Information About Wilford Edison Park M.D.
Prepared November 1971


Education and Experience

Elementary education in Public School at Fair Ground, Ontario.

September 1915 to June 1918, high school at Vienna, Ontario. Graduated from high school at age of 17.

June 1918 to September 1921. Working with father on the farm at Fair Ground, Ontario.

September 1921 entered the University of Toronto for the study of medicine with the handicap of three years of high school instead of four as was required at that time. Thus became a member of the first class to enroll in the six year course of medicine and premedicine at the University of Toronto. Another handicap was only enough help from home to finance half of the first year and no prospects of further help. Wilford E. Park borrowed enough to finish the first year on his own security enabling him to devote full time to studies instead of taking a part time job.

During the five summer vacations of the next five years Wilford E. Park sold "Wear Ever" Aluminum Cooking Utensils to housewives so successfully that sufficient earnings were acquired to repay the original loan and to finance all subsequent university years and the year of hospital internship, without having to take on additional work, even though the hospital internship was entirely without financial remuneration. During the summers of 1925 and 1926 Wilford E. Park held the distinction of being the company's leading door-to-door salesman of "Wear Ever" cooking utensils in the whole of Canada.


Diplomas, Degrees, Certificates, Further Education, etc.

In 1925 elected to membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Academic standing at the end of the fifth year was A in every one of the eight subjects with an average of over 75% and passed eighth in the class with honors.

June 9, 1927, graduated with degree of M.B. with honors, third in the class at University of Toronto, Canada. The M.B. degree was changed to M.D. April 12, 1940 without further examination.

Passed the examination of Medical Council of Canada on July 6, 1927, and was registered and licensed to practice in Ontario in 1927.

1938 to l940 while in private practice took some postgraduate studies toward F.R.C.P. (Canada) - not completed.

1945 - Two months studies at Univ. of Toronto in techniques of laboratory hematology and biochemistry, and a course in reading electrocardiograms.

May l949 took course No. 8, American College Physicians in Philadelphia on "Physiological Basis for Internal Medicine."

September l950 and February l951 wrote divided examinations of National Board of the United States of America, Part I, Part II in April 1951, and Part III in July 1951. On July 11, 1951 became a Diplomate of the National Board having attained an average of 79.6% in the 17 examinations taken.

November 9, 1951 granted license to practice in Minnesota and on April 22, 1952 licensed to practice in California.

In 1955 Dr. Park was certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine as a Specialist in Occupational Medicine.


Experience

July 1, 1927 to May 1928 rotating interne at Toronto General Hospital. May 1928 to April 30, 1929 ill with rheumatic fever.

May 1, 1929 to March 31, 1930 employed by Drs. Alexander and McLeod and assigned to Brownsville, Ontario. Then after purchasing the practice continued in private general practice at Brownsville, Ontario until January 31, l942. Also was part time Health Officer for Dereham Township from January 1, 1935 until January 31, 1942.

February 1, 1942 to May 31, 1945 employed at Pickering Shell Filling Plant at Ajax, Ontario by Defense Industries, Ltd. While there the following titles applied -- Shift Doctor from February 1, 1942 to May 31, 1942; Works Doctor Assigned to T.N.T. from June 1, 1942 to June 31, 1943; Assistant Medical Director and Superintendent of Toxicology and Medical Research from July 1, 1943 to May 31, 1945 and for the same period Health Officer for the town of Ajax, Ontario. In May 1945 Dr. Park was chosen by Defense Industries, Ltd. from all of their medical staff in Canada to become Director of Health Services at Canada's Atomic Energy Plant being built at Chalk River, Ontario.

June 1, 1945 to December 31, 1949 full time in charge of Health Services at Canada's Atomic Energy Project at Chalk River, Ontario. While there the following titles were applied to the same position:

June 1, 1945 to January 31, 1947 - Works Chief Medical Officer, N.R.X. project. (During this time the plant was being built and operated by Defense Industries Ltd.)

On February 1, 1947 the project was turned over to the National Research Council.

February 1, 1947 to April 7, 1949 - Director Health Division, Atomic Energy Project, National Research Council of Canada.

April 7, 1949 to December 31, 1949 - Chief of Medical Services, Atomic Energy Project.

June 1, 1945 to December 31, 1949 - Part time Medical Officer of Health, assigned to Atomic Energy Project at Chalk River, Ontario and Deep River, Ontario.

The work at Chalk River included such things as: Planning of the Plant Hospital, hiring staff and operation of the hospital and supervision of all health services; industrial hygiene at the plant, which included hiring and supervision of the Health Radiation staff (called Health Physics in the United States); planning and staffing of a small general hospital and Doctors and Dentists Clinic for the town of Deep River, where the scientists and their families lived and continued supervision of same. Well developed laboratories for hematology and biochemistry were included. Total health service staff was seventy. Also included in duties was the development and operation of an employee non-occupational medical service plan, and the usual duties of a local Health Officer.

In late 1949 Dr. Park resigned his position at Chalk River, Ontario, Canada, to move to Minnesota and become Director of the Division of Industrial Health in the Minnesota Department of Health.

January 16, 1950 to April 23, 1952, Dr, Park was Director Division of Industrial Health, Minnesota Department of Health. At the end of this time Dr. Park transferred to the Minneapolis Health Department to develop an Industrial Health Program in the Minneapolis Health Department.

