Archives West Finding Aid

Until his retirement in 1956, Harry J. Sears was first chair and professor in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Oregon Medical School. He was the only bacteriologist in the State when he arrived in Portland from Berkeley, California. He began as professor for the medical school when it was still located at 23rd and Lovejoy Streets in 1919, where he organized its first department of bacteriology. He was among the first small contingent of faculty at the school where he was an instructor in both bacteriology and chemistry. It was said that, "He was one of our great pioneers." He authored and published 30 professional papers. In his early days, he was among the people who sought to find the causes and treatments for influenza, typhoid, paratyphoid and diphtheria. He also helped to establish the state civil service merit system of examinations and was first director of the merit system. Dr. Sears was born in Daviess County, Missouri,where he attended a one room grade school. He received a B.A. in 1911, and an M.A. in 1912, both from Stanford University. He stayed on to obtain a Ph.D. in 1916. He spent 2 ½ years as the director of the Berkeley, California, City Health Laboratory before he came to Portland. He paid for his education cleaning bricks from the earthquake- damaged buildings on campus, washing dishes and working on a railroad construction crew. He married Huldah Meyer of Palo Alto, California, with whom he had two daughters, Elizabeth and Joan; and two sons, Thomas and David.

His daughter Elizabeth Sears Hall (b. June 1,1918) set down her short biography in 2002, and it is included in the collection. Greg Howell, the donor, is the grandson of Sear's eldest daughter Elizabeth.