Dillehunt Hall, OHSU

Dillehunt Hall was constructed in 1926 as the original Doernbecher Memorial Hospital for Children. The facility was established by a donation from Ada Doenbecher Morse and her brother Edward Doernbecher in memory of their father, F.S. Doernbecher, and was the first children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest. It provided care for sick and disabled children and greatly enhanced pediatrics care and education at University of Oregon Medical School (now OHSU). In the 1950s, Oregon's population growth led the hospital to consolidate with the University Hospital (now OHSU Hospital), and the operations of Doernbecher Children's Hospital moved out of the building. In 1990, the university re-named the building, then used for outpatient clinics and laboratory space, in honor of former University of Oregon Medical School Dean, Richard Dillehunt. Today, many of OHSU's laboratories are located in Dillehunt Hall.

When Portland businessman Frank S. Doernbecher passed away, his will provided $200,000 for the benefit of the children of the state in any manner deemed acceptable by his executors, his adult children, Ada Doernbecher Morse and Edward M. Doernbecher. The Doernbecher family decided that a hospital for children would be the best allocation of the funds.

As several local news editorials noted, hospitals at the time were designed for treating adults. Most lacked play rooms and school rooms, which were needed in case of a child’s long term stay in the hospital. In addition, proponents believed that a dedicated children’s hospital would be better able to cultivate a more cheerful and bright atmosphere than the standard hospital setting.

The hospital’s cornerstone was laid in May 1925. Doernbecher Memorial Hospital for Children officially opened on July 30, 1926. At the time of its opening, the hospital offered 80 beds for patients. Children of Oregon-residing families who were unable to pay were welcomed there at no cost. Children whose families were able to pay all or part of their hospital expenses were also accepted. These families’ payments helped to defray the expenses of providing free care to those in need. Along with patient rooms, the six-story building included administrative offices, kitchens and dining rooms, four surgeries, a family room, and an outpatient clinic, managed by the Portland Junior League.

By the 1950s, Oregon's population had grown such that more space was needed for Doernbecher Children's Hospital. The facility moved to consolidate with the new University Hospital (now OHSU Hospital), which was completed in 1955 and contained two dedicated floors with 100 patient beds for pediatric care. Another free-standing Doernbecher facility was completed in 1998.

After Doernbecher moved out of the original building, renovations in 1957 converted its facilities into a mix of outpatient clinic space, teaching and clinical laboratories, and administrative offices.

"Castle on Marquam Hill is Fairy Tale for Sick Children." The Oregonian (Portland, OR), December 23, 1927: 2.

"Dilly: A Man to Remember." The Oregonian (Portland, OR), November 3, 1990: C06. NewsBank: Access World News – Historical and Current.

Putting Marquam Hill on the Map: Early Campus Memories, 1915-1932, June 2018. Historical Collections & Archives, OHSU Library. https://www.ohsu.edu/historical-collections-archives/putting-marquam-hill-map-early-campus-memories-1915-1932.

Subject file: Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Historical Collections & Archives, OHSU Library.

University of Oregon Medical School. What's Going On? At the University of Oregon Medical School, February 1957: 3. Historical Collections & Archives, OHSU Library.