William MacVane
Encyclopedia
William Leslie MacVane, Jr., M.D. (June 12, 1915 – August 1, 2010) was an American
surgeon
and politician
. MacVane assisted in the first open heart surgery
performed in Maine in 1959 and served as the mayor
of Portland, Maine
, for one term in 1971.
, to parents, Dr. William L. MacVane Sr. and Bertha May Achorn. He attended Hebron Academy
, a college preparatory school in Hebron, Maine
. MacVane's interest in medicine began in his teens, when he underwent a mastoidectomy. The doctors asked MacVane to accompany them on their rounds during his recovery.
MacVane went on to earn a bachelor's degree
from Williams College
in Massachusetts
and a medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
in Baltimore
.
. He was stationed in the Philippines
and Japan
during and after the war. MacVane was a recipient of the Bronze Star for performing "major surgery under adverse conditions."
After World War II, MacVane was honorably discharged from the Army in 1946 as a Major
. He returned to Maine, becoming the first surgical resident at Maine General Hospital in Portland. Additionally, MacVane became an attending surgeon at other hospitals in Maine, including Portland City Hospital, the Maine Medical Center, Mercy Hospital and Togus V.A. Hospital. He briefly left Maine for two years in the early 1950s. He worked as both a thoracic surgery resident at the V.A. Hospital in Oteen, North Carolina, and a thoracic surgery fellow at George Washington University Hospital
in Washington D.C. from 1953 until 1955.
He once again returned to Maine in 1955, where he practiced thoracic and general surgery
. He assisted Dr. Emerson Drake in Maine's first open heart surgery
, which was performed at Maine Medical Center in 1959. He continued to work as a thoracic surgeon and consultant
in hospitals throughout the state. MacVane also served on the executive committee of Mercy Hospital for eighteen years.
MacVane worked for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals for ten years after retiring from his surgical career. He surveyed and accredited hospitals throughout the United States
, the Middle East
and Europe
.
in 1967 representing the city's West End
neighborhood. He took office in 1968 and held the office until 1977. MacVane served as the largely ceremonial Mayor of Portland for one term, from 1970 to 1971.
He was also elected to the Portland School Board and served as a member of the Portland Transit Authority.
and the Portland YMCA
. He also headed or chaired the committees for the Portland Bicentennial Committee, the Portland Public Library and the Reiche School.
seniors badminton
doubles and singles championships in 1990. He continued to attend classes at the University of Southern Maine
's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute into his 90s. During his life, MacVane was a member of many Portland area organizations and societies, including Portland Rotary Club, the Masons
, the Western Maine Torch Club, the Cumberland Club, Sigma Phi Society and the Portland Yacht Club.
William MacVane died on August 1, 2010, at the age of 95. He was survived by three children from his 60-year marriage to his wife, Margaret MacVane: two daughters, Lesley MacVane and Margaret Murray and a son, Captain Forbes MacVane of the U.S. Navy. He was also survived by two children from his first marriage, William Harris and Patricia MacVane.
MacVane was the oldest living Mayor of Portland at the time of his death in 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. MacVane assisted in the first open heart surgery
Open Heart Surgery
Open Heart Surgery was released on August 8, 2000 by rock band Virginwool. The band signed to Breaking/Atlantic Records after initially beginning signed to Universal Records. The album was produced and mixed by Brad Wood....
performed in Maine in 1959 and served as the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, for one term in 1971.
Early life
MacVane was born on State Street in Portland, MainePortland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, to parents, Dr. William L. MacVane Sr. and Bertha May Achorn. He attended Hebron Academy
Hebron Academy
Hebron Academy, founded in 1804, is a small, independent, college preparatory boarding and day school for boys and girls in grades six through postgraduate.-History:...
, a college preparatory school in Hebron, Maine
Hebron, Maine
Hebron is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Hebron is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The town's history has always been interconnected with Hebron Academy, a co-ed college preparatory boarding school which is located in the town's...
. MacVane's interest in medicine began in his teens, when he underwent a mastoidectomy. The doctors asked MacVane to accompany them on their rounds during his recovery.
