to steer me toward laboratory technician training. This would be more suitable for a woman, he told me. I told him I would think about it, but knew it was not my cup of tea.
LC: When you were in college, what did you have in mind as a career goal? What did you want to do?
BH: I wanted a career that would involve the outdoors. The "bug" world always fascinated me and I wanted to know more about their world, their beneficial and harmful effects. I was especially interested in the medical aspects in the carriers.
LC: You graduated from college in what year?
BH: In 1943. I got my B.S. degree.
LC: In 1943, and then in 1944 you made a decision to join the WAVES. How did decide to do that?
BH: Actually, it was rather accidental. It happened while I was employed at Hooper Foundation in San Francisco and my first job after graduating from Montana State. I was returning to my apartment after a dental visit when I saw this sign of Uncle Sam on Market Street and in front of a building that said "We Want You". I thought I would drop in and see why they wanted me. Before I knew what was happening, I had signed a paper and was now enlisted in the WAVES of the U.S. Navy.
I must say the people I talked to were very good. It took little convincing to make me feel that I could be doing something important for my country. I hadn't thought at the time, immature as I probably was, that I should have first consulted with my employer and given them some notice. After all, I was a team member. I received a lecture the following morning and learned a lesson. Fortunately, there would be a several week period before being called that would give me time to get things in order and make peace with my employer. I did learn a lesson from that maneuver. I also learned later that working at the Hooper Foundation may have helped me to gain admittance to the veterinary school.
LC: Where was this team?
BH: Our fieldwork was in Bakersfield, California where there was an outbreak of Western Equine Encephalomyelitis – sleeping sickness in the horse that can be transmitted to humans. We were collecting and identifying mosquitoes and would prepare them for shipment to the laboratory in San Francisco. There they would be ground and inoculated into mice to see if they were carriers of the virus.
LC: How long were you with that project?
BH: Only about eight months.
LC: Now, where did you do your training for the WAVES?
BH: I was sent to Hunter College in New York for Basic Training.
LC: What was your parents’ reaction to your enlistment?
BH: Oh, my father was especially proud to have a daughter serving his country.
LC: Was he?
BH: Yes, he didn’t have sons, only two daughters, so he was happy and proud to show me off, especially when I was in uniform. He was also proud of my sister who was collecting scrap iron and hauling it to collection sites. She was also one of many women greeting and giving lunch boxes to draftees and soldiers passing through the area on trains. I don't know what my mother thought – "First bugs, now a sailor. What next?"
LC: Where were you sent after your basic training?
BH: After Boot Camp I was sent to the Naval Hospital in San Diego – back across the country again. My first assignment as a hospital corpsman was ward duty and the care of injured sailors and Marines returning from the South Pacific. I also attended class there and soon was able to travel up the ranks from the corpsman to a top Pharmacist Mate. (This was either 1st or 3rd class, I forget. Anyway I had 3 chevrons on my uniform and a lot more respect came with it.) It is the navy equivalent of Sergeant rank. I then was assigned to work as a secretary for a commander at the Balboa Unit of the Hospital.
It was during a coffee break one afternoon that I told him of my training and work in the infectious disease area in San Francisco and Bakersfield. He immediately picked up the telephone and told a commander in the epidemiology unit of the hospital he was sending over a WAVE that could replace one of his staff for oversees duty. It happened just that fast, and the next morning I signed in for duty at the field unit where I stayed until the war was over. My job there was to take blood samples from men returning from the Pacific area to test for the malaria parasite. I also had the use of a jeep to travel around the area in search of any new insect vectors that could be potential carriers of disease.
LC: What rate did you achieve and what were your responsibilities?
BH: I first was a Pharmacist Mate Third Class, and after additional schooling on the base made Pharmacist Mate First Class. I was qualified for officers training but my need to wear glasses kept me from being eligible at the time. I also had an opportunity to go overseas if I wanted to, but then the war ended and so I was discharged.
LC: When were you discharged?
BH: In 1945.
LC: Do you remember what month it was? Was it right after the war?
BH: I married my first husband, Lloyd Wolf, in May 1945. I believe the war ended in August of that year.
LC: How did you meet your first husband?
BH: I met him at orchestra practice. The Hospital was organizing an orchestra for a Christmas program. He was a violin player. I sat right behind him, and he accidentally turned and knocked over my music stand.
LC: [Laughter] That’s romantic!
BH: Oh, he apologized. Lloyd was the medical photographer at the Hospital. He was a Marine reconnaissance photographer assigned to the medical photography lab at the hospital after serving in the South Pacific. I took some work to the photo lab where I met him again. We had similar interests and so it developed from there. We were married in May in Mexico, and again in California after the war.
LC: You mentioned when I talked to you on the phone that you visited a zoo out there in California, and that influenced you a little bit toward a veterinary career?
BH: Yes. It was while I was at the Naval Hospital and assigned to the epidemiology unit. On one assignment we took an insecticide to the Balboa Park Zoo. It was here I met a lady M.D. who was replacing the veterinarian at the zoo hospital. At the time, she was standing on a box doing an autopsy on a gorilla. This fascinated me. I later had the opportunity to talk with her and find out a bit more about veterinary medicine. This seemed to plant a seed that surfaced later when my husband and I moved to Minnesota, his home state, and where he anted to enroll in pre-medical school. It was here that I learned about veterans who were meeting with the legislature for a veterinary school. I also learned at this time that should I apply for enrollment, I would need some pre-veterinary courses in livestock.
LC: So you got Pre-Vet training before you applied.
BH: Yes. I needed courses in dairy and beef cattle husbandry. I had basic courses from Montana State and didn't need much more for admittance.
LC: So you came to Minnesota in 1947?
BH: I think it was the fall of 1946. I worked part time as a typist in the Rural Sociology Department and was also able to take my required livestock courses to make me eligible for admission to veterinary school.
