Sears, H. J.

Dr. Harry J. 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 2.5 years as the director of the Berkeley, California, City Health Laboratory before he came to Portland. He was the only bacteriologist in Oregon state when he arrived in Portland. He began as professor for the University of Oregon 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. 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 retired in 1956 after serving as the head of the bacteriology department for 38 years. He died at the age of 77 on October 27, 1962.