MacVane went on to earn a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and a medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., is the academic medical teaching and research arm of Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins has consistently been the nation's number one medical school in the amount of competitive research grants awarded by the National...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Surgical career
Following medical school, he was an intern and then assistant resident in surgery at Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore. During World War II, Dr. MacVane served as an Army Officer in the 61st Portable Surgical UnitPortable Surgical Hospital
Portable Surgical Hospitals were a type of field hospital. The PSH were units of the United States Army Medical Corps designed to be man-portable by the team manning the hospital...
. He was stationed in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during and after the war. MacVane was a recipient of the Bronze Star for performing "major surgery under adverse conditions."
After World War II, MacVane was honorably discharged from the Army in 1946 as a Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
. He returned to Maine, becoming the first surgical resident at Maine General Hospital in Portland. Additionally, MacVane became an attending surgeon at other hospitals in Maine, including Portland City Hospital, the Maine Medical Center, Mercy Hospital and Togus V.A. Hospital. He briefly left Maine for two years in the early 1950s. He worked as both a thoracic surgery resident at the V.A. Hospital in Oteen, North Carolina, and a thoracic surgery fellow at George Washington University Hospital
George Washington University Hospital
The George Washington University Hospital is a hospital in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It opened on On August 23, 2002, with 371 beds in a 400,000 sq. ft. building, housing than $45 million of medical equipment and cost more than $96 million to construct...
in Washington D.C. from 1953 until 1955.
He once again returned to Maine in 1955, where he practiced thoracic and general surgery
General surgery
General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...
. He assisted Dr. Emerson Drake in Maine's first open heart surgery
Open Heart Surgery
Open Heart Surgery was released on August 8, 2000 by rock band Virginwool. The band signed to Breaking/Atlantic Records after initially beginning signed to Universal Records. The album was produced and mixed by Brad Wood....
, which was performed at Maine Medical Center in 1959. He continued to work as a thoracic surgeon and consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
in hospitals throughout the state. MacVane also served on the executive committee of Mercy Hospital for eighteen years.
MacVane worked for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals for ten years after retiring from his surgical career. He surveyed and accredited hospitals throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Political career
William MacVane was elected to the Portland, Maine City CouncilPortland, Maine City Council
The Portland, Maine City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Portland, Maine. It is 9 seat council, composed of representatives from the city's five districts as well as 4 councilors elected citywide. Beginning with the Portland, Maine mayoral election, 2011, one of the...
in 1967 representing the city's West End
West End (Portland, Maine)
The West End is a downtown neighborhood in Portland, Maine. It is located on the western side of Portland's peninsula primarily on Bramhall Hill and is noted for its architecture and history. The neighborhood is home to a large number of historic homes and parks and, in 2010, it was called "one of...
neighborhood. He took office in 1968 and held the office until 1977. MacVane served as the largely ceremonial Mayor of Portland for one term, from 1970 to 1971.
He was also elected to the Portland School Board and served as a member of the Portland Transit Authority.
Philanthropy
MacVane served on the boards of directors for numerous organizations, including the Portland Chapter of the American Red CrossAmerican Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
and the Portland YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
. He also headed or chaired the committees for the Portland Bicentennial Committee, the Portland Public Library and the Reiche School.
Later life
MacVane remained active throughout his life. He won the New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
seniors badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
doubles and singles championships in 1990. He continued to attend classes at the University of Southern Maine
University of Southern Maine
The University of Southern Maine is a multi-campus public urban comprehensive university and part of the University of Maine System. USM's three primary campuses are located in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston...
's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute into his 90s. During his life, MacVane was a member of many Portland area organizations and societies, including Portland Rotary Club, the Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, the Western Maine Torch Club, the Cumberland Club, Sigma Phi Society and the Portland Yacht Club.
William MacVane died on August 1, 2010, at the age of 95. He was survived by three children from his 60-year marriage to his wife, Margaret MacVane: two daughters, Lesley MacVane and Margaret Murray and a son, Captain Forbes MacVane of the U.S. Navy. He was also survived by two children from his first marriage, William Harris and Patricia MacVane.
MacVane was the oldest living Mayor of Portland at the time of his death in 2010.