Hospital Auxiliaries

The Medical Faculty Auxiliary (MFA) of the School of Medicine at OHSU donated these materials in 1997, upon the 50th Anniversary of its creation. Long known (1947-85) as the "Faculty Wives Club" it has a long history of being both a social network for spouses and "significant others" of medical students and personnel and a source of fund-raising and volunteerism for various things not covered in budgets. The collection expands on those activities.

The concept of a hospital auxiliary organization has a long history in America. In 1752 the first such was created to help Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Hospital. Since then they have grown, centered on the twin pillars of charitable fundraising and volunteer service. The Woodland Park Hospital Auxiliary photograph collection provides an intimate glimpse into the people and actions of one such organization in a local Portland Hospital.