For over seventy years, the AMEDD Museum looked for a permanent home.  Originally established in 1921 at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, it moved to an unfinished basement at Fort Sam Houston in 1946.  Artifacts were stored all over the United States unavailable for use.

In 1978, a group of retired Army Medical Department personnel, military and civilian, joined to form the Army Medical Department Museum Foundation, Inc.  The Army Medical Department Museum Foundation was incorporated in the state of Texas in 1978 as a non-profit with the purpose of raising funds to construct a medical museum at Fort Sam Houston, Texas that would preserve over 200 years of a highly significant aspect of our nation’s history.

The Foundation, staffed by dedicated volunteers donating thousands of hours, has to date raised over $10,000,000 to construct five phases of the Museum:  Phase I was dedicated on 24 July 1989; Phase II on 24 July 1998; Phase III on 14 September 2001, phase IIIA on 29 September 2006; and phase IV on 28 September 2012.  At the end of construction and dedication, the new facilities were donated by the Foundation to the US Army.  A plaque hanging at the Museum entrance reads, “This Museum is constructed solely by private contributions and the support of caring volunteers.”  The Foundation continues to raise funds to support future building, upkeep, artifact purchase and restoration, and educational programs.

The activities of the Foundation are directed by a board composed of past and present members of each of the AMEDD Corps, to include Army civilians and distinguished leaders of the civilian community.  In 2001, the Annual Sustaining Foundation Contributor (ASFC) program was begun to provide a program for building a sustaining base of contributions to the foundation.  This program has been highly successful and has provided a continuing source of funds to continue the Foundation goals.

We at the Foundation are deeply indebted to thousands of supporters who through continuing generous contributions have over the years and are today providing us with the money to build and expand a great museum.  The legacy of Army Medicine continues to be written every day.  The Foundation through its dedicated volunteers and financial contributors will support the museum’s capability to tell our heroes’ stories.