Charles M. Grossman papers

Charles M. Grossman was born in Harrison, New Jersey on December 23, 1914. He attended the City College of New York and New York University, and interned at Yale University. He was appointment to the teaching staff of New York University on June 1, 1940 with the title Christian A. Herter Fellow in Medicine. In 1944, Grossman moved west to practice at Kaiser Hospital. He lived in the hills above Linnton and researched at the University of Portland for more than 21 years.

Grossman also served as an Instructor at the University of Oregon Medical School; his appointment as Clinical Instructor in Medicine at UOMS came on October 10, 1947. He moved to Portland from Vancouver in 1950 with his family, consisting of late wife Helen "Frosty" Frost and their two children, Peter and Lindsay. His medical career has seen him involved in medical cases such as first use of Penicillin clinically, mushroom poisoning, and blood work leading to patents on an early dialysis machine.

Dr. Grossman wedded a medical career with one of social activism. He worked on a wide variety of labor, social, and community health issues. After 1980, he became a co-organizer of the Portland chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. In this capacity, he took a leading role in establishing contacts in Europe and China during the days of detente. He helped organize multiple tours to China and North Korea (DPRK) and was essential in facilitating medical and nursing exchange programs between East and West. His work in getting the attendance of Chinese medical representatives in international meetings earned him the Schweitzer Prize in 1989. Grossman also helped document the health effects of radiation released from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation during the 1940s. He published over 30 scientific articles in his lifetime and even marched and spoke out against the Vietnam War. He died on July 17, 2013.

Medical practice: Private practice downtown Portland – internal medicine specialist; Instructor in Medicine – Yale University; Teaching staff, NYU (1940); Kaiser-Permanente (1944); Assistant in Physiology – Loma Linda; Clinical Instructor, University of Oregon Medical School (1947); Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, University of Portland (1959-1980); Staff – Holladay Park Hospital (1947-1993); Staff – Good Samaritan (1970 -2013).

Honors: Citizen of the Year, Portland Oregon - Oregon Social Workers Association, 1980; Albert Schweitzer Peace Achievement Award – International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Hiroshima, Japan, Summer 1989; Peace Ambassador, People's Republic of China, 2012.

Memberships: Albina Committee for the War on Poverty; American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Federation for Clinical Research; City Club of Portland; Evans F. Carlson Friends of China; Interagency Welfare Crises Committee (Chairman, 1969-1981); International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW); Linnton Community Center (President for 6 years and served on Board of Directors); Multnomah County Welfare Advisory Committee (Vice Chairman); Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) (President, Oregon Chapter); Portland Academy of Medicine; U.S.-China People's Friendship Association; Western Society for Clinical Research; Women's International League for Peace and Freedom