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Mitchell Heinemann Jr. ’41

When Mitchell grew up in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Portland, it was home to many of the founding, principal officers of the Jantzen Knitting Mills, including his father. He graduated from Benson Polytechnic and attended both the Oregon State University and the University of Portland before transferring to Reed, where he majored in biology, writing his thesis, Various Factors Affecting the Acetylcholine Inhibition of the Heart of Ariolimax Columbianus, with Prof. Demorest Davenport [biology 1938–44]. He graduated a doctor of medicine from the Oregon Medical School (now Oregon Health & Science University). After serving an internship at the Multnomah County Hospital, he entered the armed services and was chief of the laboratory, chief of surgical service, and chief of the medical service at Camp McQuaide, California.

Mitchell returned to Oregon in 1947 and entered general practice in Milton-Freewater, but after working for several years decided he wanted to specialize in the field of pathology. He spent the next four years in various hospital residencies in Portland, New York, and San Diego. Certified in the specialties of anatomical and clinical pathology, his first position was as associate pathologist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, where he became director of the laboratory. He retired from active practice in 1969 and with his family moved to Spain for a year and a half, traveling all over Europe.

Mitchell loved carpentry and built or remodeled many houses. His wife, Elaine, survives him, as do his children, Mitchell Heinemann III, Shirley Heinemann, Ronald Heinemann, Lamont Wilson, Bradley Wallingford, Deborah Wiley, Joseph Heinemann, and Julie Strader.

Appeared in Reed magazine: December 2016

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