LC: Then you applied for the Veterinary College in 1948?
BH: Yes, it was the fall of 1948 and the second year for the new veterinary school.
LC: And you graduated in 1952, the second class to graduate from the new college.
BH: Right, but I was turned down when I applied the first year.
LC: Really! Was that because you had no pre-veterinary training?
BH: No, they said that they weren’t allowing women into the school that year.
LC: How did you break that barrier?
BH: I wish I could take credit for how that was resolved, but unknown to me, another woman was applying at the same time and who also was rejected. JoAnne Schmidt was working for a lady who owned a collie kennel in Minneapolis and who happened to be an alumna of the University. When she found out that JoAnne would not be admitted to what she called "her university", she wasted no time in gathering the support of lady friends who sent letters to the president and other university officials and alumni protesting the action of the university and requesting a change in their position. This action was successful and as a result, two chairs were added to the class of forty-eight men to make it a total of fifty students in the second class of the new school.
I am sorry to have missed out on all the excitement, but I was on lookout duty in Montana at the time I received my letter of rejection. We were planning to return to Minnesota in the fall anyway, since my husband was registered for his second year at the U. JoAnne, who I met on the first day of class, told me all about what happened that summer. I can't help but smile when I think of the power of determined women...
LC: Had you met any women veterinarians?
BH: No. I didn't know of any women veterinarians at that time. After I graduated I heard there were two lady vets at the veterinary school in Michigan and one in Iowa. There was also one lady vet from Canada who was licensed to practice in Minnesota with her husband before I became licensed in 1952.
LC: Your husband was going to school at the University?
BH: Yes. He was in his second year under the G.I. Bill.
LC: That was my next question, whether you took advantage of the GI Bill. There were a lot of women that didn’t.
BH: I couldn't imagine not taking advantage of a free education.
LC: Do you think the GI Bill really made a major impact on your career?
BH: Yes, definitely. I don't think I would have been a veterinarian. My life would have been entirely different.
LC: Let me go back to your service for a minute or two here. Where were you when you heard about the bombing of Pearl Harbor?
BH: I was alone in the Entomology Lab on the Bozeman Campus working on an insect collection that was to be my thesis. I was listening to a music station on my small radio when the news of the bombing came over the air.
LC: What was your reaction to the news?
BH: I was stunned, of course. It didn't seem possible that we could be invaded, and by Japan? No way.
LC: Did you have any idea where Pearl Harbor was?
BH: No, not specifically. I knew it was somewhere in the Hawaiian Island chain.
LC: Now, you were in the service when the war ended. Do you remember hearing the news of the surrender of Germany, the end of the war in Europe?
BH: I heard about it when I returned to the barracks. I was assigned to the epidemiology unit at the time. I had a jeep and may have been in the field at the time.
I remember when Roosevelt died. I was on a country trip with my husband-to-be.
LC: Do you remember where you were when Japan surrendered and the war was finally over?
BH: I can't specifically remember...probably in the lab in Unit 4 of the Hospital.
LC: Do you remember participating in any of the celebrations?
BH: Yes, that I do. I was with my husband, Lloyd. We were off base, downtown in San Diego. He was taking pictures of the hoopla, the excitement below on the street. I think the entire military was in town. It was pretty noisy with horns honking and people shouting. It was a dangerous place to be, especially for women. They didn't have a prayer on the street with the hugging and kissing that was going on.
LC: Oh, it would be fun to see those pictures.
BH: It was quite a celebration. San Diego, you know, has a real concentration of the military.
LC: You mentioned that you were discharged right after the war ended in 1945. Do you remember when you were discharged, and where?
BH: I believe it was in September of 1945. We were discharged right on the Base. Lloyd and I left the Base in an old Chevrolet coupe that he owned and checked in at a motel on the outskirts of San Diego. Everything happened so quickly that I don't remember the details, only that we packed our things in his Chevrolet coupe, which he called the "Blue Goose". We had decided to stay in San Diego for a while. He wanted to enter the University of California for his pre-med courses and then return to Minnesota where he was a resident and more likely to be accepted into medical school.
LC: Have you kept in touch with any of the friends that you made in the WAVES over the years?
BH: No, unfortunately. I do remember them being some of the nicest women I've ever met. We all got along so well and had a memorable, fun time together.
LC: When you returned home, what was your homecoming like? Did you get back to Montana after the war? Had your family met your husband?
BH: My family met my husband shortly after we were married and when we were given a week's leave from the service. We returned about a year after the war ended for a short visit, and on our way to Minnesota with our house trailer. This is yet another story.
LC: You mentioned that you took advantage of the GI Bill to attend Veterinary College, and you talked a little bit about the influences of why you became a veterinarian. Did anything that you learned in the WAVES actually help you in your career?
BH: If you want to know if my duties while in the WAVES were helpful, I don't believe so. But the situation of my being in the WAVES and a veteran may have helped me to be admitted into the profession.
LC: They gave you military service preference?
BH: I believe it may have helped me some. The students who were veterans had worked hard at the legislature to get a Veterinary School established in the state. My being a veteran certainly would not be a negative factor. I do believe that the admissions committee thought it better to have two women who could support each other and also even the number of students. Forty-nine is not a pleasing number.
LC: Was Jo Ann Schmidt, the other female student, a veteran as well?
BH: No, she was not a veteran. She had most of her pre-veterinary courses in Illinois prior to making application in Minnesota. She also had to establish residency and was able to do so by applying as an emancipated minor because it was necessary for her to work while going to school. She was of the youngest members in the class, and I was among the older group. Her married name is Jo Ann O’Brien. She’s got a very interesting veterinary history too
LC: Do you know where she lives?
BH: Yes, in Washington, DC. JoAnne was one of the first women to own and run her own animal hospitals. She retired a number of years back. [Editor's note: Dr. O'Brien passed away on April 21, 2008 in Washington, DC.]
