Archives West Finding Aid

Virgil MacMickle

Virgil MacMickle was born in 1887 and graduated from Stanhope High School in Stanhope, New Jersey. He earned a degree from the American School of Naturopathy in New York City in 1913. In January of 1914 he received a degree of Doctor of Psycultopathy (a term roughly synonymous with Naturopathy) from Macfadden College of Psycultopathy in Chicago, Illinois.

In March, 1914, MacMickle started a practice in Portland, Oregon, and joined the Oregon Naturopathic Association two years later. In 1921, during a trip to the East Coast, he studied psychotherapy under Andre Tridon, while looking for a publisher for his book, Eat and Be Healthy. In 1923, Universal Press of Chicago published the work, which was eventually distributed to both Britain and the United States.

In 1927, MacMickle was appointed to the naturopathy examining board by Governor I. L. Patterson, and re-appointed by Governor Julius L. Meier in 1931.

In the mid-l930s, a radio program on Portland station KWJJ featured Dr. MacMickle speaking primarily about medicine and politics. Because of both his assertive attack on the fascist elements in our own government and the sensitivity of the government to such talk, the Federal Communications Commission attempted to take him and his show off the air. MacMickle revealed this to his many faithful listeners and urged them to write to the station. Many immediately replied and expressed their desire to see MacMickle's freedom of speech insured.

On May 12, 1941, Dr. MacMickle testified for the defense in the deportation hearing for labor union leader Harry Bridges. During cross-examination the prosecution made attempts to discredit Dr. MacMickle by the use of sensitive questions about MacMickle's political views. All was denied by MacMickle, but in the process he revealed information that raised some doubt about his academic credentials. As a result, on May 16 of that year, Governor Sprague ordered an investigation into how MacMickle attained his degrees, stressing that the investigation was not an attack on MacMickle's political views. The next day MacMickle requested a hearing. Neither the investigation nor the hearing produced anything to impeach MacMickle's good record or his good standing within the professional community.

Virgil MacMickle spent time in the business world as well, running a company named Pacific Silica and succeeding the deceased George W. Holcomb as Vice President of the Holcomb-Dixon Company. While with Pacific Silica he found himself under investigation once again, this time for allegedly misusing stockholders' funds. He was acquitted of this charge on May 3, 1954.

From 1949 to 1952 MacMickle was professor and Dean of the School of Naturopathy at Western States College in Portland, and throughout his career he spent time in various high positions for the Oregon Naturopathic Association. He spent the latter part of his career doing research for legal cases for which he would provide expert testimony.

Dr. MacMickle lived the remainder of his life in Lake Oswego, Oregon. He died about 1975.

George W. Holcomb

George W. Holcomb was born April 8, 1867 in Windsorlocks, Connecticut. In 1878, he and his family moved to Oregon and settled on a farm at Jennings Lodge.

Holcomb started working for Oregon Packing Company in 1889 and, by 1910, worked his way up to president of the company, which eventually became the largest in the Northwest.

Interested in mining and other business ventures, Holcomb went into real estate operations. His various projects included such companies as Atomite, Century Land Company, and Diatomite, which was seized by the government for unpaid taxes in 1931. He also served as Vice President of the Holcomb-Dixon Company until his death.

Holcomb, a strong believer in states' rights, wrote various manuscripts on politics, including A Solution of a Problem in the Science of Government. A Democrat, he was elected as an Oregon State Representative in 1900.

Holcomb was a member of Portland Lodge Number 55 AF and AM and Al Kader Temple of the Shrine.

He died April 9, 1949, at the age of 82.