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Office of President Peter Kohler records, 1968-2012

Overview of the Collection

Title
Office of President Peter Kohler records
Dates
1968-2012 (inclusive)
1991-2007 (bulk)
Quantity
137 linear feet, (114 boxes (with roughly 1500 35mm slides))
Collection Number
2010-014
Summary
Dr. Peter Kohler was president of OHSU from 1988 to 2006, and led the school through a time of radical institutional change. This collection houses the records of Dr. Kohler's administration.
Repository
Oregon Health & Science University, Historical Collections & Archives
OHSU Historical Collections & Archives
Oregon Health & Science University
3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. MC:LIB
Portland, OR
97239
Telephone: 5034945587
hcaref@ohsu.edu
Access Restrictions

Some materials in this collection may be restricted due to the presence of protected health information (PHI) or other confidential information. Please contact Historical Collections & Archives for more details regarding access.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Dr. Peter Kohler was president of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) from 1988 to 2006, and led the school through a time of radical institutional change. An endocrinologist, he began his career at the National Institutes of Health before returning to academia, eventually becoming Dean of the Medical School of the University of Texas before his selection for the OHSU presidency. During his tenure, OHSU doubled in size and transitioned from a state agency to a public corporation; its research funding increased from $40 million to $274 million per year. It also began its expansion into a secondary campus on Portland's South Waterfront, a project which transformed the Homestead neighborhood and gave rise to the iconic, controversial Portland Aerial Tram.

Lois L. Davis joined OHSU in 1987 for a 23-year career, ending as Vice President (VP) for both Marketing and Public Affairs from 1999 to 2009. Kathi Foisie was VP for Finance and Administration from 2002 to 2009. Bradley N. King first arrived at OHSU in 2004, and was officially confirmed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), serving from 2005 to 2009. Robert D. Koler, a geneticist, created the Division and, later, Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, which he led from 1981 to 1987. He also served as Interim VP, and then Associate VP, for Academic Affairs starting in 1988. George H. Mason was a Senior Communications Specialist with Public Affairs and News and Publications from around 2006 to 2008. James B. Walker served from 1984 to 2002 in various roles, including CFO of University Hospitals and Clinics, VP for Finance, and Executive VP for Finance and Administration. From 2009 to 2010, he returned as Interim CFO, replacing Bradley King.

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Content Description

The Office of President Peter Kohler records houses the records of Dr. Kohler's administration. The collection, which dates from 1950 to 2012, consists of correspondence, internal and external publications, board meeting books, and presentation materials. It tells the story of OHSU's rise and expansion during the 1990s and 2000s, as well as the story of Dr. Kohler's corporate and charitable activities. The collection is broad-ranging, encompassing extensive documentation of the OHSU and OHSU Foundation boards, planning for the South Waterfront and Aerial Tram projects, personnel and labor relations, and relationships with the powerful governmental figures – most prominently Mark O. Hatfield – who made OHSU's rapid evolution possible.

This collection is not about Dr. Kohler personally, or the day-to-day workings of his office, so much as it is about what his administration thought was important: infrastructure, leadership, positive relationships with the public, ensuring OHSU's financial health, and communicating these goals internally and externally. It's a panoramic look into the history of corporatized medicine in Oregon, and will interest OHSU employees looking for precedent and guidance, as well as external researchers curious about OHSU's physical and philosophical progression.

The Administration series (1974-2007) is the largest and most diverse. It contains administrative correspondence, interactions with various executives and deans, accreditation planning, strategic planning and facilities matters (including substantial documentation of the South Waterfront project and the Portland Aerial Tram). This series also houses multiple publications during the Kohler presidency, including both OHSU articles and clippings as well as statewide.

The Departmental files series (1991-2006) contains the administrative documentation and paperwork surrounding different departments that were a part of the OHSU institution as a whole. Most OHSU departments have folders within this section, the largest of which are the Oregon National Primate Research Center, School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, and the School of Nursing.

The Partnerships series (1991-2010) concerns OHSU's relationships with other institutions, mainly those in which Dr. Kohler was directly involved: corporate boards of which he was a member, and nonprofit work with organizations like the Urban League. This series also contains substantial material on OHSU's work with the Salvation Army to create an infirmary for homeless Portlanders, and on the Area Health Education Centers for improved rural health in Oregon.

The Boards and Foundations series (1991-2008) concerns internal OHSU boards – the OHSU Board of Directors, OHSU Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as the boards of the Medical Research Foundation (predecessor to the OHSU Foundation), Doernbecher Foundation, and others.

The Events series (1991-2007) consists mainly of speeches and presentations given by Dr. Kohler; some have full text, others consist only of slides and overheads. It also contains some material on other events, such as tours.

The Faculty Senate series (1968-2010) is a survey of Faculty Senate documents, including agendas, minutes, attendance sheets, elections, awards and ceremonies, and material related to the Inter-Institutional Faculty Senate, which encompasses several Oregon universities.

The Government Relations and Legislation series (1975-2007) contains materials on issues that directly impacted the University. This section contains information about specific House and Senate bills, generally at the state level, and promotional materials around the impact of these bills on OHSU. This includes bills related to medical and hospital laws and procedures, the privatization of OHSU, legislation surrounding educational and university practices, and financial legislation. A large part of this series is communication around legislation, both within the University and with various people in government.

The Financial series (1991-2012) contains financial documents, including budgets, financial statements with auditors' reports, material related to the Measure 5 task force, and a number of funds flow analyses for different departments in fiscal year 2002.

The Personnel series (1990-2006) contains materials surrounding various issues and planning that affected faculty and staff at OHSU. This is a small series and mostly details items of affirmative action, committees, faculty planning, human recourses, and other planning that went on around personnel at the University.

The Slide series (1987-2000) consists of 35mm slides, created and used by Kohler for presentations. Topics covered include budget, planning and construction, physician workforce and medical education, and health insurance. Also included are assorted pictorial slides.

And finally, there are a number of series from individuals within Kohler's office, titled by each person's name. The series contain similar records to the above series, but focus more closely on the specific role(s) of each individual. For a bit more information on those people, please see the Biographical Note.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Office of President Peter Kohler records, Collection Number 2010-014, Oregon Health & Science University, Historical Collections & Archives

Restrictions on 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.

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Administrative Information

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Jaime Bogdash, Jeff Colby, and Isaac R. Fellman
2018

CC0

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