LC: You mentioned that you were pretty well received on campus when you were finally allowed into the college. How did the male students react to having women in the class?
BH: I can't say there was much of a reaction. We were all adults. The class was made up largely of veterans. There were some snickers and smiles, even from the professors, when we had to put on coveralls that were made for large men and shoulder-length rubber gloves to palpate dairy cows for pregnancy. This amused us, as well, but women weren't expected to be enrolled so there were no special accommodations for us.
I remember a classmate telling us, JoAnne and me, that he was glad there were a couple gals in class as it helped to keep the language a bit cleaner. I believe they were careful when we were within hearing distance.
Veterinary medicine in those days was mostly about farm and food animals, and no place for women. We heard about this mainly outside of the classroom, and from women, as well.
LC: What was the faculty's response to having women in the class?
BH: They showed no preference. We were students and were given equal attention. No favors or special treatment, and we didn't ask for any.
LC: They were supportive?
BH: Yes, I would say so. We received the same treatment as the men students. They were helpful to all of us. I am sure there were stories of our performance that circulated among the faculty. I'll tell you a funny story, about which I am still teased...This is an amusing story that happened on a day that my classmate [JoAnne] was absent and I was sitting behind a tall person at the parasitology lecture and not immediately visible to Dr. Griffiths, one of our more formal teachers. He began our lecture by saying, "I corrected the spot quiz you gentlemen took last period and caught quite a few of you with your pants down. I wonder how I caught the women." There was an explosion of laughter and then he happened to see me. I had never seen anyone so embarrassed. His face turned very red and he turned his back to the class with his hands and head on the blackboard. The laughter continued for quite a while. I found it amusing, too. He then made a public apology and continued with the lecture. He apologized to me again after the lecture and as I was leaving the room. This story quickly made the rounds in the school. Dr. Griffiths remained a good friend throughout my years at the U.
LC: Did any of the students in the first class, the class ahead of you, serve as mentors for you?
BH: Oh yes. In my junior year we were assigned a senior student, and they were called "big brothers", to give us support and help with questions we might have. Glen Nelson was my "big brother".
LC: I know there was a Pre-Veterinary Club, but was there a veterinary students' organization when you were a student?
BH: Yes, they were just beginning to organize the Junior Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) when I was a junior and Glen was in his senior year. I wasn't aware of the Pre-Vet Club, but I did join the Junior Chapter when I was in Vet School. I believe we all were members of the Junior Chapter.
LC: What kind of activities did the club offer? Did they have lectures?
BH: All I remember is having a veterinary practitioner as speaker occasionally.
LC: Did the American Veterinary Medical Association recognize the Junior Chapter?
BH: I don't remember when the student chapter was recognized by the parent organization. Glen [Nelson] may be able to help you on this.
LC: Was there a Minnesota Veterinary Association at that time?
BH: Yes. It was established in the late 1800s – 1897, according to Dr. Arnold's Book, The History of Veterinary Medicine in Minnesota". The students were expected to attend the meetings and were excused from class to do so. Registration was free for the students.
LC: You were in the second class to graduate. You graduated in 1952. How many students were in your class?
BH: Before the women were invited to enroll, there were forty-eight. With our additional two chairs, there were fifty. We often countered by saying that we didn't replace two men because we were an addition.
LC: How long did it take you to complete the degree?
BH: It took four years for the professional Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. This was usually after a two-year pre-veterinary course. After two years of professional school you could apply for a B.S. degree in Veterinary Medicine. I did not do so as I already had a B.S. in Entomology.
LC: What kind of practical experience did the students gain while they were in school? Did you work with live animals?
BH: In our basic years we had embalmed animals on which we studied anatomy. The formaldehyde in the labs was very strong. It took some time to become accustomed to working there. It was very hard on eyes and I often wondered how it affected our lungs.
Then, in our third and fourth years, we were in clinics and were divided into teams and rotated through outpatients, medicine and surgery areas in both large and small animal. We were also assigned to accompany a veterinarian on field trips to dairy and beef farms. We also rotated through autopsy in the diagnostic lab and the laboratories for practical experience in these areas. So there were two years of practical exposure, working on live animals. It is different today and students are able to have exposure in more specific areas of their interest.
During my senior year, the school also purchased a practice near Maple Plain, Minnesota where the men students resided for a week to get even more practical experience with large animals that would be brought in for various problems. They did not have accommodations for women, so JoAnne and I were excused from this rotation. This service was closed a few years after because of city expansion plans.
LC: Did you work with both large and small animals when you were in school?
BH: Yes.
LC: Did you ever feel discouraged, having to deal with large animals?
BH: On the contrary, I enjoyed it very much. I had horses when I lived at home and some experience with dairy cows and smaller farm animals. In most cases, men as well as women will need an extra hand for assistance with large animals. I also learned in the Navy, if you don't have something that is needed, you invent it. I do think women are especially good at this, and at inventing alternative methods when needed.
LC: Did you ever get kicked? [Laughter]
BH: No, but I've had a few close calls!
LC: This is getting off the subject just a little bit, but did you live on campus during your years as a student?
BH: I lived in a trailer that I had won in a raffle in San Diego after the war ended. This happened shortly after the war ended when my husband was attending school and I was working part time for a lung specialist in San Diego. My name was picked out of a hat during a raffle they had on house trailers that were used during the war to house families of military people. The trailer I won was an eighteen-foot trailer in fair condition that sold for 60 dollars. After some minor repairs, we were able to pull the trailer to Montana and then to Minnesota. We parked it at the trailer court on North Lexington, right off of Highway 36 in St. Paul. It was our home for about two years while we were students at the University.
LC: Was it mostly returned GI’s that were up there?
BH: No, it was all kinds of people.
LC: How big was the trailer? Did you have enough room?
