Occupation Physician Spouse(s) Thelma Shipman | Years active 1926–1970 Children 5 | |
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Born December 14, 1899 ( 1899-12-14 ) Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States Died 20 September 1977, Portland, Oregon, United States | ||
DeNorval Unthank (December 14, 1899 – September 20, 1977) was an American physician and civil rights activist in Portland, Oregon. Unthank was the only black physician operating in Portland during the 1930s, became the first black member of the City Club of Portland in 1943, and co-founded the Portland chapter of the National Urban League in 1945.
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Biography
Unthank was born in 1899 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 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. Unthank attended the University of Michigan, and later transferred to the University of Kansas where he graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts degree. He later received his medical degree from Howard University in 1926. Unthank moved to Portland in 1929, into the all-white neighborhood of Westmoreland. His family was later forced to leave Westmoreland by the residents of the area, and moved 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 co-founded the Portland chapter of the National Urban League in 1945, and served as president of the Portland NAACP chapter. Unthank moved with his family to the Irvington neighborhood in 1952. He was named Oregon Doctor of the Year in 1958.
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), James, Lesley, Thelma (1940–2009), and Thomas.
Legacy
DeNorval Unthank Park (formerly Kirby Park), in the neighborhood of Boise, was dedicated to him in 1969. A rededication ceremony was held in 2011.