May 1, 1952 to March 31, 1971, Dr. Park served the Minneapolis Health Department full time, originally as Chief Occupational Health Service and later, as responsibilities expanded, as Director, Adult Health. In the early years of this service and after March 27, 1966 Dr. Park's salary was paid by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Since March 27, 1971, Dr. Park has been on part time salary paid by the Minnesota Department of Health with responsibilities largely reduced to those of Consultant to the Nursing Home Program in the Minneapolis Health Department.

As Director of the Bureau of Adult Health in the Minneapolis Health Department Dr. Park carried responsibilities for the Occupational Health Service, the Nursing Home Surveillance Program, administration of the Minneapolis Health Department's responsibilities in respect to Civil Defense, direction of the 3-1/2 year Demonstration Project entitled "Promotion of Active Nursing Care at Home, in Nursing Homes and Other Institutions" and direction of the five year project entitled "Active Care Satellite Project." These two projects were supported by U.S. Public Health Service funds.

During the years from 1950 to 1969 Dr. Park was listed as a lecturer on the faculty of the School of Public Health, College of Medical Sciences of the University of Minnesota. On the 20th day of May 1969 Dr. Park was presented with a Certificate of Merit by the Board of Regents for his 19 years of service to the University.

Since 1950 Dr. Park has served as a Consultant to the Tuberculosis and Health Association of Hennepin County and its successor Respiratory Disease Association of Hennepin County.

Dr. Park was one of the founders of the Minnesota Academy of Occupational Medicine and Surgery and served as the President of the Academy during its first ycar 1953-54.


Status in Relation to Professional Organizations

Fellow Industrial Medical Association
Fellow American College of Preventive Medicine
Member Academy of Medicine,Toronto
Member American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
Member Minnesota State Medical Association
Member Hennepin County Medical Society
Member American Association of Public Health Physicians
Member Minnesota Public Health Association
Member American Public Health Association
Member National Rehabilitation Association
Member Minnesota Academy of Occupational Medicine and Surgery

Formerly Member Canadian Medical Association
Formerly Member Ontario Medical Association
Formerly Member American Medical Association
Formerly Member Middle States Public Health Association
Formerly Member Minnesota Welfare Association
Formerly Member Central States Society of Industrial Medicine and Surgery


Record of Relationships with State, County and City Organizations

Appointed by Governor Orville L. Freeman to the Minnesota Interim Commission on Alcoholism in February 1956.

Member of Executive Committee of Upper Midwest Foundation on Problem Drinking 1955.

Member Industrial Health Committee of Minnesota State Medical Association for many years.

Member Industrial Health Committee of Hennepin County Medical Society for many years.

Member of Mayor's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped and its successor, the Minneapolis Area Council on Employment of the Handicapped, for a total of about 18 years.

Member Hennepin County Medical Society's Advisory Committee on Nursing Homes.

Member Hennepin County Medical Society's Advisory Committee to Visiting Nurse Service.

Member Hennepin County Medical Society's Committee on Aging.

Member Mayor's Committee on Drug Addiction Problems.

Member Advisory Committee for the Physical Therapy Assistants Course at St. Mary's Junior College.

Member Advisory Committee on Occupational Therapy Assistants Course at Anoka Technical Education Center.

Member Health Committee, Governor's Council on Aging.

In 1960 member Governor's Committee on Classification of Health and Congregate Care Facilities for the Aged and Infirm.

Member of the Advisory Committee to the Project Studying Health Needs of the Homebound.

Member Smoking Education Committee of the Respiratory Disease Associ ation of Hennepin County.

Member of Minneapolis Society for the Blind's Study Committee on Housing for the Blind.

Sometime member of the following Committees of the Community Health and Welfare Council --

(a) Community Health Committee
(b) Committee on Alcoholism
(c) Home Care Services Committee
(d) Study Committee on Minneapolis Home for the Blind
(e) Study Committee on Health Needs of the Aging
      (1) Subcommittee on Nursing Home Services
      (2) Subcommittee on Leisure Time Services for Nursing Homes
(f) Economic Opportunity Committee
      (1) Task Force on Health and Rehabilitation
Member Advisory Committee for Administrators Course at Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.

1970 Member Restoration and Maintenance Coordinating Committee engaged in Planning a New Health Care System for Hennepin County (Hennepin County General Hospital).


Listings in Marquis Who's Who Publications

Listed in the Directory of Medical Specialists

Listed in Who's Who in the Midwest

Listed in Who's Important in Medicine


Post-retirement Information

Dr. Park continued as Director of Adult Health on a part-time basis on assignment to the Minneapolis Health Department, until his resignation and retirement on October 13, 1972 for health reasons.

In January 1973, Dr. Park and his wife Dr. Evelyn Hartman Park moved from their home at 3556 Edmund Blvd., Minneapolis to their new home at 1309 Campbell Ave., Prescott, Arizona.

On retirement Dr. Park resigned his responsibilities for committee work in the many organizations he participated in while in Minnesota.


In 1973 Dr. Park was made for life:

1) An Associate Member of Hennepin County Medical Society

2) An Associate Member of the Minnesota State Medical Association

3) A non-dues paying Member of the American Medical Association

4) An Honorary Member of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

5) An Emeritus Member of the Industrial Medical Association

6) An Emeritus Member of the Minnesota Academy of Occupational Medicine and Surgery

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