William L. MacVane Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Portland, Maine | |
| In office 1970–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Donald Slipp |
| Succeeded by | Gerard Conley Sr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1915-06-12)June 12, 1915 |
| Died | August 1, 2010(2010-08-01) (aged 95) |
| Spouse | Margaret MacVane (2nd) |
| Residence(s) | Portland, Maine |
| Alma mater | Williams College Johns Hopkins School of Medicine |
| Profession | Surgeon,politician |
William Leslie MacVane Jr. (June 12, 1915 – August 1, 2010) was an Americansurgeon andpolitician. MacVane assisted in the firstopen heart surgery performed in Maine in 1959 and served as themayor ofPortland, Maine, for one term in 1971.[1]
MacVane was born on State Street[2] inPortland, Maine, to William L. MacVane Sr. and Bertha May Achorn.[1] He attendedHebron Academy, acollege preparatory school inHebron, Maine.[1] MacVane's interest in medicine began in his teens, when he underwent amastoidectomy.[3] The doctors asked MacVane to accompany them on their rounds during his recovery.[3]
MacVane went on to earn abachelor's degree fromWilliams College inMassachusetts and a medical degree fromJohns Hopkins School of Medicine inBaltimore.[3]
Following medical school, he was an intern and then assistant resident in surgery at Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore. During World War II, MacVane served as an Army Officer in the61stPortable Surgical Unit.[3] He was stationed in the Philippines and Japan during and after the war. MacVane was a recipient of theBronze Star for performing "major surgery under adverse conditions."[1]
After World War II, MacVane washonorably discharged from the Army in 1946 as aMajor. 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 athoracic surgery resident at the V.A. Hospital inOteen, North Carolina, and a thoracic surgery fellow atGeorge Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., from 1953 until 1955.[1]
He once again returned to Maine in 1955, where he practiced thoracic andgeneral surgery. He assisted Emerson Drake in Maine's firstopen heart surgery, which was performed at Maine Medical Center in 1959. He continued to work as a thoracic surgeon andconsultant in hospitals throughout the state. MacVane also served on the executive committee of Mercy Hospital for eighteen years.[1]
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.[1]
MacVane was elected to thePortland, Maine City Council in 1967 representing the city'sWest End neighborhood. He took office in 1968 and held the office until 1977.[3] MacVane served as the largely ceremonial Mayor of Portland for one term, from 1970[4] to 1971.
He was also elected to the PortlandSchool Board and served as a member of the Portland Transit Authority.[1]
MacVane served on theboards of directors for numerous organizations, including the Portland Chapter of theAmerican Red Cross and the PortlandYMCA. He also headed or chaired the committees for the Portland Bicentennial Committee, the Portland Public Library and the Reiche School.[1]
MacVane remained active throughout his life. He won theNew England seniorsbadminton doubles and singles championships in 1990.[1] He continued to attend classes at theUniversity of Southern Maine's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute into his 90s.[3] During his life, MacVane was a member of many Portland area organizations and societies, includingPortland Rotary Club, theMasons, the Western Maine Torch Club, theCumberland Club,Sigma Phi Society and the Portland Yacht Club.[1]
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, CaptainForbes MacVane of theU.S. Navy. He was also survived by two children from his first marriage, William Harris and Patricia MacVane.[1]
MacVane was the oldest living Mayor of Portland at the time of his death in 2010.[2]
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