The lecture

Theodore Roosevelt appointed William Gorgas in 1904 as Chief Sanitary Officer in charge of the sanitation in Panama. Armed with recent knowledge that the mosquito was the vector for yellow fever and malaria, Gorgas converted Panama from a pesthole to a healthy place and made possible the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914.

The lecture will be held in the Linda Hall Library Main Reading Room. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Lecture begins at 7:00 p.m.

The speaker

Dr. Enrique Chaves is a clinical professor and pediatric neurologist at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Chaves is the author of the recent book American Medicine and the Panama Canal, a collection of articles published in the journal Proceedings of the Canal Zone Medical Association (1908 to 1927). Dr. Chaves also helped to curate an exhibit, A Triumph of American Medicine: William Gorgas, Ancon Hospital and the Panama Canal, at the Clendening History of Medicine Library at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Admission tickets

The event is free and open to the public; however, e-tickets are required.

Parking

Parking is free in Library parking lots and along the west side of Holmes Street between 51st and 52nd streets. The main entrance to the Library grounds is on Cherry Street. The Linda Hall Library is not affiliated with UMKC. Parking in all UMKC lots is by permit or meter.