Fragment It is not often that one can identify the conception and birth of an institution. The original creative spark is usually forgotten, eclipsed by subsequent events that were never documented, or maintained only in the memories of those who took part in the events, to be lost to history. That, however, is not the case with the School of Tropical Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico. The creation and development of this important center of research and learning were captured in somber documents that are of interest to historians as well as to all those who are connected to the University. The vision of Dr. Bailey K. Ashford and his tireless efforts to establish a school of tropical medicine in Puerto Rico, preferably as part of a Pan American University, have been amply documented in the memoirs of this distinguished physician and in the works of other scholars. Less well-known are the distinctive milestones in the process of the School’s creation, of which we include two here. One represents the political and fiscal commitment to the school; the other, its building. Full article available at: http://prhsj.rcm.upr.edu/index.php/prhsj/article/viewFile/204/113