BH: It was eighteen feet long and about six feet wide. There was a removable, hinged table across the front with benches on either side. The table could be removed and the benches pulled across and made into a double bed. Across the back was a sort of divan that could be extended into the walkway to make another double bed. Along either side were cabinets and drawers for clothes, also a small room for a shower. On one side there was a sink and opposite this a small stove with an oven. It was condensed but suitable for our needs at that time.
We had water piped into the trailer, but used the trailer lodge for toilet and shower facilities. We all had pots in our trailers. We had to empty them in the morning I remember. There was a real brigade of pot carriers, whatever the weather, to the lodge every morning and a friendly way to start the day.
LC: You said you were in the trailer for two years?
BH: Yes, two years. We sold the trailer and moved to an apartment on St. Albans in St. Paul, near the Cathedral.
LC: When you finished your training as a veterinarian, were you expected to serve an internship with a practicing vet or did you have the freedom to go off and begin your career?
BH: Once we had the DVM degree and a state license, we could begin our own veterinary practice. Most graduates at that time preferred to practice with another veterinarian for a time before starting their own hospital. I chose to remain at the School when offered a research fellowship to work toward a Master's Degree. I learned later that the School preferred to train their own students for future faculty positions.
LC: So you have a DVM Degree and a Master’s Degree?
BH: Yes. My Master's Degree was with a Major in Veterinary Medicine and a Minor in Bacteriology.
It was after the Master's Degree that I began my study in Veterinary Radiology. With additional graduate courses at the University's Medical School and Veterinary School I was sufficiently prepared to take and pass the board Examination to become certified as a Diplomate in the College of Veterinary Radiology. I also have the distinct honor of being the first woman to hold this certification in Minnesota.
LC: What interested you most about radiology?
BH: I think it was the problem solving, and the science and art involved. Getting a diagnostic image, in many cases, solved the problem here and now. In many other cases it wasn't as specific, but challenging, and further views or special procedures could offer a solution. It was an area that needed developing and better teaching.
LC: Did you develop some of the courses that you taught, then?
BH: Yes, I modified and further developed the basic radiology course. Study films were added to the laboratory sessions. I also developed graduate courses in large and small animal bone diseases and horse lameness, and in Special Radiographic Procedures. Radiology later was being integrated with other graduate courses in Cardiology, Physiology, and with the undergraduate course in Normal Anatomy.
LC: What was a typical day like for you as a Radiologist at the University and as a member of the teaching faculty?
BH: It was a busy time. In the early years, two of us were on duty every morning in clinics. We rotated so all the students would have a little hands-on experience. Our first hour was spent viewing radiograph and discussing cases with students. The rest of the morning was spent taking radiographs of animals from the small and large animal services. Initially we didn't have the technologists and we did everything from taking radiographs to processing, interpreting and reporting. At this time we would on occasion take small animals, to the medical school for radiation therapy or take our portable equipment to the Como Zoo for radiographic studies.
Afternoons were spent reading the finished radiograph and writing reports, working on our research, taking course work, preparing or giving lectures, and attending faculty meetings.
Dr. Spurrell, my advisor through my early years and residency program, started the discipline of radiology at our school in Minnesota. He was trained at the Veterinary School in Iowa under Dr. Mac Emerson, one of the pioneers of Veterinary Radiation Therapy. He was a charter member of the early Educators of Veterinary Radiology Society and was very knowledgeable in radiology at that time. Dr. Spurrell was able to acquire a large capacity Westinghouse X-ray machine for the large animal area in our first hospital and clinic building. This could also be used to fluoroscope large animals, horses and cows. A small portable unit was used mainly for limb studies on large animals. This was occasionally taken on calls to farms. I believe it was a war surplus field unit and is now one of our Museum artifacts.
The small animal area was equipped with a stationary Picker machine that could also be used for fluoroscopy.
These X-ray machines were used for many years until – I believe it was in the 1960s – we obtained funds to acquire a modern, more animal-friendly machine for small animals.
It was about from this time forward that our radiology program began its growth. As the school grew and enrollment increased, we hired one, and later two, registered radiographic technologists (RTs). Antiquated X-ray machines were replaced by modern, higher energy machines capable of producing better diagnostic images. Our caseload also increased. Several graduate students in radiology were also assisting in clinics while I was on quarter and on sabbatical leaves. Shortly after I returned from Sweden, a third radiologist joined the faculty and since my retirement in 1985, the area has seen more residents and faculty. State of the art technology is now available and being used at the Veterinary College, now called the "Veterinary Medical Center of the University". The growth in radiology, now called "Imagery", has seen amazing growth over the past ten or fifteen years.
LC: Did you think when you started Veterinary College that you would end up as a professor? Did that ever cross your mind, going into the academic side of Veterinary Medicine?
BH: Never. First I thought I would go into practice, probably back in Montana, but it became more likely as I continued my graduate work, that I would remain in academia and teach. I slowly advanced up the ranks from Instructor to Associate Professor, and didn't think I would make the rank of Full Professor at that time because I was somewhat deficient in the number of publications. I was writing a few articles at the time and working with the Hip Dysplasia colony. My husband encouraged me to "go after it" and to speak with the head of the department. I did. He, too, brought up the publications and thought it might be an issue. But all told, the Committee's vote was positive, and in 1973 I made full professor.
LC: When did you achieve the full professorship?
BH: I got that after I was board certified. I had to take a certification from the American College of Radiology. After I achieved that, then there was a committee at the University that had to consider my eligibility. So I made it!
LC: You had a very interesting leave in England while you were teaching. Please tell us about that.
BH: It was at the International Conference of Veterinary Radiologists in 1970 that I met Dr. Christine Gibbs, the radiologist of the Veterinary School in Bristol England. She extended an invitation for me to visit her at Langford, the field unit where students spent their clinical years getting hands on experience with sick and injured animals, large, small and exotics.
