Cancer began to be considered a social problem during the early 20th century, when researchers noticed a rise in the number of cases reported. In 1913, the American Medical Association teamed up with the American College of Surgeons to form what would later become the American Cancer Society, in an attempt to educate the public about the need for early detection of cancer. In one such endeavor, the Oklahoma Division of the Society established the first traveling cancer clinic on Feb. 14, 1946. The traveling clinic was actually a remodeled school bus that held equipment for an internist, a dermatologist, a gynecologist and a surgeon. The volunteer physicians and nurses usually set up clinics in church classrooms, and all services were free.

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