George F. Odland Chair in Dermatology

Est. 1989

The George F. Odland Chair in Dermatology was named after Dr. George F. Odland, who was born in 1922 in Minneapolis, Minn. His father, Dr. Henry Odland, moved the family to Seattle in 1925 and opened a practice in dermatology, becoming one of Seattle’s first dermatologists.

George Odland attended Lakeside High School, then Princeton University, and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1946. While interning at Massachusetts General Hospital, he also was a research fellow in anatomy at Harvard University, where he pioneered histochemical techniques. Subsequently, Dr. Odland accepted a research fellowship in dermatology at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital.

After returning to Seattle in 1955, Dr. Odland joined his father’s practice in dermatology. Soon after, he also became a member of the clinical faculty in anatomy and medicine (dermatology) at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Following the untimely death of Dr. Jim Case in 1962, Dr. Odland was appointed by Dr. Robert H. Williams as head of the newly formed Division of Dermatology. Dr. Odland served in that post for more than 25 years, and he built a dermatology program that is nationally recognized for the priority given to investigation of cutaneous biology and anatomy.

Dr. Odland retired as the head of Division of Dermatology in June 1988. In recognition of his outstanding leadership, the Carl J. Herzog Foundation, Inc., and other friends and colleagues established the George F. Odland Endowed Chair in Dermatology in 1989 to enable the division to preserve and build on the accomplishments made during Dr. Odland’s tenure as division head. Dr. Odland passed away in November 1997.

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