Pennington Lectures

Merle Pennington, MD, Lectures in Family Medicine

Merle Pennington, MD, was a founder of the Department of Family Medicine during its establishment from 1969 to 1971.  He joined our faculty in 1977, working on the hill until his retirement in 1985.  He received the School of Medicine Alumni Council Award for Meritorious Achievement in 1990 and was promoted to Professor emeritus in 1994.

Merle served as a role model for medical students and as a mentor to Family Medicine residents.  He brought wisdom and maturity to the faculty, and served as a senior statesman and liaison to the community.  Merle loved family medicine and left the legacy of an educator:  Scores of physicians who he helped teach now serve patients in Oregon and throughout the Northwest.  Dr. Pennington died on April 30, 1996.  

We honor Merle through continuing education programs and have established a fund to support the Pennington Lectures.  This program is designed to increase the ability of family physicians to deal with common problems in Family Medicine.  We will continue to present varied topics of interest to family physicians. 

The 2012 Pennington Lectures were held Friday, Sept. 7, in the Kirk Auditorium of the OHSU Center for Health and Healing, South Waterfront Campus.  For more information please contact  John Saultz, MD, or Coelleda O'Neil.