Kelsey-Seybold Clinic - History of Kelsey-Seybold

History of Kelsey-Seybold

The formation of Kelsey-Seybold Clinic began in 1949 by Dr. Mavis P. Kelsey with the purpose of combining primary and specialty medical services in one location in the city of Houston. This was a popular concept of the day based on the Mayo Clinic model. These types of clinics bring specialists, primary care physicians, nurses and other care givers together as a team to provide the best possible care.

In 1949, Dr. Kelsey, an internal medicine specialist, leased space in the Hermann Professional Building and set up his practice. Over the next two years, he would welcome two of his Mayo friends, Dr. William D. Seybold, a surgeon, and Dr. William V. Leary, another internist, to the practice.

Dr. Kelsey’s brother, John R. Kelsey, Jr., another Mayo-trained physician and specialist in gastroenterology, joined the practice in 1953. Also joining the multi-specialty team in the 1950s were a psychiatrist, cardiologist and rheumatologist. In 1953, Clinic doctors began serving rotations at area hospitals, including Hermann Hospital, Baylor University Medical College (now Baylor College of Medicine), and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

On December 15, 1956, the Kelsey and Leary Foundation for the Advancement of Medicine was established to provide scholarships and financial support for research. The Kelsey Foundation, as it is known today, is involved in a variety of research projects with universities, pharmaceutical companies, government bodies and hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. Research areas include cancer, epilepsy, cardiology, diabetes and obstetrics.

During the 1960s, the Clinic added more specialists and more departments. The rapidly expanding Radiology Department added lab technicians, while the multi-specialty team continued to grow with the addition of a pediatrician and otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose & Throat specialist). New departments included Pediatrics, Rheumatology, Dermatology, Urology, Ophthalmology and Dentistry.

In 1964, the Clinic moved into new facilities at 6624 Fannin. That building is now the St. Luke's Tower. Dr. Leary joined the staff of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 1965 and the Clinic's name was changed to Kelsey-Seybold Clinic. For over half a century, the Kelsey-Seybold name has been synonymous with multi-specialty healthcare in Houston.