This is the story of the Oregon Health & Science University, or rather several stories, as OHSU is a complex institution, with convergent histories. It is a story of healing: of the hospitals, clinics, and centers of OHSU and the people they serve across Oregon and beyond. It is a story of teaching: of the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Nursing, and the many other academic programs of OHSU, past and present.  And it is a story of discovery: of the OHSU faculty, researchers, scientists, and alumni, who have changed health care and medicine in the state, the country, and the world. What began as a tiny medical school in Northwest Portland has evolved into a multi-faceted institution that includes an academic health center, a nationally prominent research center, and a resource for Oregonians’ health. This exhibit tells some of the many stories that built the foundation of OHSU and laid the framework for the institution as it looks towards the future.

Acknowledgements

The text from this exhibit is based on Reflections on Yesterday: OHSU School of Medicine History and “OHSU: 125 Years of Healing, Teaching and Discovery” a 2013 exhibit curated by Morgen Young for the Oregon Historical Society. Laura Cray provided additional research, writing, editing and exhibit design. Last updated 2015.

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