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Opal Elsie Hepler

School of Medicine, Pathology Department, 1929-1968
Opal Elsie Hepler

Opal Elsie Hepler earned all four of her degrees at Northwestern. Dr. Hepler completed her BS in 1921 and her MS eight years later in 1929. She continued her studies at Northwestern and earned two doctoral degrees at the university; first her PhD in 1934, and later her MD in 1941. Even before completing her doctoral degrees, Dr. Hepler began work at Northwestern University as an instructor in pathology in 1929. She was later promoted to assistant professor in 1941 and she became associate professor in 1948 until 1967. During her last year at the university, in 1967, she was appointed professor and in 1968 she was named emeritus. During her time at Northwestern, Dr. Hepler also served as a director of clinical laboratories at Passavant Memorial Hospital, what later became Northwestern University Medical Hospital.

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