Medical Research Building, OHSU

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Medical Research Building, completed in 1962, is a nine-story building dedicated to research activities on the Marquam Hill campus. The facility includes laboratory, learning and administrative space. The building does not have an entrance of its own, and instead is connected to the Vollum Institute, Mackenzie Hall, and Lanfrom Biomedical Research Building.

Images

Exterior of the Medical Research Building, circa 1960s.

Black and white photograph showing the tall, modernist brick exterior of the Medical Research Building on the Marquam Hill campus of the University of Oregon Medical School.

Architectural rendering of the Medical Research Building, circa 1960.

An architectural rendering depicts a tall modern building with nine stories against a backdrop of campus lawn and greenery. The bottom text reads "Medical Resarch Laboratories Building. University of Oregon Medical School. Portland, OR. Burns Bearn McNeil & Schneider architects.

Medical Research Building construction, circa 1960.

Black and white photograph showing construction of the Medical Research Building on the Marquam Hill campus of the University of Oregon Medical School. A crane and excavated earth are visible on a hillside with trees in the background.

Medical Research Building sign being placed, 1962.

Black and white photograph shows one person handing another the metal letter "D" as they put up the building sign reading "University of Oregon Medical School Medical Research Building"

Visitors viewing demonstration at the Medical Research Building open house, 1962.

Black and white photograph of a physician giving a demonstration of a surgical team operating environment to a crowd of people. View includes models, staged demonstration area and a "Surgical Scrub Technician."

Charles Dotter, M.D., giving demonstration to visitors during the Medical Research Building open house, 1962.

Black and white photograph of Charles T. Dotter, M.D. showing images on a large metal machine to visitors. Includes view of two people in medical uniforms.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Medical Research Building was completed in 1962. Funds for initial planning of the building were provided by the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon. In 1957, the National Institutes of Health approved a grant for $1.2 million, and the Oregon State Legislature allocated matching funds in 1960, furnishing the funds for the completion of the building.

The nine-story structure, designed by the Burns, Bear, McNeil & Schneider architecture group, was inspected and accepted by members of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education in October 1962. In November 1962, an open house was held for the public, press, government officials and scientists to tour the $2.5 million, nine-story research center. Visitors toured the new spaces, with research faculty and staff on hand to describe and demonstrate the activities made possible by the new building.

Upon opening, the building included laboratory and research quarters for every department in the medical school except for bacteriology, otolaryngology, and pharmacology, all of whom had research space elsewhere on campus.

Sources

"Facilities Expanded with New Medical Research Building." Oregonian (Portland, Oregon), November 28, 1962: 18. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.

Subject File: Medical Research Building. Historical Collections & Archives, OHSU Library.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

OHSU Digital Collections, https://doi.org/10.6083/M4WM1BXQ

Historical Image Collection: Medical Research Building. Historical Collections & Archives, OHSU Library.

OHSU Digital Collections, https://doi.org/10.6083/M469725H