I thought a quarter leave in England would be a golden opportunity to see and compare their teaching program with ours and, very importantly, to see what radiographic equipment and techniques they were using in their clinical studies that might be incorporated in our pre- and post-graduate courses. I was allowed the fall quarter of 1971 for the leave. With Dr. Gibbs’ status in the British Veterinary Radiology Association (BVRS), I was invited to give a presentation at a radiologic conference in Liverpool, and to visit and give a presentation at veterinary schools in Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Glasgow, and I had an opportunity to visit a large veterinary practice at the Blue Cross Hospital in London. I was able to talk with the radiology professors and radiographers (technical assistants) at these schools who enjoyed exchanging information about their teaching programs and special radiology projects. As expected, their schools were old, but their radiographic equipment a step or two above what we had available to us as a new school. Dr. Gibbs was using tomography and had cinefluorographic and cineradiographic equipment available. I was also impressed with the special techniques they were researching for practical application in veterinary diagnostics.
I also gave a presentation to a meeting of the medical surgeons in Bristol during my leave, and that was very well received. There appeared to be a much closer relationship between the medical doctors and the veterinarians in the UK than in the United States.
LC: You also had an opportunity to visit Sweden in a professional capacity. What was your experience there?
BH: It was the head of the radiology department at the Royal Veterinary School in Stockholm, Sweden, Dr. Sten-Eric Olson, who extended an invitation to me to participate in the School's clinical teaching for the l975-76 school year. My title was to be a "Visiting Professor", and I would receive a monthly stipend. My husband, Wallace, was also invited to join me for the year. A veterinarian from Sweden was to take my position at the University of Minnesota for the period of my leave.
There was another veterinarian from the States, Dr. Poulis from California, with whom I would share clinical and teaching duties while in Sweden. The Poulis family of 5 were housed in an apartment several miles from our flat in Djursholm (translated as “animal island”, quite appropriate for veterinarians).
My teaching role for that period was similar to that in Minnesota. Language was somewhat of a problem when it came to written history on patients but usually a willing student or staff would be available for translation. Otherwise, most of the staff members were fluent in English and the students appeared to enjoy practicing the language by talking with us. I was fortunate to have met a student the previous summer who was a student at the veterinary school in Stockholm who proved very helpful with the language, both at school and in the community. She, Linda Clemedtson, was also a frequent and welcome visitor at our place in Djursholm. She often accompanied my husband and me to and about the City of Stockholm. Dr. Clemedtson later came to the Veterinary Medical College in Minnesota to complete her internship in large animal medicine.
The routine of morning film reading sessions was quite similar to ours at the U of M, but differed in that rounds were mostly with staff seeking information on their small or large animal patients. Students were used to assist the technologist in taking and developing the films.
Dr. Poulis and I did a “two days on, and a two days off” morning rotation and had most of the off duty afternoons free to work on our research or give lectures to students in radiology.
I wished to continue a study I had begun in Minnesota that was to investigate radiographic changes in the stomach pattern of normal dogs for the early detection of cancer. As luck would have it, I heard that Dr. Kurihara, a Japanese M.D. Oncologist, would be speaking on this topic in Lund, Sweden. I took the train to hear his lecture and later spoke to him about my interest as a veterinary radiologist in his method of radiographic detection. He was an excellent contact and source of information as he used dogs in his research. Unfortunately, I didn't have much occasion to use his technique as my project was disrupted when the Royal Veterinary School began to move to its modern facilities in Uppsula, Sweden toward the end of my leave.
Dr. Kurihara proved to be a fine contact and source of information for my interest in its application to animal medicine. The following year he gave his presentation to our College and was invited by Dr. Gedgauddas, Head of Radiology at the University of Minnesota Medical School, to give a noon seminar to his staff and residents.
I do want to add a few words regarding my observations while in Sweden:
- The large number of cats that were admitted for fractures caused by falling out of high rise buildings. Apparently there is some misjudgment in perceiving depth that caused them to take the lethal leap.
- Another observation was the number of fractures that were allowed to heal without the fragments being in apposition. I don't think it was a matter of fees, but the consensus was that, given time, function would be restored and a false joint would develop. I saw little pinning or plating of fractures as our surgeons were doing at that time. They were still using the Thomas splint for immobilization.
- Also observed on radiographs of the abdomen was a distended stomach filled with a semi-opaque lumpy material in many large breeds. I was told that potatoes was the food frequently fed large dogs and this is what was apparent radiographically. I didn't notice much in the line of canned dog food or even kibbies as we have in the States, and assume pet owners were boiling potatoes to feed their dogs. Gastritis may or may not have been a reason for requesting radiographs of the abdomen.
The Veterinary School had its own campus and thus allowed the staff to bring their pets to work if they wished. Dogs were everywhere and one had to really watch to avoid stepping on them. They were well behaved and not leashed as I recall. This was also similar in the UK. My work kept me largely in the small animal area, so I cannot comment on the large animal facilities or do I recall seeing large animals on the campus.
A side trip was made to Oslo where the Poulises and I were welcomed and toured through their radiology facilities. I also remember attending a veterinary conference in Oslo on Academics in Scandinavian Schools.
Another visitor that came to Sweden for several weeks to largely observe the School's clinical program was Dr. Stanislav Koper a veterinary teacher of radiology in the Agricultural Academy, Lublin, Poland. He was often seen alone standing in the background. I introduced myself and invited him to join me in film reading one afternoon. He was happy to be included. He had difficulty speaking English to begin with, but gradually became more talkative. Dr. Koper was interested mainly in diseases of sheep and was conducting radiologic studies in them. He invited us to dine at the Polish Embassy. I remember it being a lavish formal affair with the best dinnerware, menu, wine and speeches in Swedish and English. Definitely a memorable event for me.
