DeNorval Unthank (December 14, 1899 – September 20, 1977) was an American physician and

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

activist in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. Unthank was one of the first black doctors in Oregon and the only black physician operating in Portland during the 1930s. He became the first black member of the City Club of Portland in 1943, and co-founded the

Urban League of Portland The Urban League of Portland is a service, civil rights, and advocacy organization for African Americans in the Pacific Northwest region. Today, the League is a non-profit, community-based organization committed to providing opportunities and suppo ...

in 1945.

Biography

Early life and education

Unthank was born December 14, 1899 in

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The city has a population of 125,845 as of the 2020 United ...

. He had seven siblings, and his mother died when he was nine. Unable to support him, his father sent him to live with his aunt and uncle in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

. Unthank attended the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, and later transferred to the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, where he graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree. He later received his medical degree from

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

in 1926.

Career

Unthank moved to the all-white neighborhood of Westmoreland in

in 1929. Unthank's family was harassed with threatening phone calls and repeatedly had rocks thrown through the windows of their home, forcing them to move four times before they were able to settle. Unthank was the only Black physician operating in Portland during the 1930s. He became the first Black member of the City Club of Portland in 1943. Unthank cofounded the

in 1945, and served as president of the Portland

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

chapter. Unthank moved with his family to the Irvington neighborhood in 1952. He was named Oregon Doctor of the Year in 1958. Four years later, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Portland Chapter of the

National Conference of Christians and Jews The National Conference for Community and Justice is an American social justice organization focused on fighting biases and promoting understanding between people of different races and cultures. The organization was founded in 1927 as the Natio ...

. Unthank retired from medical practice in 1970, and served as a medical consultant for the Oregon Workmen's Compensation Board from 1970 until 1976. He died on September 20, 1977.

Personal life

Unthank and his wife, Thelma Shipman, had five children: DeNorval Jr. (1929–2000), Thomas, James (1938–2018), Thelma (1940–2009), and Lesley. Unthank was a member of

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved int ...

fraternity.

Legacy

DeNorval Unthank Park, in the neighborhood of

Boise Boise (, , ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and north of the Nevada border. The downtown area' ...

, was dedicated to him in 1969. A rededication ceremony was held in 2011. Other namesakes include Unthank Plaza, a senior living facility, and the DeNorval Unthank Health Clinic, also in the Boise neighborhood.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Unthank, DeNorval 1899 births 1977 deaths 20th-century African-American people Activists for African-American civil rights Activists from Allentown, Pennsylvania Activists from Portland, Oregon African-American history in Portland, Oregon African-American physicians Howard University alumni NAACP activists People from Kansas City, Missouri Physicians from Portland, Oregon University of Kansas alumni University of Michigan alumni