Bodemer, Charles W.

Charles W. Bodemer was born in Denison, Iowa, in 1927. He received a B.A. in zoology from Pomona College, and a Ph.D. in anatomy from Cornell University. While a member of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1944-1947, he was stationed in Japan, China, and the South Pacific.

Bodemer joined the faculty of the University of Washington in 1956. He began his career in the Department of Anatomy. In 1963 he became assistant dean of medicine, and in 1965 he became an associate dean. Bodemer's greatest contribution to the University of Washington came from his work with the UW School of Medicine's Department of Biomedical History, which he founded in 1967 and chaired until his death in 1985. He was considered a very fine lecturer and teacher, and was highly regarded as a speaker on the history of medicine. He was also a prolific writer, publishing over 50 books and many articles and papers.

Bodemer's academic and research interests ranged from medical history to cultural studies, and included art, music, literature, religion, law, and philosphy. He had a particular interest in the history of medicine in the Northwest region of the United States, and in the history and philosophy of traditional medicine in China. He spent time at Yenching University and studied oriental affairs at Claremont Graduate School. His other medical history interests included 17th- and 18th-century medicine, societal attitudes toward madness, reproductive medicine, and the history of surgery.

From the guide to the Charles W. Bodemer Papers, 1824-1984, (University of Washington Libraries Special Collections)