Gordon B. Leitch papers, 1935-1976

Canadian-born Gordon B. Leitch (M.Sci., M.D). got a B.S. at the U. of Saskatchewan, where he advocated the addition of a Medical College to the University there, and worked on the student and local newspapers. This led to a long career of involvement of the medico-political struggles of the day. He moved to Oregon for his medical education at UOMS, graduating as M.D. (1926). After graduation he spent a year as an Intern in China with the Rockefeller Foundation at the Peking Union Medical College (1926-27). Among other things, this led to his writing a book on "Chinese Rugs" (1935). He then pursued more study and experience in Europe prior to returning home.

He dabbled in politics with a run for a local school board seat (1942); but his career seemed focused on what he called an "extensive period of participation in medical association public policy committee affairs", in which he took a staunch conservative stand against any type of Socialized Medicine. His fears seemed well-founded to him when the Federal government instituted a major Conspiracy and Anti-trust suit against the Oregon Medical Association, local medical societies and local individual physicians (1949).

He also served as a columnist and editor of "Northwest Medicine" in the 1950s.

In his non-medical career he was a passionate yachtsman, and was founding President of the Columbia River Yachting Association. He wrote an article for Pacific Motor Boat (October 1936), "The 'CRODS' Trip to Bonneville".

His son Gordon Jr. followed in his father's medical and political footsteps; graduating from Johns Hopkins as an Ophthalmologist, and running for the U.S. Senate.