A Brief History

The first corneal transplantation in Houston occurred in 1951 when ophthalmologists at Baylor College of Medicine performed a successful graft on a young woman. The roots of the present Lions Eye Bank of Texas, an organization dedicated to supplying the gift of sight to those without vision, began in 1953. In that first year, an eye bank was formed under the clinical supervision of the Department of Ophthalmology at Baylor.

During the early years, when eye banking was begining, eye donations were infrequent, and most eyes were supplied through the Eye Bank of Sight Restoration in New York City. The national delivery system did not always guarantee an adequate supply of tissue, and awaiting time of several months was common.

By the mid-1950's the Veterans' Administration Hospital was the main source for tissue donations. As the need for corneas increased, community assistance and support were needed to enhance the success of eye banking in Houston. In 1957, the Lions Clubs joined Baylor as a natural extension of their long-standing commitment to sight conservation and restoration. This partnership led to the development of important programs that raised community awareness of the need and importance of providing donated eye tissues.