In the last few weeks, we enjoyed having Dr. Koper and his wife, Barbara, to our flat for dinner and a slide show of our home in Minnesota. We enjoy hearing from them regularly for the holidays.
As a final summary, it was an eventful and memorable year. As with England, I was impressed with their modern, high output equipment. I was also impressed with the ability of sending radiograph to another monitor some distance away. Tomography was available in Bristol several years earlier, but not in Stockholm when I was there. I am sure it was planned for their new quarters in Uppsula and at the time my leave was ending.
I was impressed with Dr.Olson's administrative manner and his ability to invite visitors on stipends from other areas and countries for an exchange of information. He also was very generous with introducing them to the ways of Sweden. We were his guests at operas and ballets and in his home for various occasions. He had an excellent staff that saw to our accommodations and comfort. He had a nice singing voice and enjoyed leading us in Swedish songs while guests at his home.
Having met a world leader in human gastroenterology was definitely a high point in my visit to Sweden.
Several years after my Sabbatical, I learned of Sten-Eric Olson’s death after suffering for several years from a crippling neurological condition.
LC: How long was your teaching career?
BH: Thirty-three years.
LC: Wow! That’s quite a career. I saw the plaque on your wall. I think it says, “In loving appreciation for 33 years of service at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Teaching Hospital from the faculty, staff and students.” That’s a pretty nice tribute. I noticed, too, that you have one from the MVMA, the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association.
BH: Yes, the awards were received after I retired. I was one of three to receive the Veterinarian of the Year Award in 2006 for our work in establishing and developing the Veterinary Historical Museum. There were three of us that really worked on this museum so they gave us each a "Veterinarian of the Year" Award. This was the first time they gave it to three people.
LC: That’s really something! That’s a real contribution to preserve that history.
BH: Dr. Arnold, author of One Hundred Years of Progress: the History of Veterinary Medicine in Minnesota, started collecting and cataloging old veterinary instruments long before he retired from the faculty of the College. He authored this valuable book during his retirement years. It was published in 1994 and is an excellent reference book of our history. It was Dr. Walter Mackey of the first class to graduate from the College, and as President of the MVMA in 1985, who organized a committee to establish the Minnesota Veterinary Historical Museum. Both of these individuals were highly deserving of this tribute. My role was mostly supportive. I was surprised and yet delighted to be included.
LC: Bee, tell me what aspect of your work at the University of Minnesota you enjoyed the most. What was the most meaningful for you?
BH: I think my time spent with students during the morning hours in clinics. It was there that I got to know the students who rotated through radiology for a week at a time. We’d put up radiographs, and we would get the history, and students would share what they learned about the animal before they took Radiographs. The diagnostic films were interpreted and we discussed the findings and what further studies, if any, would help to solve the problem.
LC: So you really enjoyed working with the students. In any of the clinics, did you ever come across any diagnostic problem that you couldn’t solve? Was there anything that really baffled you?
BH: There were many. Radiology is mostly an assist toward the final diagnosis. It can be extremely beneficial, but must fit in with the rest of the puzzle. The shadows we attempt to interpret can at times be baffling. Radiology in my time wasn't as helpful as it is today with the state-of-the-art technology that is available to the radiologist.
LC: You mentioned that you retired just about the time that ultrasound was coming in. That’s also a very useful tool isn’t it?
BH: Yes, indeed. Ultrasonography can offer additional diagnostic information and is a harmless procedure to patient and operator alike. Additional training is required for its use and for the interpretation of results. The cost of the equipment and studies are still within the reach of the profession and affordable to the animal owner.
And now they can do this computer-type scanning that we couldn’t do. I learned about it at some of our meetings in Chicago. The educators of Veterinary Radiology used to meet once a year. At the same time we met with the RSNA, the Radiological Society of North America, human radiology, so we could see what was going on in the human field. That was almost beyond our reach because of the fees that had to be charged. With animals, we had a limit as to what we could do because of the economic factor there. People couldn’t afford to put this money into an animal’s diagnostic.
LC: They’re more of an investment now. You want to do what you can to help them.
BH: My husband, for one, would go the gamut for his pets. After all, they are family members.
LC: Did the University keep up pretty well with equipment and facilities while you were there?
BH: Yes, I believe it did. With so many areas to make operational for a new school, the new staff, many of which were graduate students at the time, did very well. Dr. Spurrell's selection of radiology machines for both areas, large and small animals, was quite satisfactory and used for many years. Much of my Hip Dysplasia research was done on the small animal Picker machine. The large animal Westinghouse X-ray machine, while bulky and difficult to maneuver for certain studies was actually state of the art at that time. Both units were also capable of fluoroscopy. The large unit had special sliding lead panels installed to protect the radiologist and students from scatter radiation during the study.
As the caseload grew, with it came more demands for modern and safer radiographic tools. Two such machines were made available in the early 1980s in the first Clinic. The last one was transferred to the new hospital along with the new small and large animal machines.
So yes, I believe that the funding for these expensive tools was well met during my tenure. Since I retired, state-of-the-art technology has been added that is among the finest in the nation: a CT and MRI for diagnostic studies and, most recently, a Linear Accelerator. This expensive technology will not only be used for cancer treatment in animals but also for comparative research that will benefit humans as well.
The new tenured staff in Radiology is very well trained and Board Certified with an active residency program in progress. I am honored to have played a small role in its beginning.
LC: You mentioned that you did quite a lot of research in Hip Dysplasia. Talk a little bit about your work with that.
BH: Dr. Spurrell obtained a grant from the National Institute of Health to further investigate the genetics, development and radiology of Hip Dysplasia. This is a common and often a crippling disorder in the larger breeds of dogs. It is a significant problem in the working dog that is being bred and trained for hunting, guide and police work. Furthermore, the breeder is heavily invested in producing sound animals that will withstand the vigorous work for which it was designed.
