Violet Baird joined the Southwestern Medical College staff on July 1, 1943, about the time the College began operation. She was promoted to head librarian in 1947, a position she held until 1971, when she became historical bibliographer. She retired in 1972. As head librarian, she built the Library collection from near zero to 100,000 volumes. She had a special interest in preserving the history of the campus, and began the Library’s archive of campus photos and documents.