Donald E. Pickering lab notebooks

Collection

Identifier: 2016-008

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of Dr. Pickering’s laboratory notebooks for a 1963 electron-microscope study of fetal bone development in rhesus macaques. The two notebooks contain pasted photographs as well as text; there is also a folder of raw notes. All materials date to 1963 except for an undated photocopy of book I. The material would be useful for researchers interested in the early years of the Primate Center and the history of pediatrics. Although Dr. Pickering obviously has a notable role in an interesting period of UOMS’s evolution, the collection is strictly research-related, and evidences his scientific work at the Primate Center during his short time there.

Dates

Creation: 1963, undated

Creator

Pickering, Donald E., 1923-2006 (Creator, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on access. This collection is open to the public.

Conditions Governing Use

OHSU Historical Collections & Archives (HC&A) is the owner of the original materials and digitized images in our collections, however, the collection may contain materials for which copyright is not held. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials. Consult with HC&A to determine if we can provide permission for use.

Biographical Note

Donald E. Pickering, M.D. (1923-2006) served at University of Oregon Medical School from 1957 to 1963 as Professor of Pediatrics and then, additionally, as the first director of the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center. He was born in Sacramento, California and earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1949. Initially he pursued an academic career; in addition to UOMS, he worked at UCSF, Tulane, and the University of Nevada. His tenure at the Primate Center was brief and marked by issues with management. In the early sixties, UOMS was well funded and rapidly growing, and it attracted strong and ambitious personalities. Dr. Pickering was one such person, and he quickly came into conflict with the dean at the time, Dr. David W. E. Baird, over issues of power, prestige, and money. A very public argument followed, with the Dean’s allies impugning Dr. Pickering’s personality and mental health. He eventually moved on to Tulane. Later, he went into private practice in Reno and Anchorage, before retiring to Seattle.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Donald E. Pickering, M.D. (1923-2006) served at University of Oregon Medical School from 1957 to 1963 as Professor of Pediatrics and then as the first director of the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center. The collection consists of Dr. Pickering’s laboratory notebooks for a 1963 electron-microscope study of fetal bone development in rhesus macaques.