A colony of working dogs was created for the study. These animals were bred and the offspring examined at intervals. My role was to interpret the radiograph for early bone and joint changes that would confirm the disorder. These animals could then be eliminated from further breeding and training programs.
This is a rather nebulous field to start with. Apparently, it wasn’t something right off the surface that you could get rid of. It went into the depth of the animal.
LC: The genetics. Did you feel you made breakthroughs? Did you make what you would consider a real breakthrough in your research?
BH: Not what I would call a real breakthrough. We did find some interesting bone and join changes at an early age in a few dogs that continued to remain within our normal classification into adulthood. There was another group that we placed in an undetermined category. Bone changes were not definitive and there was only a small increase in the hip join space. These animals performed well with no malfunction into adulthood. These animals would be given a provisional diagnosis of “Normal” to 3 years of age. If no additional bone changes were observed then, they could be given a lifetime diagnosis of “Normal” and these animals could be used in a breeding program. Hip Dysplasia is known to be a multi-trait genetic condition with a number of genes involved that makes it more difficult to eliminate. The breeder who has spent years in perfecting other desirable traits for the breed wishes to maintain them, as well. This can be a difficult call.
LC: Interesting. Were there any other types of things that you worked on specifically?
BH: I enjoyed establishing ages at which various bones matured and the site at which these areas could be visualized on the radiograph. Many abnormalities occurred at these growth centers in metabolic and genetic bone deformities.
LC: We been talking a little bit about the changes that you’ve seen in your work as a Radiologist. What other changes have you witnessed at the Veterinary College? How has the curriculum, or the facilities changed, for instance?
BH: The growth of the college from the old anatomy building and a few small barn units to the modern teaching complex has been awesome. Dr. Arnold's book on the history of veterinary medicine in Minnesota well depicts the bumpy road along the way.
The organization that took place in a matter of months to get a faculty, materials and space ready for the first academic year of a professional school was truly amazing. That was barely a first step to what followed in developing and accrediting the School according to its place in the University community and the Education Council of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
I remember being invited to give a lecture or two on normal radiographic anatomy to compliment and perhaps wet the appetite of the undergraduate students in their freshman year. We would also display radiographs on viewers during their laboratory sessions.
Later, as the intern and residency programs were added, advanced courses in specialty areas also demanded more of radiology. Many hours were spent making slides to correlate with the condition being discussed. The old-fashioned slide projection in teaching is now replaced by computer imagery.
I don't think it is necessary to say much about the gender change that has occurred in veterinary medicine. My classmate, JoAnne Schmidt O'Brien, who just recently passed away, should be recognized for her role in opening the door of our College to women in 1947. That is another story that confirms the power of determined women. It is also documented in Dr. Arnold's book.
LC: The facilities at the college, I know have changed a lot. I know they’ve added buildings and they’ve recently added an equine center.
BH: That is a beautiful facility. Have you been there?
LC: I haven’t and I’d love to see it.
BH: It is designed for performance medicine and a reproductive clinic for horses.
LC: For the racehorse industry and …
BH: Yes, and for the gated animals and the show animals. There will also be a therapeutic program for children with disabilities.
LC: It’s a valuable resource.
BH: It is.
LC: The small animal hospital, too, is tremendous in the way they’ve kept up with the technology.
BH: Yes. I see where they now have most all the high tech equipment needed for diagnostic and therapeutic radiology. Dr. Dan Feeney is a top radiologist and very knowledgeable in this area.
The new specialty, now called "Imagery", has recently installed a linear accelerator at the cost of $5 million to treat cancer in animals. There had to be a specially constructed "safe room" to house the equipment when it is in use so as not to expose humans or other animals to harmful radiation.
LC: Now, one of the changes that Glen Nelson mentioned was that there are a lot more women studying veterinary medicine these days than when you were in school. You mentioned when we were off the tape that you have served as a mentor for the women students there. Do you want to talk a little bit about what that has been like for you?
BH: I don’t believe I treated them any differently than I did the male student. I found most of them friendly, yet respectful, bright and eager to learn. Some of them were shy, but all were a joy to have in class. Many of the women had previous degrees and would add valuable information to discussions. I never heard of any complaints about the male population or the reverse.
LC: Were your women students aware that you were one of the first two women to graduate in the program?
BH: I believe so. My picture is on the hospital wall with the Class of 1952. I was also the first woman veterinarian on the faculty at the University, and the only one for a number of years.
LC: Oh, I didn’t realize that. What would you say were your greatest challenges in teaching?
BH: I believe my greatest challenge was preparing convincing visual aids for my lectures and often defending my interpretations.
I prepared my own teaching slides and projected them on a screen for lectures. This method is now obsolete in most teaching institutions with the advent of computer technology and better visual aids.
State-of-the-art technology used today offers a more detailed image for an accurate interpretation. The radiology area at our College has recently acquired an MRI that will accompany other imaging services. A linear accelerator for radiation therapy is the most recent arrival and will be used to treat cancer in animals.
This new technology in the veterinary school will fit well in President Bruininks’ plan to promote research at the University. It has comparative value that will benefit man, as well.
LC: What do you feel is your greatest contribution to teaching at the U?
BH: I would like to think it is in introducing and explaining to students the use of yet another diagnostic and therapeutic method that can be exceedingly helpful in their professional years as veterinarians. I hope I have left a mark with the students I had in my radiology courses and in clinics.
LC: What do you feel was the single most important advancement that you witnessed in Veterinary Medicine during your career? Can you single it down to one thing?
BH: I would say the quality of education available to the student and veterinarian today. One reason would be the technical equipment now available. There is also a ready exchange of information and help among colleagues and specialists through computer technology.
During my 33 years, I think we have seen much better prepared students coming in to the field. I’ve noticed quite a change at the Veterinary Clinic and the handling of the small animals and their response to clients.
LC: Have you kept in touch with former students and watched their careers?
BH: Not as much as I would have liked to.
LC: Can you think of any students in particular that you were especially proud of that…
BH: There are several women I'd like to mention. One is Dr. Barbara O'Leary who was the first woman to be elected President of our Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association in 1994, or its 97th President. She remains active to this day in both the State and National Associations. Then there is Dr. Bonnie Gustafson Beaver who became the 2nd woman President of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Several women who were active in humane societies, and one in particular who has reached the top and received the Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award for her role in the Human-Animal Bond field in 1998. This was Patricia N. Olson who graduated from Minnesota in l970. Dr. Ann Holt who went to the top of the Food and Drug Administration. Another very special woman, Dr. Shirley Johnston, who did graduate work at our College has since founded the Western Veterinary Medical College in Pomona California and was its Dean until recently. She now has a role in the administration of Western University of Health Sciences. There are many women who are involved in a very important area, that of Humane Societies and Animal Shelters as my classmate, JoAnn OBrien had done preliminary to establishing her small animal hospital in Washington D.C.
LC: The Humane Society – that’s a pretty important area.
BH: It is, isn’t it? I think teaching the public about animals, and the care of animals is important – and not just getting them because they’re cute. To know that they have to put up with them into old age, and to take care of them with veterinary services, and the correct management of their animals.
LC: If you had to give one piece of advice to a veterinary student today, what would that be?
BH: Keep current and updated as much as you can with your profession. You have to take in as many conferences as you can. Try to keep on top of all the changes because the field has just exploded into many areas.
LC: I imagine that’s why there is so much specialization – because it is so hard to keep up with everything.
BH: Yes it is. It’s very hard. I think that more and more they’re going into specialization. Don’t forget the basics. That’s very important.
LC: That’s good advice right there. Bee, tell me again – when did you officially retire from the University of Minnesota?
BH: I retired in 1985.
LC: 1985, and you taught for 33 years. Are you enjoying your retirement?
BH: Oh, very much so.
LC: Are you as busy now as you were when you were working? [Laughter]
BH: Right, as you probably have heard. It’s because you take on so much more. You start looking around at things you’ve missed. I’ve been able to do more reading, and of course keeping up with the technology. I’m into a little bit of that, and the computers and cell phones. [Laughter] Everything is so technically advanced that it is difficult, but challenging and fun.
LC: Can you share a favorite story or two about your experiences as a veterinarian?
BH: One that comes to mind is the lady who told her small son that on this day they would be taking their puppy in to see the dog doctor for its shots. When I was introduced as the “dog doctor”, he began to cry. When she asked him why he was crying, he responded "you said it would be a dog doctor". It took me a few minutes on that one. I guess, in his mind, I didn't quite fit the role.
Another story, this one rather sad, is that of a police officer who brought his canine partner to the hospital to be euthanized. I had taken care of his dog, a German Shepherd, several times previously for our hip dysplasia study. The officer asked if I could put his friend and companion for many years to sleep in the squad car. The animal had seen better days and a difficult decision was made to let him go. Those dogs are referred to as partners and I understand are actually Officers in the police force. With a few students and a syringe full of euthanasia solution we proceeded with the task. The officer teared up and I believe we all joined in. It was a sad occasion, especially for the officer and his companion and partner for many years. We used to tell the students that if they could cry with the client at a time like this they would be fine veterinarians. I think the group that day would be exceptional.
LC: I think so, yes.
BH: I think so, and we did.
LC: Did you ever have any clients that were difficult? People that looked at you and said, "You’re a little girl, you can’t do this." Farmers that you might have worked with when you were a student…
BH: I never experience being in that position. I came close on one occasion. It was shortly after I had my DVM and when I was attending a horse show one evening at the State Fair that they were on the loud speaker calling for the Fair veterinarian. After about the 4th or 5th call , I thought I better see if I could help.
It was very difficult making my way through the crowd and convincing them that I was a Vet. I finally reached the horse that was bleeding profusely from an injury to the fetlock, the area above and behind the hoof of the front leg. I used my belt above the area to stop the bleeding. I then called the emergency clinic at the U and arranged for the animal to be admitted.
I can truly say it took some convincing to make myself known. It might have been easier if I was in some kind of uniform, but not too impressive in street clothes. I know the wound was sutured and the horse was kept overnight at the hospital. I never heard further from the owner or the Fair veterinarian.
I told you previously about the luck JoAnne and I had when as students we were asked to demonstrate the use of ropes in flipping and tying a bull calf. I think our male classmates were disappointed when they saw how easily we managed it.
BH: There was another time when my “big brother” called on me to pill a horse.
LC: Your “big brother”, Glen Nelson, did this to you?
BH: Yes. For this procedure, I would have preferred someone else be first. The horse was quite tall and I had to navigate a stool while a couple students restrained the head. The procedure is a bit tricky as I had to use a balling gun that would hold a huge capsule containing the chemical, and make sure to place it in back of the tongue to avoid being crushed by huge molars before the plunger was pushed and the horse swallowed. There was the added possibility of the capsule going down the windpipe instead of the esophagus, but among warnings and other advice, I finally pushed the plunger and the horse swallowed. My first pilling was a success. I even received some cheers. In all my working days, I only de-wormed a few horses belonging to my sister who ran a stable in Montana, but I always remembered my first exercise as a student. [Laughter]
LC: You had to prove your mettle.
BH: We did have to prove our mettle. This was true even in practical things. JoAnne and I didn’t have a place to change like the boys did. They had locker rooms for the men but they weren’t expecting women, so we had to go into restrooms. Nothing fit us very well. We had to put up the pants legs and roll up the cuffs. We did our job.
LC: That’s great. Well I can’t thank you enough for taking time to share your stories with our project team. It’s been a real pleasure meeting you. Thanks so much!
BH: You’re very welcome. It was fun reminiscing